Louis Walsh has hailed Mel B as a "real survivor" as she battles to divorce Stephen Belafonte.

Mel B

Mel B

The 65-year-old music mogul previously worked with the former Spice Girl on 'The X Factor', and the Irish businessman has reached out to the 42-year-old singer during her lengthy court battle with the Stephen.

Speaking to heat magazine about the musician - who has daughters Madison, five, Angel, 10, and 18-year-old Phoenix - he said: "I sent her a text. I love her. If Nicole [Scherzinger] wasn't on the panel, I would love Mel. Some days she'd arrive in a onesie looking really rough, but give her an hour or two in make-up and she's a diva. I always have a laugh with her and she's a great mother.

"Her three kids are so well mannered. I said to her once, 'I thought they'd be like you, a little bit crazy.' But they're just gorgeous. Mel is a real survivor".

Meanwhile, Louis has returned to the critiquing panel for the hit ITV show and loves being recognised as the "longest serving judge on TV" and being part of a programme that "genuinely" changes people's lives for the better.

He said: "I'm also the longest-serving judge on TV, apart from Judge Judy. I love it, because the show genuinely changes people's lives.

"Everybody has an opinion and we're all honest. We say what we mean, not what people want us to say. We're like a very dysfunctional family and we forget about things very quickly."