Could Louis Walsh be returning to X Factor as a 5th judge?
The talent show has been struggling to keep viewing figures high
In a dramatic u-turn it seems that former judge Louis Walsh could be returning to the X Factor in a bid to raise flagging viewing numbers.
He departed the ITV talent show after 10 years on the judging panel and has reportedly been criticising the choice of judges that have replaced him.
Louis will reportedly return to the show as a 5th judge, who will be sat separate from the main judges.
Rumours are also swirling that there will be a change to the format of the live shows, which begin at the end of next month, and that a scoring system may be introduced.
The X Factor has been struggling to keep audience numbers high and had 7.3 million viewers on Saturday and Sunday, down by nearly one million compared to 2014 when Louis was a judge.
Louis is known for championing acts based on entertainment value and not always talent, most notably Wagner and Jedward.
Simon Cowell and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini both worked with him on previous series of the show, sometimes even coming to blows over the acts chosen by Louis.