Louis Walsh has strongly suggested that he will not be returning to The X Factor for the next series. Having starred on the ITV singing competition since its inception in 2004, Louis has, over the years, become known as the show's "great survivor".
It sounds like the long-serving judge feels it is time to step down though.
"I think I'm done with X Factor," said Louis, speaking on The Seven O'Clock Show. "I've done 11 seasons. That's a long time on television."
© Photo: Getty ImagesLouis Walsh has starred on The X Factor since its inception in 2004
"I think they're going to change the show. I think they're going to get new faces," he added.
The 62-year-old – who insisted even further by saying "I think I'm done at X Factor" – failed to give details about the supposed shake-up on the judging panel. The show's executive producer Richard Holloway has previously admitted that some big changes would be put in place, in a bid to improve rating figures.
Louis did however clarify that fellow judge Cheryl Fernandez-Versini would remain on the show. The Geordie beauty made her comeback in 2014 after a four-year hiatus, but previous reports claimed that she and Louis could be facing the axe.
© Photo: Getty Images"I think I'm done at X Factor," said Louis Walsh
If Louis does leave, he will most likely dedicate more time to working with his protégés.
"I want to go back to being a manager," he said. "That's my day job and I've neglected it for a long time because I'm away so much. At the moment, I'm working with Shane Filan – he's got a new record coming out, and I'm also working with Hometown."
© Photo: Getty ImagesOther reports have claimed that Louis Walsh will be launching Ireland's Got Talent with the help of Simon Cowell (second right)
Louis first rose to fame in the music industry as the manager to Johnny Logan, Boyzone and Westlife, three of Ireland's most successful pop artists in recent decades.
Other reports have claimed that Louis, who was born in County Mayo, will launch Ireland's Got Talent next year, with the help of his old friend Simon Cowell.
Simon has apparently "accepted that Louis no longer has a job for life on The X Factor," a source told The Sun, and that Louis is "unlikely to stay" because show bosses are actively looking for his replacements. The insider pointed to Robbie Williams as the "top choice" to take Louis' seat.
