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Louis Walsh has branded Simon Cowell a "fool" for quitting the UK X Factor.

The music mogul left the talent show earlier this year to concentrate on the American version but Louis thinks he's made a big mistake because the programme will be better than ever when it returns to TV screens on Saturday.

Louis - who is now joined on the judging panel by Gary Barlow, Kelly Rowland and Tulisa Contostavlos, following the departures of Simon, Cheryl Cole and Dannii Minogue - said: "We've got brilliant new judges and he's going to be so p***ed off that he's not doing it. Simon's a fool. This show is going to be much bigger and better than the US version.

"He left American Idol and it continued to be a huge success. Now he's gone from the UK X Factor but we are going to show him that it's not about him - it's all about the talent. We don't need Simon. We've moved on."

It had been rumoured Simon was going to return to the show at a later date, but Louis doesn't think that will happen now.

He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "There is an amazing energy on the show. I don't think Simon is going to be involved in the series at any stage." 

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