Contestant sues Simon Cowell

Simon Cowell is being sued for 2.5 million pounds ($3.8 million) by a former contestant on "Britain's Got Talent", according to British press reports on Thursday.

Cowell and his TV show are being sued by contestant Emma Amelia Pearl Czikai, who claims she was humiliated and degraded on the show in a broadcast in May 2009.

Czikai first lodged her complaint of unfairness and discrimination with a British employment tribunal in January. The tribunal action emerged in the press following a pretrial review at the central London tribunal court.

Czikai, representing herself, accused the show and its judges of "exploitation, humiliation, degradation and barbarism." She also claimed the show was guilty of disability discrimination because it had not made adjustments for her, such as lowering the level of backing music and microphone levels.

The pretrial review, which will decide if a full hearing will go ahead, was told that she was seeking 300,000 pounds ($458,000) for injured feelings, compensation of 1 million pounds ($1.5 million) and loss of earnings of 1.25 million pounds ($ 1.9 million)

She said if she was awarded any money, it would go to charity.