Although many have said Simon Cowell has mellowed over the years, there's no doubt The X Factor head judge can occasionally drop some brutal criticisms during the competition’s live shows. And Louis Tomlinson is not here for it.

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The One Direction singer and new member of the judging panel repeatedly called out Cowell during the first live show of the 2018 contest, particularly while defending singer Brendan Murray.

After Cowell criticised Murray’s cover of Ariana Grande’s Break Free for being "boring", Tomlinson shouted out, “oh, shut up, Simon!”. And when Cowell tried to comment again later, he was promptly told to "pipe down" once more.

Viewers at home LOVED Tomlinson's savage put downs...

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Has Simon Cowell finally met his match? Will Tomlinson take charge of the panel? We don't know, but we're VERY excited about the drama ahead.

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Authors

Thomas LingDigital editor, BBC Science Focus

Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.

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