Louis Walsh has launched a blistering attack on his former X Factor colleague Simon Cowell, declaring the music mogul has “lost his edge”.
The duo began their television partnership when Mr Cowell recruited the boyband manager as an original judge on the first season of The X Factor in 2004.
Mr Walsh went on to serve on the panel for 13 series before stepping down in 2017 to focus on his music management projects.
In his memoir, Louis Walsh: Fast Track to Fame, he wrote at the time: “The show needs a change and I’m ready to leave.”
Louis Walsh launched an attack on Simon Cowell
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The 73-year-old Irish star told The Sun on Sunday that Mr Cowell is no longer the force he once was.
“Cowell was incredible in his prime, I just don’t think he’s got that same instinct now,” Mr Walsh said.
The Celebrity Big Brother contestant also revealed the pair have not spoken in years, placing the blame on those around the 66-year-old entertainment boss.
“He’s surrounded by people who won’t tell him the truth anymore,” Mr Walsh claimed. “He’s surrounded by fakes.”
Louis Walsh was a judge on X Factor for 13 series
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Mr Walsh suggested Mr Cowell’s fiancée, Lauren Silverman, now controls access to him, adding: “Lauren’s in charge of his diary and his phone. I’ve not heard from him in years.”
The music manager was equally dismissive when asked about Britain’s Got Talent, which launched its 19th series on Saturday night.
He said: “BGT, who cares?! It’s not what it was.”
The former guest judge, who appeared on the programme in 2010, pointed to what he sees as a dramatic fall from grace.
Simon Cowell currently stars in Britain’s Got Talent | ITV“Back in the old days, it was pulling in 12 million, and the whole country cared who won,” Mr Walsh explained.
“Now it doesn’t feel like that. Who even won last year?”
The new series features YouTuber KSI joining Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon on the panel, replacing Bruno Tonioli alongside Mr Cowell.
During Saturday’s opening episode, Mr Cowell awarded his golden buzzer to aerial wheelchair performer Paul Nunnari.
Mr Walsh also took aim at Mr Cowell’s latest venture, the boyband December 10, which was assembled through the Netflix series Simon Cowell: The Next Act.
The veteran manager, who guided the careers of Boyzone, Westlife, and Girls Aloud, was unimpressed with the group’s name.
“December 10, they should have been called April 1st,” Mr Walsh quipped.
“I genuinely hope it works, for the boys’ sake,” he added. “I know what it’s like when things don’t take off, it’s the artists who feel it.”
December 10 only reached number 72 on the Charts
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Show insiders were quick to dismiss Mr Walsh’s criticism of Britain’s Got Talent.
A source said: “This is typical of Louis. The show has never been better. Last year’s BGT reached over 30 million viewers across ITV and ITVX, as well as on digital.”
They added that the programme has racked up more than 27 billion lifetime video views, with 4.7 billion coming from the most recent series alone.
This is not the first time Mr Walsh has made his feelings clear about Mr Cowell and his fellow X Factor judges.
Mr Walsh said that Simon’s partner, Lauren Silverman, controls his life
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During his stint on Celebrity Big Brother in 2025, where he appeared alongside Sharon Osbourne, who served on The X Factor judging panel for seven series, Mr Walsh was highly critical of his former boss.
He mocked Mr Cowell for wearing the same outfit every day, a quirk Mr Cowell has said simplifies getting ready each morning.
Mr Walsh also accused the music mogul of “cheating him out” of an X Factor victory in 2008 by arranging for Beyoncé to perform with Cheryl Cole’s contestant rather than his.
As for Mr Cowell, he has previously insisted his friendship with Mr Walsh remains strong, saying they can “say things and laugh about it afterwards”.
He once recalled asking Mr Walsh why he had “mouthed off” about him on a show, to which Irish music mogul replied: “Well, they paid me a lot of money!”
GB News has contacted Mr Cowell for comment.
