Louis Walsh has ruled out returning for a rumoured X Factor reboot, revealing he may have suffered a minor heart attack while filming Celebrity Big Brother.
The 74-year-old joined the ITV reality show in 2024, appearing alongside his fellow former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne. Also joined by the likes of Strictly Come Dancing's Nikita Kuzmin and Love Island winner Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, the pair were at the centre of several discussions in the House.
Health struggles during Celebrity Big Brother
Speaking on the 2 Johnnies podcast, Walsh said of his experience in the House: 'I thought it was going to be fun. It wasn't fun.'
'I had anxiety problems and I had to get the medics. My doctor thinks I had a minor heart attack. They let me out a few times to have a cup of tea.'
Walsh continued: 'I did it for the money but I shouldn't have. Sharon was not in a good place either. We were television hookers.'
No return to X Factor
The former Westlife boss went on to rule himself out of the X Factor reboot, which recently stoked speculation of its imminent return with a Facebook page update.
Referring to show boss Simon Cowell, Walsh said: 'I won't be doing it as I am probably too old. The money is good, they pay well but I don't think he will ask me.'
'I don't know who they would get. Sharon and Nicole Scherzinger would be good. I was so nervous being on that show as Simon is a big personality and so is Sharon.'
He added: 'I once had to judge Kelly Osbourne on Radio 1 and said when she sang Papa Don't Preach it was absolute s***e. She was not happy. She put me in my place. But I still stand by it, it was a s**t record.'
Reboot speculation
It was reported earlier this month that a reboot of the ITV talent show – which discovered the likes of One Direction, Little Mix and Leona Lewis – has been in the works since December, with those in the know sworn to secrecy.
ITV officially cancelled the show in 2021, after it had run every year from 2004 until 2018, having been beset by various scandals and criticism.
Earlier this month, the official X Factor Facebook page quietly changed its profile picture back to its 2016-2018 logo, which strips away the words 'The' and 'Factor', leaving only the iconic X – which has left fans convinced the talent show is indeed winding its way back on the air.
