Louis Walsh has hit back at Simon Cowell over The X Factor group Stereo Kicks.

The Irish judge said the TV mogul was "absolutely out of order" for claiming Louis is out of his depth with the eight-piece boyband, who won a sing-off with Chloe Jasmine Whichello in last night's episode. He also admitted he never wanted to mentor such a big group.

"I've had a bad night... You know what, Simon said to me I didn't connect with the band," Louis said on the show's spin-off, The Xtra Factor.

"Simon Cowell is the person that made this band an eight-piece. He is the person. Eight never worked in a boyband, but he put eight people together. Then he starts blaming me on live TV.

"I wouldn't have eight people - I never wanted eight people in the band," he added.

The 62-year-old judge continued: "So I'll have to talk to the boys. I wouldn't change anybody but I'll talk to the boys and see if they want to do anything. The way he said I didn't connect with them, I really work with them, they're always in my dressing room."

Stereo Kicks are through to another week after picking up the majority of the judges' votes for their performance of The Pretenders' I'll Stand By You.

In response to a viewer who suggested that eight was too many people for a boyband, Simon said: "In life, you have to try different things.

"I have to put part of the blame with the band with Louis. You haven't connected with them yet... You haven't, because they're in the bottom three," he added.