‘X-Factor UK': Louis Walsh blames judge Simon Cowell for poor show ratings

The “X-Factor UK” has been facing some tough competition as of late in terms of show ratings, especially with the return of the new season of BBC’s “Strictly Come Dancing” on TV. Former “X-Factor UK” judge Louis Walsh has candidly spoken up about who’s to blame for the poor ratings in a recent interview. He said Simon Cowell is responsible because he has tampered with the show’s format too much.

Walsh told Star magazine (via Metro UK) that Cowell has “f***ed up” the show too much with many changes. The 63-year-old added that the “X-Factor UK” mogul has “messed with it too much” with experiments that didn’t even work.

“Simon used to blame me," Walsh shared. He added, "He'd say 'it's your fault people are fed up looking at you'. But it's not my fault - it's his fault." Walsh added that he’s glad he is not on the show this year with how the show’s rating is going.

Walsh said that he doesn’t “give a f**k” anymore” because he is no longer on the show. He also revealed that he and Cowell would often talk about the show on the phone, where he tells him exactly what he thinks. Despite being frank about his opinions about the “X-Factor UK,” he admitted that he and Cowell still remain good friends.

In the same interview with Star magazine, Walsh also hit out at new “X-Factor UK” judge Nick Grimshaw and called him a “radio person.” According to Mirror UK, Walsh said Rita Ora and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini have the same technique in judging. However, he favours Ora compared to Versini because she is “a great singer and she knows how to perform.”

This is not the first time Walsh has spoken candidly about the TV show and its judges. He had expressed his doubts over Grimshaw’s judging skills given that he is a radio DJ. He also attributed Cowell’s age as another reason for the show’s poor ratings. At the same time though, he also expressed his support for Ora being a good judge on the “X-Factor UK” and said he would only return to the show if it has a “fun” panel of judges.

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