Louis Tomlinson will not be joining X Factor judging panel

Louis Tomlinson will not be joining the X Factor judging panel, it has been reported. It was thought the One Direction star was in the running to replace Nick Grimshaw, who failed to impress in his first stint as a judge on the talent show in 2015.

Tomlinson, who rose to fame on the seventh series of The X Factor in 2010 , was widely considered a good choice of mentor and his presence on the panel would be a sure-fire way of boosting the show's flagging ratings. The singer recently told The Sun he would love to be on the show with Simon Cowell and Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, fueling rumours that he was set to join the show that made him a star.

However, according to the Mirror, he has declined the opportunity since he wants to focus on establishing his own record label. "Louis loves The X Factor but wants to develop his label further this year and sign more new talent," a source told the tabloid. "Simon understands. They both agreed to not rule out him being an X Factor judge in the future."

Louis, who recently became a father for the first time, is also now based permanently in LA so that he can spend as much time as possible with his two-month-old son, Freddie. While he is no longer in a relationship with the child's mother, the 24-year-old has proven himself to be a hands on dad and has been spotted out in public pushing the baby in a pram.

Opening up about becoming a new parent before picking up the gong for Best British Video award at this year's Brit Awards with fellow 1D bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Liam Payne, the singer said: "[Fatherhood] is good. It's intense. It's really exciting. This is my first time away from Freddie so it's tough."

One Direction are currently on an extended hiatus as they pursue independent projects.