Photo: WENN.com
X Factor judge Louis Walsh has taken a sly dig at both Cheryl Cole and Nadine Coyle, coyly insulting each of their solo careers - and saying he wouldn't like to run into Cheryl Cole in a dark alley.
Walsh claims Coyle could have enjoyed a solo music career as successful as Cole if she had married a footballer - suggesting her relationship with Ashely Cole was the only reason Cheryl scored chart topping success.
Walsh was once the manager of Girls aloud and shared the X Factor judging panel with Cheryl Cole for several years.
Walsh praises Coyle's vocal talents, saying she is the best singer in Girls Aloud 'by a mile', saying: "She is the best singer! By a mile. But she didn't marry a footballer. If she'd married a footballer she'd have been a big star."
Walsh also told the broadsheet that given a choice between bumping into Cheryl Cole or Tulisa in a dark alley, he would pick Tulisa over Cole.
Walsh preferred well lit spaces when working with Cheryl Cole on the X Factor
Walsh had nothing but praise for his current X Factor colleague Tulisa, saying: "She works hard; she's honest. I did say she's a chav in a tracksuit, but she's a good chav in a good tracksuit.
"She's a lovely girl," he adds. "We bonded from day one. I was dreading meeting her. I thought she was going to be a right little knacker. You know, a real toughie."
Louis Walsh may find himself working with Cheryl Cole again sooner than he expected, as rumours suggest X Factor boss is planning to replace Tulisa with Cole on the next season of the show to prevent ratings falling further.
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