Louis Walsh has credited The X Factor's rise in ratings to the "dream team" combination of the judges and has slated last year's judge Nick Grimshaw.
Speaking to Tracy Clifford on 2fm, the music mogul said: "The ratings are up, not just because of me, because Sharon Osbourne is there and Nicole [Scherzinger], Simon [Cowell], Dermot [O'Leary] and me. It's just the right panel and it's fun again.
"I think we are the dream team, straight up. I think these are the best people I've ever worked with on the show, we're genuinely really good friends. It just works between everybody. We have fun and I think it comes across on the show."
X Factor dream team line-up
Last year, show creator Cowell decided to mix-up the judging panel with Rita Ora and Nick Grimshaw, which didn't go down a storm with viewers, or indeed with Walsh.
"I was sacked, the ratings went down, they hired Nick Grimshaw," he said. "You can't just hire a radio DJ to do a TV show.
"He was trying to make the show different last year because he thought it was time to make a change. I knew I was gone because I had 11 years, I didn't really mind, but when I saw Nick Grimshaw I thought 'God why is he on the show?'
"Nobody really knows him, he's a faceless person, he's a DJ on Radio 1. And then Rita and Cheryl and Simon, there was no chemistry, then they had Ollie and Caroline, and it just wasn't the Saturday night family show that people like for X Factor."
Last year's X Factor line-up
OK so he's no fan of Nick Grimshaw, but who does Louis think comes up trumps between Nicole and Cheryl?
"All I'm saying today is – there is no better judge anywhere than Nicole Scherzinger", he said. "Nobody works as hard, nobody is as committed to her acts as she is, literally nobody. She has it all, she can sing and dance and act and everything. There's nothing she cannot do. So for me she is the best judge of all. I rate her highly as an artist."
Dubliner Janet Grogan is back on the series this year after first appearing in 2014. Walsh had some kind words to say about Grogan, but with one caveat.
"She's a great singer", he said. "It should be a year for her. I'd like to see a bit more personality if I'm being really honest.
"But she can definitely sing and she's a really nice girl. I'd like her to be a bit more bubbly and fun because it is a TV show it's not just about the singing."
Louis gives Dubliner Janet Grogan the thumbs up
