Louis Walsh looks set to be the second X Factor boomerang of 2016, with a comeback on the cards for the former judge.

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His return has long been rumoured, helped in no small part by Walsh himself telling anyone who'll listen that Simon Cowell regretted his decision to let him go last year.

Walsh is in LA at the moment, which is a pretty big signal he's in talks with Cowell. It's where returning host Dermot O'Leary was not so long ago, with confirmation of his return following soon after.

X Factor themselves are keeping tight-lipped on the subject. Decisions weren't made on the final line-up until much later last year so there's still time for a dramatic switch up, but it's understood Walsh is wanted to "woo" viewers back.

"Simon wants an older person back after admitting last year’s series was too youthful, which might have made more people go to Strictly," a source told the Sun.

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But, is there an appetite for the judge to return? Cowell himself admitted to us that not everybody would welcome Louis' reappearance on the panel.

Then again, we know what we're getting with Walsh. He'll get given the rubbish category, Cowell will tease him about having nothing better to do than come back to his shows and we can all play Walsh bingo as he rattles off who everyone's a young version of and takes every decision to Deadlock. Change didn't work out all that well last year. And you don't go to the pantomime hoping you won't have to yell 'he's behind you!', do you?

Is Walsh what you want, what you really, really want? Vote now:

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The X Factor returns to ITV later this year

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