EXCLUSIVE: OOOH, GET THEM!
Louis and Simon in furious bust-up over gay insults on X Factor
SIMON Cowell and Louis Walsh had a blazing row after slinging gay insults at each other during X Factor's first live show.
Bodyguards had to pull the feuding judges apart seconds after the cameras stopped rolling.
Cowell later stormed off the set without telling anyone, snubbing ITV2 spin-off The Xtra Factor.
Walsh was furious at personal jibes by Simon in which he said he had "a massive unfair advantage" during a "camp" Abba night.
He then hit back: "Simon, this song is dedicated to you... it's called Does Your Mother Know."
An X Factor insider said: "It was a humdinger of a row. You could cut the atmosphere with a knife.
"Louis was seething. He was screaming at Simon about how he is so smug and he had gone too far with the personal attacks.
"Simon's bodyguard Big Tony had to step between them because it got so heated. We all thought Louis was going to deck him."
The judges composed themselves for the results show, which saw Simon's act Ashley McKenzie and Sharon Osbourne's contender Robert Allen in the bottom two.
The insider went on: "Host Kate Thornton was told not to dwell too much on their comments in case it kicked off again.
"Simon was urging Louis not to get rid of Ashley and he was absolutely livid when he sent him home. Simon packed up his stuff and walked out of the building without speaking to anyone.
"When The Xtra Factor started, no one was even aware he left." Sharon called Cowell but their conversation did not go well.
The source went on: "She really laid into him about how he was becoming too personal, particularly when he deliberately called the MacDonald Brothers by the wrong name. She said he had overstepped the mark and was vicious.
"But Simon insisted he'd done nothing wrong - and hung up."
Yesterday, Cowell, 47, defended his actions - and branded Walsh "petty and vindictive".
Asked if he regretted his personal attacks on Louis, he told the Mirror: "No, I think he would have voted Ashley out anyway.
"I think the public cares more about my opinion than his.
"I'm angry because I thought Ashley was very good and don't believe he should have gone.
"I was annoyed because I don't believe you should be tactical when you vote in this show. I would even kick my own acts out, if necessary.
"In the real world, if Louis was given the choice of working with someone like Ashley or Robert, there wouldn't be a second's hesitation. He'd take on Ashley.
"He knew that Ashley had a much, much better chance of going forward in the show. I called him spiteful because he used something personal against me to affect someone's career and I don't think that is acceptable."
Asked why he did not want to appear on The Xtra Factor, he replied: "I wasn't interested. I would have regretted what I'd have said and it wasn't worth it.
"I'll be having words with him in my office. I want a quiet word. I'll give him a reality check."
But Louis, 54, hit back at Cowell yesterday, calling him "childish and silly". Referring to his personal attack on Simon, he said: "My retort to him was Does Your Mother Know? I'm just leaving that open. I'm not going anywhere with that one. That's all I'm saying."
He added: "I had to keep Robert. He's passionate, he cares and he always delivers.
"Ashley wasn't right. He looked great but he was in the bottom two two weeks in a row.
"Robert is so dedicated and enthusiastic. Ashley had a talent but wasn't using it and didn't seem to be as hungry as Robert."
He added: "It was unprofessional of Simon not to do The Xtra Factor. If Simon is so passionate about Ashley, he should give him a record deal."
Meanwhile, Ashley, 20, the fifth act to be voted off after his rendition of Winner Takes It All, said: "Louis obviously wants to win and Simon had all four acts left. I wouldn't say he was spiteful, he's just in it to win and had to get rid of one of us.
"It was Simon's decision to make me sing like that but I was more than confident and didn't think I was out of tune. I wasn't disappointed at all. But it wasn't my genre of music."
Around 8.5million people tuned in to Saturday's show.
EVEN THEIR MENTOR CAN'T BELIEVE THE MACDONALDS SURVIVE AGAIN
LOUIS Walsh's look of amazement says it all as the MacDonalds survive the public vote for a FOURTH week.
His unfancied Scots duo got through despite Simon Cow- ' ell savaging their performance of ABBA's Fernando.
Cowell told brothers Craig, 20, and Brian, 19: "It was ' a mediocre, very Scottish version of Fernando with the worst guitar solo I have ever heard in my life."
Louis told the Mirror: "I was surprised they made it after Simon's bucket of abuse. If they were in the bottom two, Simon and Sharon would have sent them home."
Mirror
