Irish music manager Louis Walsh has confirmed that he will rejoin the judging panel for the 11th year of The X-Factor, reportedly signing a contract with Simon Cowell for £1m.
The singing competition has undergone a series of changes to the judging panel, with at least one judge being replaced yearly, Walsh is the only judge that had remained on the panel since the very beginning. Louis, 62, will join previous judges Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole, who have made-up after their public feuds, but the fourth judge is yet to be confirmed.
In an interview, Louis joked “At my age, you have to keep working.” He also speculated over the fourth judge, “It has to be someone I like. I’d love it to be Sharon Osbourne, but I don’t think it’s going to be her.” He continued, “It could be Mel B from the Spice Girls. I love her and she’s quite mad. She also did the American and Australian versions of X Factor.” Apparently Alesha Dixon and Rita Ora could also be possible additions.
When discussing his role on the panel, Louis said “I’m going to try to be the sunny guy and put all the Irish acts through.”
The X-Factor will be returning to our TV screens this autumn.
