Tuesday, 3 July 2007

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Louis Walsh: The most wanted man in reality TV

As Louis goes back to The X Factor, he tells Now that he bears no grudges

Simon Cowell’s complete change of mind about inviting Louis Walsh back as a judge on The X Factor came just in the nick of time.

Rival TV bosses on I’m A Celebrity – Get Me Out Of Here! and Strictly Come Dancing were putting in their own bids to lure Louis on to their reality TV shows.

Then Simon realised he'd made a terrible mistake.

‘I didn’t really want to do any other show,’ says Louis, 54. ‘I just like talking about music.

'With Strictly Come Dancing, although I was flattered, they wanted me as a contestant and I just can’t dance.’

Louise rejoined the X Factor team and fitted right back in.

‘It was like I’d never been given the push,’ he says. ‘All I want is for the show to work. I’m just happy to be back as part of it.’

He joins a four-strong panel this year with regulars Sharon Osbourne, 54, Simon, 47, and newcomer Dannii Minogue, 35.

See the full story in Now magazine - out now!