Louis Walsh has insisted that the new show format hasn’t changed the way he judges acts on the X Factor.

For the first time ever, this years auditions have been carried out in front of a live audience, who are often vocal about the acts they like and dislike.

“There’s no point putting someone through just because the audience like them,” Walsh told the show’s official website. “They don’t know what we know. That’s why we are judges… It doesn’t sway my opinion.”

Commenting on this years entrants, Walsh said: “The standard is higher and the really good ones are better than any other year. The live audience is great – at first it was a bit loud and I couldn’t hear myself – but it makes the show bigger and better. It makes the whole thing more real.”

When asked what the ‘X Factor’ actually is, he said: “We’re always looking for someone that’s going to be successful and make a career of it and be an all-round entertainer. People who have longevity and will be around in ten years’ time.”

The X Factor airs at 7pm, Saturday on ITV1.