Louis is in his element as he talks about the new season and it seems like rumours of the X-Factor's demise have been greatly exaggerated. "To get back working with Simon, and then to get Sharon, I was like wow!" smiles the Mayo-born judge. "And then Sharon and I went on and pushed for Nicole. So now it's the dream panel for me.

"Simon is probably my favourite," Louis spills, "because I know him best, but I like them all. We all have plans to go out every Sunday night for dinner and we're going to stick to them this time. It's the best team yet."

The judging panel visited Croke Park recently and, when asked if there was anyone that stood out, Louis speaks optimistically about the Irish singers and confirms there will be a strong Irish presence in the show. However, he warns that it will be "tough for an Irish person to win the show, as much as I'd like it to happen."

Louis is close-lipped about which category he's been coaching this year but offers us the prospect of a exciting final line-up. "I didn't care what category I got this year," he says. "I didn't mind either way because the talent this year is so good, I'd have been happy with anyone. I have at least two people who I think can go on and have successful careers."

The judge, who lives in Dublin, also had words to say to those in the Irish music business. "The problem is that Irish radio does't play enough music from Ireland. There's nowhere near enough Irish content. It's always the same thing, the same records. They don't take a chance on new acts. They could break a new act every month if they really wanted to."

X-Factor continues every Saturday night at 8PM.