Louis Walsh shares candid view of X Factor co-star Cheryl on Celebrity Big Brother

‘She had great PR,’ Girls Aloud singer’s former manager said

Louis Walsh has shared candid comments about his former X Factor co-judge Cheryl on Celebrity Big Brother.

Throughout the music manager’s time on the ITV reality series, he has not held back from criticising people he has worked with, including Boyzone singer Ronan Keating and the X Factor contestants Jedward, whom he controversially branded “vile”. The duo have since responded to his comments, calling him “cold hearted”.

Walsh has become such a talking point since entering the house earlier this month that viewers have accused ITV of “fixing” the show with a nomination twist that saw him sail through to the final, which will air on Friday (22 March).

The subject of Cheryl was raised in Tuesday’s episode of the ITV reality series (20 March), when presenter Zeze Millz asked Walsh about the assault the Girls Aloud singer committed in the toilets of a nightclub.

Cheryl was found guilty of assaulting toilet attendant Sophie Amogbokpa at the time Walsh was managing her and, when Millz told Broadway star Marisha Wallace about the incident, Walsh said: “It’s true”.

When Wallace remarked that Cheryl’s career survived the controversy, Walsh attributed this to “great PR”, adding: “They looked after her.”

He denied that Cheryl was drunk at the time of the assault, telling Wallace that the singer, who shot to fame on TV show Popstars: The Rivals, was “unprepared”.

After her guilty conviction of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, Cheryl was ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid community service, and to pay Amogbokpa £500 compensation and £3,000 prosecution costs. Charges of racism agaisnt the singer were dropped.

Viewers were surprised by Walsh’s willingness to discuss the subject so frankly, with one writing: “Is there anyone Louis won’t talk bad about?”

Another said they were enjoying this series so much as “they’re not afraid to address anything”, with one viewer adding: “Louis Walsh just loves the spill the tea!!”

The first week of the series reunited Walsh with his former X Factor co-star Sharon Osbourne, who entered the house as a “celebrity lodger”.

Together, they criticised everyone from James Corden and Anna Wintour to Meghan Markle, about whom Walsh asked: “Does anybody like her apart from Harry?”

Walsh, Heartstopper actor Bradley Riches, Ibiza Weekender star David Potts, presenter Fern Britton, Strictly pro Nikita Kuzmin and Coronation Street actor Colson Smith are this Friday’s finalists.