This year’s X Factor tour kicks off shortly and the winner and top act of the show Shayne Ward is threatening to pull out of the whole thing unless his pay is reviewed.

Acoording to The Sun Newspaper, Shayne and his manager Louis Walsh are unhappy with his fee of £500 per show and believe that he should be earning much much more.

An insider told The Sun: “Louis is deadly serious about pulling Shayne out.

“Unless promoters offer to cough up what he feels Shayne is worth he will do everything in his power to scupper Shayne’s involvement.

“Shayne is under the same contract all contestants have to sign before they take part in the X Factor finals.

“It means that, regardless of who the winner is, they all get paid the same, which amounted to barely £500 a show last year.”

Take this whole story with a pinch of salt though. It could be yet another one of Louis Walshes publicity stunts designed to raise the profile of the tour and the show.