Former The X Factor judge Louis Walsh has emerged as another potential target for Celebrity Big Brother.
The reality show is making a comeback on ITV1 this March, following on from the success of the Big Brother reboot on ITV2 at the end of last year.
A number of high-profile names have already been linked with the lineup, including Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas, notorious WAG Rebekah Vardy, the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson and former This Morning host Phillip Schofield.
According to The Sun, ITV have set aside a £2m budget to spend on luring celebs to take part - and music veteran Walsh, 71, is supposedly on the hitlist.
"The team behind the programme are being clever about the kind of celebs they're considering," a source told the newspaper.
"They don't just want big names in there - they want stars who will bring something truly intriguing.
"Louis is just the kind of figure they want in the house - someone with serious life experience who not only has something to say, but isn't afraid to say it.
"These characters have delivered some of the most outstanding moments of Celebrity Big Brother in the past and they'll want to produce those again. That means they may need to splash some cash to secure the people they have their eye on - but it's a worthwhile investment.
"They want this to be on a par with I'm A Celebrity, which has a similarly claustrophobic environment involving celebrities completing strange challenges under the glare of the public eye."
Other rumoured names for the show include former Hollyoaks star David Tag and Boris Johnson's former associate Jennifer Arcuri.
Neil Wilkes
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