RTÉ's hopes of signing up Louis Walsh to front an Irish version of Britain's Got Talent have been dashed after the pop svengali claimed he won't work for the station again.

Speaking to the Sunday Tribune from London's Mayfair Hotel where he occupied a suite next to Paris Hilton, The X Factor judge told me, "Why would I get out of a Rolls-Royce and get into a Morris Minor? I'm on The X Factor, the biggest show on ITV. Why scale down? RTÉ is fine but I've done all their shows and I don't think I'll be doing any more."

Station sources claim Walsh was in negotiations with the company Tyrone Productions as late as three weeks ago to be a judge in a home-produced version of Britain's Got Talent but since changed his mind.

It's a blow to the station which is rumoured to have secured the services of Amanda Byram to host the nationwide talent search.

Refusing to discuss any negotiations, Louis joked, "I'm not doing it unless they can get Bono to play the Drake Inn. I'm not going back to RTÉ. What's done is done and as far as RTÉ is concerned, I'm done."

But one RTÉ show Walsh hasn't outgrown is The Late Late Show. He revealed that on 19 December Boyzone will star in a special edition of the show which will also feature friends and family.

Earlier in the month the show will also be the setting for the first performance from Walsh's new Irish girlband. The Sunday Tribune can reveal the group, as yet untitled, had been due to make their debut on the Late Late next Friday.

However, sources say group management decided to put off their appearance until the first Friday in December to ensure the girls had their singing and dancing perfected. Signed to Island Records, the five young starlets – Jodi Albert, Kasey Smith, Leanne Moore, Corinna Dunne and Sharon Condon – will perform one song and then be interviewed by Pat Kenny.

Meanwhile, Walsh is in the wars with comedian Ricky Gervais.

Commenting on the performance of dad Daniel Evans, who was inspired to enter The X Factor by the death of his wife six days after giving birth to their first child, Walsh said: "You remind me of Ricky Gervais singing karaoke."

Gervais wasn't amused and wrote on his blog last week, "There I was watching The X Factor, when along comes the nice chap who lost his wife. Louis wasn't impressed. He told him 'it was like Ricky Gervais doing karaoke'. I assumed he meant David Brent, but then he compounded his point with 'he looks like Ricky Gervais'. I never thought that one day a man such as Louis Walsh would use my name as an insult."

However, Louis told me this week: "I was only having a laugh with Ricky. He should lighten up. He's a comedian after all. Still it's good to know the coolest man in TV is watching the show like everybody else."