Louis Tomlinson is set to make an appearance on The X Factor to help in its ratings battle against Strictly Come Dancing. On Saturday night, Strictly beat the singing show as they went head-to-head for the first time – and now bosses are hoping One Direction star Louis will help draw in more viewers by joining Simon Cowell at the judges' houses. "Simon is pulling out the big guns as he is still determined to make this series a huge success," a source told the Sun. "One Direction have always been big ratings winners and Louis is the most outspoken of the band. He won't be afraid to tell people if they're terrible, which Simon loves."
Louis Tomlinson is said to be making an appearance on The X Factor to boost ratings
Louis, 23, – who appeared on the seventh series of X Factor in 2010 – has previously admitted he would like to appear on the show, saying: "I'd love to if I got the call. But it would be weird to go to anyone's but Simon's as he's my boss. "One Direction fans can also look forward to a likely appearance by the boys at the X Factor final – their last appearance before disbanding in March to pursue solo projects. "I would like their last performance before their break to be The X Factor final, 100 per cent," Simon has said. "I think they will come on the final of The X Factor this year. "The launch of Strictly on Saturday attracted an average of 8.7million viewers, a 41.7 per cent share of the total audience, as fans tuned in to see stars including Peter Andre, Jamelia, Kirsty Gallacher and Iwan Thomas hit the dance floor. At its peak, 9.7million people were watching the show.In comparison, The X Factor pulled in an average of 7.5million people for its third show of the series, representing a 32.8 per cent audience share, and peaked with nine million viewers.