Simon Cowell's 'The X-Factor USA" has just opened its third season, but there's already a looming scandal. One contestant had apparently lied about her stellar past. Similar scandals have rocked past seasons of X-Factor, and ratings were at an all-time low.

Past seasons had scandals concerning Stacy Francis, who already had a record and was already a pseudo celebrity around Hollywood, among others. These scandals had tarnished the integrity of the show, which claimed that they were looking for 'undiscovered talent' who had the 'X-Factor.'

In their first audition episode, a 54-year old grandmom who looked much younger than her age took the stage and overwhelmed the audience. Lillie McCloud was portrayed as a mom who deferred her dream in favor of parenting. At the twilight of her years, she finally gets her last chance.

Her performance prompted judge Kelly Rowland (formerly of Destiny's Child) to exclaim""Where have you been hiding?" According to Lyndsay Parker, a Yahoo! News Reality Show blogger, "she actually had a long résumé dating back the 1980s - under the stage name Nicole McCloud - that included a deal with Portrait/Epic Records, four albums, gigs alongside stars like Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson, and 10 singles that made the U.S. Billboard Dance chart. Lillie even once sang the theme song to "Slovakia's Got Talent," indicating a possible connection to "Got Talent"/"X Factor" franchise creator Simon Cowell."

It has now become an integrity issue for "X-Factor." The story was first revealed on MJsBigBlog, and its readers had various comments, but the most insightful one was from "Montavilla." The comment goes:  "I don't have a problem with her having experience. I have a problem with her having experience and pretending that she doesn't."

The show has no rules about excluding accomplished artists, but they apparently want the effect of 'discovering the new superstar.' These antics did not sit well with the viewers. Fox recorded the lowest rating for any X-Factor USA opening. It was also lower than the other singing reality show, "The Voice."