Louis prefers Tulisa's dark side

Louis Walsh has welcomed his fellow X Factor judge Tulisa's return to her dark roots - and blasted her bleach job as "awful".

Tulisa unveiled a blonde hairdo in July as she attended a High Court hearing as she pursued legal action against an ex-boyfriend over a leaked sex tape.

But she went dark again this week as she prepared for the live stages of the X Factor which begin this weekend on ITV1.

Speaking about the N-Dubz star on ITV's Lorraine, Louis said: "She's great, I love her and she's looking really well.

"She's got the black hair back again, she's looking much better. That blonde thing has gone. It was awful. She's looking amazing."

Louis has previously described Tulisa as a "chav in a tracksuit" and he reiterated that view on the morning show.

"She is a chav in a tracksuit. Well, you know what - she's a nice chav and she's got a nice tracksuit. I love her, I love Tulisa. It's a term of endearment."

He also took a pop at show boss Simon Cowell's hairstyle, when he appeared on ITV's Daybreak.

Louis said: "Simon has a very unusual haircut, hasn't he? It's very square."

But he scoffed at reports that the media mogul was aiming to copy Gary Barlow's trim. "I doubt it," Louis said.