‘I don’t want to be on TV when I’m old like Brucie...’
LOUIS Walsh has had a cheeky dig at showbiz legend Sir Bruce Forsyth.
The X Factor judge, 65, said he would hate to still be on TV in his 70s.
Brucie was at the top of his game as the host of Strictly at 86 – three years before his death in August this year.
In an exclusive chat, Louis said: “I’m enjoying doing X Factor and I’ve signed up to do next year. But 10 more years? I don’t want to be like Bruce Forsyth! I don’t want to be that old and still be on TV.”
He added: “This doesn’t feel like work. I don’t know when I’ll retire yet.”
As presenter of Strictly for more than a decade Brucie helped the BBC series become telly’s top show.
These days it has twice as many people watching on Saturday nights as The X Factor.
But Louis reckons the singing show is still top when it comes to younger viewers.
He said: “Older people watch Strictly. It’s a good and entertaining show. I think it’s a very safe show. It’s easy to watch and get the feelgood factor. And, of course, they don’t have any adverts like we do.”
Louis is also convinced pop acts prefer to perform on The X Factor rather than Strictly. He said: “If you want to sell music, be on X Factor. I don’t think Strictly sells the music that we sell.”
Strictly was hit by controversy last month when Bruno Tonioli, 61, skipped a show. He insisted that his absence was due to his work schedule that also sees him judge on Dancing With the Stars over in the US.
But pictures later emerged of him at a party and it was claimed he missed Strictly to spend time with a hunky new lover in America.
Louis promised he would never skip an X Factor live programme but backed Bruno, who is a close friend.
He said: “I would never miss a show, ever. But if it’s the first for Bruno not being there then that’s fine.
“I think people are being too hard on him.”