Walsh: 'X Factor' axe was not a PR stunt

Louis Walsh has dismissed rumours that his surprise return to The X Factor is part of a cunning publicity stunt.

The 54-year-old Irishman lost his place on the TV singing contest's judging panel in March, but was reinstated last week after his replacement Brian Friedman changed roles on the show.

However, Walsh insisted that his temporary absence from the show was genuine, revealing that he suffered "a lot of stress" and "a lot of sleepless nights" after he was axed.

He told the Daily Mail: "It wasn't a stunt, but if I was on the outside looking in I would probably think it was. I was gobsmacked. In a way I think it was a good thing for me to be sacked because in showbiz nothing is definite.

"That's a thing I always tell other people and then it happened to me. Maybe I needed that. Now I know what it is like. I had a lot of sleepless nights when I was sacked, a lot of stress, and I learned a valuable lesson. You can get a phone call that can make or break you."