Louis Walsh has revealed the staggering amount of money he was paid to appear on Celebrity Big Brother.
The former X Factor judge recently finished the reality series in fourth place, losing out on the crown to Ibiza Weekender star David Potts.
Rumours about Walsh’s fee have been circulating ever since he entered the house, with The Sun having previously reported he was set to receive £500,000. However, Walsh has now confirmed he was paid significantly more.
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«They said I was going to be safe, it was going to be fun, that I would probably win it. I told them I don’t want to win it. Don’t waste it on me. Give it to someone else,» he told the Irish Independent.
«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. I still haven’t watched it. And I don’t want to.»
However, Walsh admitted he was finally convinced to appear on the show after being offered an eye-watering pay cheque, saying: «They paid me a lot of money».
After being asked if he was paid around £350,000, the music manager revealed that he earned close to £850,000.
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Elsewhere, Walsh recently revealed he received medical treatment during his time in the house after suffering insomnia and two panic attacks.
«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,» he told The Sun.
Recalling the «brilliant» medics who were on-call during the show, he added: «They spoke to me and calmed me down after I started having a panic attack and they really helped calm me down.»
Celebrity Big Brother is streaming on ITVX.
Content Production Intern, Digital Spy
After completing her joint honours degree in Journalism and English Literature at Cardiff University, Iona joined Digital Spy as a Content Production Intern in 2022. In this role, Iona writes across both news and features, specialising in TV and movies. During her time at Digital Spy, she has interviewed multiple Love Island stars, reported from the Black Adam red carpet and, most recently, interviewed the cast of Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid.
