It's not just 'American Idol' contestants who hate acerbic judge Simon Cowell. The latest to lash out at the 47-year-old entertainment executive is
The X Factor judge and noted music industry executive Louis Walsh, who along with the show's hostess Kate Thornton, has been ousted from the UK reality series.
While Walsh judged the show alongside Cowell and Sharon Osbourne, Thornton presented it. Both were informed Wednesday that they would no longer be a part of the popular show. “I have been completely shafted by Simon. He has told me barefaced lies about my future and, worst of all, he didn't have the (guts) to tell me personally that I was going. The format works, so why change it? The audience is used to the same panel coming back each year,” 54-year-old Walsh was quoted by a prominent UK tabloid as saying.
Walsh, who has played manager to Westlife, Boyzone, Ronan Keating and Shayne Ward, among others, also slammed Cowell for giving Thornton false security that her job with the ITV reality show was safe. “Simon had a long chat with her (Thornton) and told her to ignore the reports (that she may be sacked). He said there'd be no changes, but then the carpet was pulled from under her. She's very upset and feels really humiliated. She wants to speak to Simon but he hasn't even called to wish her well,” Walsh reportedly said.
That the news came as a shock to both Walsh and Thornton has been confirmed by another prominent newspaper, which quoted a source as saying that the latter broke down in tears when she came to know of her ouster. The source added that Walsh had received the news stoically because judging the show wasn't adding much to his coffers and was just something he did because he enjoyed it. “I will be having the busiest year of my career with Westlife, Shayne Ward and the re-launch of Boyzone,” Walsh said.
Cowell, meanwhile, defended himself and said the decision to remove the two from
The X Factor was not his but the network's. “ITV wanted to make some changes to the show. I did put up arguments for Louis and Kate to stay, but ITV put up their arguments for them to go, and it was their decision,” Cowell was quoted as saying.
He is believed to have offered Walsh another show, but it is not clear if the former judge took his offer. According to Cowell, Walsh's departure from the show was due to his other commitments and inability to be fully involved in the
The X Factor. Now, two other judges will be taken on to constitute a four-member panel. The list of contenders for the positions is under wraps.
One of the most watched UK reality series,
The X Factor is a talent contest to find the musically-inclined. The third series of the show drew as many as 100,000 aspirants. According to the show's owners, as many as eight million votes were cast for the third season of
The X Factor, in which Leona Lewis was adjudged the winner and Raymond Quinn the runner-up.
