X Factor judge Walsh says ten years on show may be his limit

Walsh, 60, returns to the ninth series of the ITV1 show on Saturday with fellow judges Tulisa Contostavlos, Gary Barlow and Nicole Scherzinger and admitted that the UK X Factor had suffered without Simon Cowell.

He told the Radio Times: “This is my ninth year and every year I get nervous that Simon will bring someone new in, but I know the show and what works.

“My ambition is to get to 10 years on the show – after that we’ll see. I don’t want to be like Brucie on Strictly. I will know when it’s time to give it up.”

Walsh has been in a war of words with TV rival Sir Bruce, saying the 84-year-old “shouldn’t even be alive at his age”, while the Strictly Come Dancing presenter branded him “a jumped-up karaoke judge”.

The Irish judge admitted of the X Factor: “The show has suffered without Simon – it’s like the Rolling Stones without Mick Jagger.

“But we are doing the best we can, although I miss him being there a lot. We are like Steptoe and Son. He may have a go at me quite a lot, but that is just what he is like. He is the best.”

Meanwhile, Gary Barlow has warned this year’s X Factor finalists that talent is not enough and they will have to be able to “thrive” on pressure if they want to win the show.

The Take That star, who made his debut as a judge on the ITV1 talent show last year, said it was “hard work”.

He said: “One thing I noticed about last year is that some of the acts take to being in the X Factor environment like ducks to water and they just thrive on it. Every week they come back better and better, whilst there are others that just get worse each week, taking the criticism badly and finding it hard to move forward.”

The singer said most of the work goes unseen by the audience who tune in to watch the performances.

He said: “The performance on a Saturday night is the gift after a week of hard work.”