Louis has not been sacked from X Factor – far from it!

REPORTS of Louis Walsh’s X Factor demise have been greatly exaggerated – according to his close friends. Despite media reports yesterday suggesting that X Factor boss Simon Cowell phoned Walsh to tell him he was no longer wanted, sources close to the popular judge insist this isn’t the case.

In fact, the Irish Daily Mail can reveal Simon, above with Louis, spent most of Saturday evening discussing Walsh’s possible return to the ITV show.

‘Louis is 100 per cent not sacked’, a close friend confirmed.

‘This story appeared on Sunday and said that Louis was axed by Simon. The truth is that Simon did phone Louis but did not fire him from the show. He told him that he was in the mix but that his job was not guaranteed. That has always been the way with Louis and Simon. There is a short- list of about four people to take the remaining two judging slots and Louis is part of that list.’

While Louis was unavailable for comment last night, his close circle of friends were at pains to insist that he was not upset by the story.

A friend said: ‘He has made up his mind that if it happens, so be it. If it doesn’t then he has had a good run.

‘Honestly, this is the latest story from one specific newspaper that has been writing about his demise for nearly three years. He isn’t bothered one way or another.’

Walsh previously hinted his time on the show may be coming to a close, saying in a recent interview with TV3: ‘I think they’re going to change it, go for a few new faces.

‘I think I’m done with X Factor. My day job is as a manager; I’ve kind of neglected that. I want to get back to being a manager – I’m working with Shane Filan and I’m working with Hometown.

‘I’d like to get back to where I started off… I never wanted to be on TV, it just happened.’