Louis Walsh is being drafted in to save The X Factor yet again, according to reports.
The 63-year-old music manager announced earlier this year that he was stepping down as a judge on the show after 11 years, and he has been replaced on the panel by Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw.
But The Sun has reported Louis is in talks with old friend Simon Cowell to return to the talent show as a ‘fifth judge’ in a bid to boost flagging ratings.
The former Westlife manager would apparently acts as a neutral judge, sitting away from the panel and delivering and giving unbiased commentary on the contestants during the live shows.
Louis said in May this year: “I’m not hanging around for them this year because I want to go back to being a manager. I wasn’t sacked but I haven’t been hired.”
Simon tweeted at the time to say Louis had left on good terms.
The Irish star previously quit The X Factor in 2007 and was replaced by American choreographer Brian Friedman for the early auditions. But after a few days Louis was rehired and Brian became the show’s creative director instead.
The X Factor audience figures are already down over a million compared with 2014 and on its first head-to-head with Strictly Come Dancing, the rival BBC show had over a million more viewers.
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