Louis Walsh has opened up about the false sexual assault allegations that he was accused of back in 2011.
The former X Factor host was caught up in the scandal when he was accused of sexual assault in a Dublin nightclub, claims for which the accuser, Leonard Watters was jailed for six months.
Now, having been cleared of all wrong doing, the Mayo man has spoken out about the affects the allegations have had on his life.
I haven’t been to a nightclub since,” Louis said on Mario’s Sunday Roast on Today FM.
“I don’t go out much at night because you just don’t know what lunatic is going to pick you and you can’t tell the loonies any more.
“If someone comes up to do a picture with me, I do it, but I have to be so wary because they can say anything, that’s the problem.
“There’s a lot of crazy people out there and you can’t tell them apart any more, because they don’t look crazy. They look like ordinary people, but they’re out to get something out of somebody.”
“It was totally wrong. It nearly finished me, just mentally and physically. People say there’s no smoke without fire: there was no smoke and there was no fire. It was all lies.”
Despite the difficult time in his life, Louis went on to continue his judging role on The X Factor, up until this year, when he made the decision to leave the show after 13 years.
“I’ve had a fantastic 13 years on The X Factor but the show needs a change and I’m ready to leave,” said Walsh in a statement.
“I’m looking forward to another series of Ireland’s Got Talent, going back to my day job as a manager, writing my memoirs and seeing the world!”
Since then, the news has broken that a certain Mr. Robbie Williams will be taking his place on the judging panel when the new season hits our screens later this summer.
