Louis Walsh has laid bare his true feelings about Britain’s Got Talent, which he used to judge, claiming it is ‘not what it was’ as the first show of the new series airs on ITV
Louis Walsh has delivered a scathing verdict on Britain’s Got Talent, claiming the show is “done”. The statement comes as the show returned to ITV on 21 February.
The music manager previously appeared as a guest panellist on the ITV show in 2010 and was one of the judges on Ireland’s Got Talent from when it premiered in 2018 to when it was cancelled in 2019 after just two series.
Speaking ahead of the return of Britain’s Got Talent for its 19th series, Louis cast doubt on whether anyone still cared about the show. He asked: “BGT, who cares?”
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In his interview with The Sun, he added: “It’s not what it was. Back in the old days, it was pulling in 12 million, and the whole country cared who won. Now it doesn’t feel like that, who even won last year?”
Last year, around 4.1 million viewers tuned in to see magician Harry Moulding win the show, for which he got £250,000 and a spot on the Royal Variety Show. This figure made the show the lowest-viewed finale in BGT history. Similarly, the show’s first episode of 2025 drew in roughly 5.5 million viewers, marking a drop of around one million from the 2022 launch.
However, these figures do not take into account how viewing behaviour has changed, as they only look at overnight TV ratings rather than including ITVX streaming or catch-up services. The programme has often attracted an average audience of between 6 to 10 million per series, but the rise of streaming services in recent years has led to a more dispersed live viewership.
The Sun also cited a source close to Britain’s Got Talent who reportedly told them that these words were “typical of Louis” and insisted the show has “never been better”. According to the source, last year’s Britain’s Got Talent reached over 30 million viewers on ITV, ITVX and digital platforms.
This is not the first time Louis’s vocal opinions have caused controversy. Two years ago, whilst appearing on Celebrity Big Brother, he insulted former X Factor act Jedward, made up of twins John and Edward Grimes. He called the pair “vile” and then boasted that he got “£5 million from them”.
He also tore into his former client Ronan Keating and dubbed him a “little manufactured pop star, who actually believed his own publicity”. Ronan hit back in a documentary about Boyzone, where he said: “Things started falling into place and you realise, Louis is not a great manager. I gave him multiple opportunities to fix things. I have one shot at my career, and he didn’t give a f**k; it fell on deaf ears.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Louis expressed a hope that December 10, a band put together by BGT’s head judge Simon Cowell, would do well. Louis and Simon were both longtime judges on The X Factor and saw many bands, such as One Direction and JLS. The Irish music manager has also worked with Boyzone and Westlife.
Louis said that he “genuinely hoped” December 10 worked for the sake of the boys in the band. He shared that he knew “what it’s like when things don’t take off” and that it’s hardest on the artists when that happens.
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