Louis Walsh talks about his shock departure from X Factor when he meets Graham Norton tonight on BBC Two.

Walsh claims that he was completely in the dark about plans to drop him as a judge from the ITV show.

He tells Graham: “They said they had bad news for me, I had no idea at all.”

But Walsh reveals on The Graham Norton Show that he is planning a tell-all expose.

He says: “I’ve been offered a really good book deal to tell all about the music business, I could burn a few bridges [but] get even with a lot of people, it’ll make up for the X Factor. Time will tell who got the best deal [out of the X Factor].”

He also talks about his continuing allegiance to fellow X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne.

“She’s a great woman, she’s real. If you’re a friend, it’s forever,” he says.

As for his replacement, he says: “They’re getting a new male presenter and one male and one female judge.”

Comedienne Jenny Éclair completes this week’s line-up.

The Graham Norton Show, 10.00pm, Thursday 15 March 2007, BBC Two