With his return to ‘The X Factor’ confirmed after just one season absent from the judging panel, Louis Walsh has made his feelings very clear about the shortcomings of the show’s ill-fated 2015 series, which pulled in record-low ratings for several episodes.

The 63 year old spoke to BBC Radio 2 on Thursday morning (June 9th), and revealed what he thought about last year’s series, which is the only one he’s been absent from since ‘The X Factor’ launched in 2004.

Louis WalshLouis Walsh says he "knew" right from the first show that last year's 'X Factor' "wasn't going to work"

“I think being away from the show for a year was a really good thing for me,” he explained, before turning his analysis to the 2015 series, which was won by Louisa Johnson. “Ratings weren’t good, so I knew watching the first show it wasn’t going to work – so I was going ‘Yes!!!’”

“I called Simon really late at night, and said, ‘You’ve messed with it too much. It’s not working.’ He didn’t say anything for a second, and then he said ‘Maybe you’re right’.”

More: Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh and Nicole Scherzinger all confirm their return to ‘The X Factor’

 He admitted to feeling a shred of enjoyment when ‘The X Factor’ began to drop in the ratings. “My contract wasn’t picked up last year, I was half expecting it, so it was fine because I had lots of things to do.”

Despite his reservations about last year’s disappointing showing for the long-running show, he was re-appointed as a judge for the forthcoming 13th series along with fellow former judges Nicole Scherzinger and Sharon Osbourne, after Nick Grimshaw, Rita Ora and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini all confirmed that they wouldn’t be returning. Old presenter Dermot O’Leary is also back, in place of co-presenters Olly Murs and Caroline Flack from last season.

Walsh also believes that there’s life in the old dog yet, and that Cowell’s format hasn’t yet run its course.

“I still think it’s the best show on TV,” he said. “It’s the most talked-about show on TV. I know I wasn’t there last year – and it wasn’t as good. But I’m back.”

More: Louis Walsh says Simon Cowell persuaded him not to appear in ‘I’m a Celebrity…’