Axed X Factor judge Natalia Kills changes her name - to Teddy Sinclair

Natalia Kills has changed her name following her exit from The X Factor.

Natalia Kills says she is changing her name just months after being sacked as a judge from local reality show The X Factor New Zealand.

Kills, who was axed from the X Factor alongside her Kiwi-born husband Willy Moon after they bullied a contestant live on air, took to Twitter and Instagram to announce her new name.

She said she would now go by the name 'Teddy Sinclair' - a combination of the nickname friends and family call her, and Moon's real name, William George Sinclair.

All of her comments are so inspiring???? Love you Teddy Sinclair #MamaTeddy ???? @whothehellisteddysinclair

A photo posted by The Fandom is Fierce?? (@nataliakills) on Jul 5, 2015 at 9:35pm PDT

"A year ago when I got married to Willy Moon I took his last name. For a long time the friends and family closest to me have called me Teddy, and my husband decided it would be beautiful to spend the rest of my life with my most intimate name united with my new married name," Kills wrote.

"So for a year I have been Mrs Teddy Natalia Noemi Sinclair, and I've never felt so natural, honest and empowered ... And I'm finally ready to invite you all to address me personally as I feel we are so close and I am so grateful for your support and love."

In a subsequent post promoting the private Instagram account @whothehellisteddysinclair, Kills hinted she was changing her name because of all the negative comments she was getting on social media.

I feel as if there is something I should do to help @whothehellisteddysinclair as people negatively comment their opinions on her posts but I really don't know what else I could do. Natalia (Teddy) has made a decision that means a lot to her and she has even explained her decision to change her name (which I have a screenshot of a couple posts before this). Yes your opinion is awesome, but if it's going to be negative please don't bother. She has made the decision herself which has made her feel so natural, honest and empowered as she said in her comment. You all should feel so privileged that she has finally felt ready to invite you to address her personally, pretty much saying that she trusts you as her loyal #TeamKills fandom. It's so sad to see her assistants having to block so many rude and nasty people! As followers/fans we are meant to support and love our Inspiration/Artist as who they are and the decisions they may decide to proceed. I will never, for anything in the world, replace my love for Teddy Sinclair. She will forever have a piece in my heart. Teddy/Natalia, Stay lovely and Just be YOU because we all love YOU for YOU!! - Lulu?? XoXo @whothehellisteddysinclair #MamaTeddy

A photo posted by The Fandom is Fierce?? (@nataliakills) on Jul 7, 2015 at 2:59am PDT

Kills and Moon fled New Zealand after the pair attacked contestant Joe Irvine over his outfit and performance of Cry Me a River, with Kills saying he had copied Moon's look.

Moon compared the Invercargill singer to a serial killer. Both were sacked by Mediaworks the following day, following a public outcry and disquiet from the show's sponsors.

In an exclusive interview with the Herald, Kills defended her comments, saying other reality show judges - including X Factor creator Simon Cowell - had said worse things.

"I've been a fan of The X Factor and Simon Cowell my whole life and what we said is light compared to what Gordon Ramsay, Simon Cowell and many others have said on national television and been celebrated for," she said.

"It's so sad how they (TV3) encourage so much drama but then when their sponsor and the public react badly they release a statement branding us as 'bullies'."

- nzherald.co.nz