LOUIS Walsh has confirmed his exit as a judge on The X Factor, amidst reports that he could launch an Irish version of Britain’s Got Talent.
The 62-year-old – who joined the show as a judge when it began in 2004 – denied claims that he had been sacked.
He told Press Association: "The truth is I've done it for 11 years, I never thought I would even be on TV for four or five. To get ten was great, to get 11 was amazing, I'm not hanging around for them this year.
"I haven't been sacked, I can honestly tell you that, but I'm not hanging around for them this year because I want to go back to being a manager. I'm basically going back to my roots, which is the reason I got into this business - music. I love music.
"But I wasn't sacked, I haven't been hired and I'm not hanging around."
The former Westlife manager also suggested who could replace him on the panel.
"If I was to pick the perfect person it would be Robbie Williams, or maybe even Niall (Horan) from One Direction, put somebody else Irish in there."
Walsh confirmed that a reality talent show similar to Britain’s Got Talent is in the pipeline, but that he has not yet decided on the structure the show would take.
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