Walsh to offer Sanderson a record deal?

Louis Walsh decided to vote Nikki Sanderson off X Factor: Battle of the Stars so that he could sign her up for a record deal himself, show insiders have claimed.

The show's judge apparently hopes to make the former Coronation Street actress a huge star, and did not want to run the risk of her being snapped up by Simon Cowell.

"Simon hinted he would offer the winner a one-single deal at the very least. So if Nikki had stayed to the final she would have become Simon's property," a show source told the Sunday Mirror.

"But Louis has more experience with young female stars like Girls Aloud - and he is sick of losing out on the chance to sign up-and-coming talent because X Factor is Simon's show. He saw the opportunity and he took it."