Louis Walsh has said he would only consider returning to a rebooted X Factor if Sharon Osbourne is also brought back onto the judging panel. Speaking exclusively to the Irish Mail on Sunday about a possible comeback to the reality talent show, the music manager said: "Only with Mrs O".
Walsh was referring to Osbourne, his close friend and fellow original X Factor judge, with whom he formed a strong bond during their years on the show together. The pair became known for their on-screen dynamic, trading frequent disagreements and good-natured jibes while their working relationship grew closer through the show's early series.
Osbourne sat on the panel for the programme's first four series before she was replaced ahead of the 2008 series.
The two reunited on screen last year on Celebrity Big Brother, when Osbourne entered the house as the show's first "celebrity lodger" before Walsh joined her as a full housemate shortly after. On arrival, the pair were set a joint task, choosing three fellow housemates to be placed at risk of eviction based on first impressions.
Osbourne stayed in the house for five days as a lodger, while Walsh remained a housemate for the rest of the series. Sources say the friendship between the two has carried on since the show ended, with the pair said to be in regular contact.
Kelly Osbourne's comments
Walsh's hint at a possible return to judging duties comes days after Sharon Osbourne's daughter, Kelly Osbourne, told GB News on the red carpet of the National Television Awards that she would "only work with the original trio" if a modernised X Factor reboot went ahead, naming her mother, Walsh and Simon Cowell. Her comments followed months of ongoing speculation over a potential revival of the format.
Asked whether producers had already made contact about a possible comeback, Walsh remained tight-lipped.
Walsh's X Factor and music career
The Mayo man, now 73, was a judge on the original X Factor panel from its launch in 2004, sitting alongside Cowell, Osbourne and Dannii Minogue. He mentored the Groups and Over 25s categories during his time on the show.
Outside of X Factor, Walsh has worked for decades as a music manager, with acts including Westlife, Boyzone and Johnny Logan among those he has managed.
His most recent television work has kept him firmly in the public eye. His stint on Celebrity Big Brother introduced him to a new generation of viewers, many of whom were not born when X Factor first aired. Clips of his exchanges with fellow housemates circulated widely on social media during the series, with several moments involving Osbourne among the most shared.
X Factor's history and revival talk
X Factor aired on ITV from 2004 until 2018, running for 15 series in total. The show launched the careers of numerous acts, including One Direction, Little Mix, Leona Lewis and JLS, and became one of the most-watched entertainment programmes in the UK during its peak years.
Ratings declined in the show's later series, and it was eventually axed by ITV in 2018, with a brief celebrity spin-off airing the following year.
Speculation about a potential revival of X Factor has resurfaced periodically since the show ended, with various reports over the years suggesting broadcasters had held discussions about bringing the format back in some form. None of these reports have so far resulted in a confirmed return date.
Cowell, who created the format, has not publicly commented on any plans for a revival.
