It was inevitable that Louis Walsh was going to return to X Factor however we didn’t expect to hear that he was paying for the privilege of sitting on the panel. That’s right, according to The Mirror, Louis has paid a whopping £20,000 to sit in on a dress rehearsal of the show. (We could think of better things to spend our hard-earned money on.) But before you go thinking he’s lost his marbles, it was in a charity auction at the Music Industry Trusts Awards in London this week. In other words, Louis actually did a really nice thing. If you’re shocked by the news, you’re not the only one. It seems Simon Cowell was surprised when Louis put in his bid however he then stood up and laughed. (Like he didn't know it was going to happen.) Sources have said that it is unlikely that Louis will appear onscreen but we’ll believe that one when we see it. Via tumblr.com Speaking previously about the rumours that he could come back for the live shows, the 63-year-old said: "Oh I don't know, I'm keeping an eye on it. I love Louisa and I love Che. They're the two people I love." There is also speculation that Louis will be heading down under for the upcoming series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! At least on that occasion, they’ll be paying him!