Cheryl ColeForget singing...

This year's X Factor is all about getting the claws out.

But who knew Louis Walsh's talons were so sharp?

Louis has gone and had a swipe at co-judge Cheryl Cole.

He insists that his controversial decision to axe Chez's act Laura White from the show last week was not motivated by malice.

"I did not do it to spite Cheryl," Louis told People of the moment when he put the nail in the coffin of Laura's X career.

"Cheryl has two girls already through. What did she want? Three girls in the bloody final?

"If Cheryl had her way, she thinks it's going to be handed to her on a Louis Walsh plate because it's her first year in X Factor. She gets away with murder. But it's the public who control the show," he continued.

Not content with defending his contentious vote, Louis went onto blame Cheryl for Laura's departure.

"I  thought Cheryl's choice of song for Laura was a disaster," he explained.

"It was Mariah Carey week and she gave Laura the Lionel Richie song Endless Love and put her behind the piano. She sounded atrocious, it's as simple as that."

Don't hold back, will you, Louis?

Still, knowing Cheryl, we doubt she'll take the criticism lying down.

In fact, we can hardly wait to hear her comeback. Let the war of words commence...