How Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell's friendship turned sour - savage sacking to surgery snipes

Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh were once an iconic duo of noughties TV as two of the main star judges on X Factor - but now their friendship is on rocky ground.

The rift was a surprise to many TV fans who had grown accustomed to seeing the pair on friendly terms. But prior to his arrival in the Celebrity Big Brother house, Louis had taken a savage swipe at the mogul as he admitted they hadn't been in touch before his stint in the reality programme.

"No, it’s all about him. Simon lives in this bubble and it’s all about him," Louis had said at the time. But he had also revealed that, despite his ex-pal's lack of contact, Louis had learned to accept him as he is.

Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell are reportedly no longer speaking - but the latter has expressed his wish to squash tensions

"It’s fine. I accept that. That’s just the way he is. We spoke a few months ago, I just rang him to have a chat and he was the same as ever." He had then added: "I think the world of him, I really do. I know his faults. I know he’s not perfect. He wears stupid clothes, stupid haircut, new faces. His face has changed so much. He brings energy to a room, brings something, I don’t know what it is. It’s not like he’s Einstein or anything. But he’s good. He’s good with music and stuff."

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But after reuniting with fellow former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne, who had claimed Simon "doesn’t know how to keep friends", tensions escalated, with both stars hitting out at their former pal. Sharon was notably upset that her X Factor contract hadn't been renewed, which led her to lose out on other projects on the box later on.

During his stay in the famous house, Louis notably unearthed an old row he'd had with Simon, calling him out for a backstabbing move which allegedly ruined his chances of winning the X Factor and involved Beyoncé, of all people.

This seemed to be enough to compromise the long-standing friendship as, after his exit from CBB, where he reached fourth place, Louis told This Morning's Ben Shephard that Simon had apparently cut him out - but, once again, Louis tried to be understanding.

Meanwhile, Simon Cowell geared up for the 17th series of Britain's Got Talent (back for another round this Saturday, April 27 at 7.30pm), where he appears as a judge alongside another close friend, Amanda Holden as well as Bruno Tonioli and Alesha Dixon.

With speculation about a potential feud with Louis Walsh running rife, the mogul clapped back and set the record straight during a recent chat with The Daily Mirror.

Simon squashed row rumours as he claimed: "I still consider Sharon and Louis really good friends, we could pick up the phone to each other tomorrow." Evidently keen to get back in touch with the pair, he then added: "I probably will phone them both in the next week or so, because I haven’t spoken to them for a while and it sounds like I should do."

He then insisted he had no intention of firing back, explaining that their long-lasting friendship was often made of long silences. "Whenever I meet them, see them, speak to them, it’s like we’ve spoken yesterday. My honest opinion is I think we miss each other," Simon said, adding: "If you put Sharon and Louis in the house, that’s what you pay them for, they’re going to be controversial."

And controversy was definitely in the air for Louis Walsh during another one of his no-nonsense chats with co-star Colson Smith. When speaking to the Coronation Street actor, Louis slammed former X Factor contestants, John and Edward Grimes, aka Jedward, who he had once managed.

"They were vile. I got five million quid for them. I swear on my mother's life," he had boasted at the time. "And they were vile. They were novelty. But great for the show." Unlike Simon, the coiffed duo hit back at their former manager with a scathing message penned on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"Louis Walsh is a cold-hearted b*****d who didn't even send us flowers when our mom died," they wrote, echoing another diatribe against the mogul from 2016, when they'd said they had been the "most financially beneficial act of his career in the last 10 years". But is there any truth to the suggestion?

Louis claimed to have made a whopping sum for managing Jedward - and his net worth has reached an eye-watering amount
(Image: Ken McKay/Talkback Thames/REX/Shutterstock)

Before becoming a household name and embarking on a profitable TV career, Louis was propelled into the spotlight by Simon as a member of the X Factor judging panel following appearances in Popstars: The Rivals and Irish music competition You're A Star.

After joining the famous show in its early 2004 instalments, the 71-year-old was booted out of the programme a decade later before returning for another stint in 2016. One year later, Louis announced he wouldn't be returning for the fifteenth series as he was keen to focus on other commitments. He has since appeared in other shows such as Britain's Got Talent (during series four and five), its Irish spin-off Ireland's Got Talent and Junk Kouture, among others.

In a matter of years, the County Mayo native saw his net worth reach the staggering amount of £116 million, a jaw-dropping sum which was made through his numerous TV appearances and managing chart-toppers in the likes of Boyzone, Westlife, Girls Aloud and, as mentioned, Jedward. As of 2024, however, Louis has another whopping check to take into account.

Speaking to the Irish Independent about his Celebrity Big Brother appearance, Louis revealed he had been reluctant to join the reboot of the reality series - but he was ultimately convinced to try it out with "a lot of money".

"They convinced me", Louis admitted, "they said I was going to be safe, it was going to be fun, that I would probably win it. I told them 'I don’t want to win it. Don’t waste it on me. Give it to someone else'."

According to Louis, CBB bosses didn't take no for an answer and insisted, before eventually suggesting the eye-watering amount of £850,000.

"They said they really, really wanted me. They kept on at me, and still I said no, because I was scared. I don’t want to be a celebrity. It’s a fake world. I have no desire. I like music and staying under the radar. I still haven’t watched it. And I don’t want to."

But despite his bank account reaching the nine-figure mark, Louis is known to own a curiously spartan home in Dublin.

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