Louis Walsh says Ronan Keating insult "wasn't meant out of badness"

The Westlife star revealed that the next guest to feature on his Nicky Byrne HQ Podcast is controversial music manager as he told fans: “The Big One! The Gaffer...Louis Walsh. Hold on to your hats!”

In a clip teasing the upcoming podcast, Nicky confronted Louise calling singer Ronan Keating a “p***k” during his stint on Celebrity Big Brother earlier in the year.

Nicky defended Keating in the clip, saying: “You very recently called him a p***k… and he’s not a p***k.”

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Louis replied: “No, I just said it. It wasn’t meant out of badness.”

When referring to his problematic period on the series, the 72-year-old said that he was “there for a reason” and producers wanted him to “say things I shouldn’t say”.

After leaving the Celebrity Big Brother house in March, Louis withdrew his remarks on Ronan, stating: "Ronan and I is a little bit of panto, I loved working with him.

"He was a great worker, he’s very driven, very good and he sacked me… so I don’t say great things about him but I don’t resent him and he’s a good person."

Responding to Walsh’s comments, Ronan previously stated on The Late Late Show: "I've never been one to air my dirty laundry in public especially when it comes to Louis and myself, he does a very good job of that," continuing that he'll "leave him be" to continue showing "his true colours."

Louis will also share with Nicky his early impressions of Westlife when he first met them, and open up about how watching Take That at The Point Depot inspired him to look for an Irish boyband.

“It was just entertaining, so I left that night and told a journalist, ‘I think I’ll do an Irish version’.

“The following day they had it in the paper so my phone started ringing and I couldn't back down.

“I wasn't sleeping at night, I was that worried. I just wanted five entertaining, good-looking guys that could sing.

“It sounds easy, but it wasn't easy, I gave it 100 percent”

After the success of Boyzone and Westlife and Nicky asked him in the teaser clip if he genuinely thought that he could do it again.

“I thought I could make a success of this, with the right A&R person and that person I found in Simon Cowell,” Louis said. “He was fantastic.”