Although he claims to prefer 'staying under the radar', Louis Walsh admitted ITV twisted his arm to join Celebrity Big Brother by offering him an eye-watering payday.
The Irish music mogul, 71, confessed that he was apprehensive about heading on the infamous reality show, but the bumper cheque he received for the gig helped soothe some of his anxiety.
Walsh finished in fourth place behind Coronation Street actor Colson Smith, Strictly Come Dancing dancer Nikita Kuzmin and Ibiza Weekender star David Potts, who was crowned the winner on 22 March.
Despite the fact he didn't make the final three, the former X Factor judge will probably go down as one of the most memorable celebrities to step foot inside the Celebrity Big Brother house.
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He previously revealed that he had agreed to sign up for the show after coming to the realisation that 'life is too short', and he certainly seized the day during his time on the ITV show.
Whether it was slagging Hollywood stars off with Sharon Osbourne, dishing the dirt about working with Jedward or discussing his beef with Ronan Keating, Walsh made some seriously good telly.
It seems producers at ITV knew they were onto a sure thing when they roped the music manager in for the 2024 series, as they were willing to pay the big bucks to get him in the house.
Walsh revealed that his bank balance got a hefty top up for starring in the latest Celebrity Big Brother and that he received a cheque with a generous amount of zeros on the end.
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Speaking with the Irish Independent, the TV star said: "[ITV] convinced me. They said I was going to be safe; it was going to be fun, that I would probably win it.
"They said they really, really wanted me. They kept on at me, and still I said no, because I was scared.
"I don't want to be a celebrity. It's a fake world. I have no desire. I like music and staying under the radar."
Walsh went on to explain that he was paid 'a lot of money' for his stint on the show, before revealing that he earned close to the tune of €1 million (£850,000).
Although he was briefly joined by his sidekick Osbourne for a five-day period and seemed to have a whale of a time with his fellow housemates, it wasn't all plain sailing for the ex-boy band manager.
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Walsh admitted he had struggled with his mental health during his time on Celebrity Big Brother, explaining that he would wake up in the early hours and 'just lie there in the dark, worrying about things'.
He told The Sun: "Worrying about my mother, my health, what I had said that day - for the first time ever, I suffered from anxiety.
"They gave me my prescription sleeping pills but they would only give me one rather than two and after they wore off I was awake, panicking. The night times scared me.
"But there are medics on-call 24/7, and they were brilliant. They spoke to me and calmed me down after I started having a panic attack and they really helped calm me down."
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Walsh also revealed that he was diagnosed with a 'rare' form of cancer during the Covid-19 pandemic while on the show.
LADbible has contacted ITV for comment.
Topics: Celebrity, Celebrity Big Brother, Louis Walsh, Money, TV, ITV
Olivia Burke