Louis Walsh's 'X Factor' category 'leaks'

Louis Walsh has been told that he will be mentoring the groups on The X Factor this year, a report claims.

According to the Evening Herald, the boyband manager has been handed the category for the fourth time in the show's six series history. He previously coached the bands in 2004, 2006 and 2008.

It is believed that Walsh may now be pinning his hopes of winning on Irish identical twins John Paul and Edward Grimes, 17, who have reportedly made it through to the judges' homes stage of the competition.

An insider said: "The twins really want this and they have the talent to go really far but the final call will be made by Louis.

"Simon Cowell wasn't convinced that they had that star quality at the start, but now he has done a total U-turn. He loves the fact that they're identical twins as it's a great marketing ploy and they've never had that on the show before."

Walsh has never guided a group to victory on the programme, but his former boyband protégés JLS topped the charts with their debut single 'Beat Again' last month and his operatic group G4 released three albums before splitting in 2007.

The X Factor returns to ITV1 on August 22.