It seems Louis Walsh is determined to prove his worth to Simon Cowell, and is reportedly set to earn a mint for his return to ‘The X Factor’ this year.
Louis has been heavily tipped to be returning to the ITV show this year - after being temporarily replaced by Nick Grimshaw in the last series - and Sharon Osbourne and Nicole Scherzinger are also rumoured to staging a comeback to the panel.
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Louis Walsh
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According to The Mirror, Louis will be raking in “just shy of a million” to be a judge on the next series, but it seems his hefty fee isn’t the only demand he has.
Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell in the early days of 'The X Factor'
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Although last year’s ‘X Factor’ was the first without Louis on the panel, he did make a brief appearance during the live final, appearing in a comedy sketch which opened the show, parodying the John Lewis Christmas advert.
Of the most recent judging line-up, only Simon remains, with Grimmy, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and Rita Ora all stepping down over the course of the past few months.
The original line-up: Sharon Osbourne, Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh (credit:ITV)
Series 4 (2007)(02 of11)
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All change: Dannii Minogue joins Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne, with Brian Freidman replacing Louis Walsh.Dermot O'Leary also replaces Kate Thornton as the show's host.
Series 4 (2007)(03 of11)
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The return of the Walsh: Louis makes a comeback after Brian Freidman is axed from the panel after only a few days of auditions.
Series 5-7 (2008-2010)(04 of11)
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The golden era: Cheryl Cole replaces Sharon Osbourne, joining Simon, Dannii and Louis.
Series 8 (2011)(05 of11)
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A mass exodus: Gary Barlow, Tulisa and Kelly Rowland join the only original remaining judge, Louis Walsh.
Series 9 (2012)(06 of11)
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Schermazing: Nicole Sherzinger replaces Kelly Rowland, joining Gary, Tulisa and Louis.
Series 10 (2013)(07 of11)
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She's BACK! Sharon Osbourne rejoins the panel after five years, replacing Tulisa and joining Louis, Gary and Nicole. (credit:Rex)
Series 11 (2014)(08 of11)
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REUNITED: Simon and Cheryl return alongside Louis Walsh and new judge Mel B. (credit:Syco/Thames/ITV)
Series 12 (2015)(09 of11)
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Bye bye Louis: Nick Grimshaw and Rita Ora replace Louis and Mel, as they join Simon and Cheryl on the panel. Meanwhile, Caroline Flack and Olly Murs step into Dermot's shoes as hosts. (credit:Twitter)
Series 13-14 (2016-17)(10 of11)
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A vintage line-up: Nicole, Louis and Sharon all stage sensational returns to the panel after the departures of Cheryl, Nick and Rita, while Dermot also returns as host. (credit:ITV)
Series 15 (2018)(11 of11)
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WTF?! Louis Tomlinson becomes the first former contestant to join the panel permanently, while Robbie joins the panel alongside his wife and 'Loose Women' panellist Ayda Field. (credit:Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment)