LOUIS Walsh has once again risked the wrath of Cheryl Cole after he brought up her infamous assault in a nightclub toilet.

The X Factor judge, 71, spilled the tea on his ex colleague’s brush with the law while chatting to CBB housemates Marisha Wallace and Zeze Millz.

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Louis Walsh has spoken about Cheryl Cole’s nightclub toilet assault

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He was managing the Girls Aloud star when she was charged in 2003Credit: PA:Press Association
Cheryl had just landed a place in pop band Girls Aloud, who Louis was managing, when she was charged with assault in 2003.

Following a court case, she was found guilty of punching a toilet attendant, but cleared of a racism charge. She was ordered to carry out 120 hours community service, and to pay £500 to the victim, as well as an additional £3,000 of prosecution costs.

Louis has now spoken to Marisha and Zeze about the incident, which almost put paid to Cheryl’s pop career before it had even properly started.

Zeze told Marisha: “Cheryl Cole had that big incident where she beat up the toilet attendant. She gave [the victim] a black eye, it was a big thing in the papers.”

Louis added: “I was her manager. It’s true.”

Broadway star Marisha asked Louis how Cheryl had ended up in such a position, to which he replied: “She was unprepared. Unprepared.

“She hit that woman, a big black eye. Oh it was huge, a big story.”

He added: “It’s not forgotten, it’s not forgotten.”

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Louis then credited Cheryl’s PR company for ‘saving’ her career, which incredibly managed to skyrocket in the years that followed.

“She had very good PR,” he explained. “Very good PR and a great record company. They did their best.”

Cheryl, 40, was just 19 years old when she had her brush with the law.

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In January 2003, Girls Aloud had just achieved their debut No1 with Sound Of The Underground and were riding high on their Popstars: The Rivals win.

But Cheryl was at The Drink nightclub in Guildford, Surrey, with her bandmate Nicola Roberts when things turned sour.

She was charged with racially aggravated assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm – leaving many to question at the time whether she deserved to remain a member of Girls Aloud.

She claimed she’d acted in self-defence, and also denied the racism accusations.

Cheryl stood trial at Kingston Crown Court in 2003 and the jury reached a unanimous verdict, finding her guilty on the assault charge, but the racism charges were dropped.

She was soon back performing with the group, however, and wrote a message to fans on her website that said: “Thank U so much 4 everything. I really appreciate it: loadsa love hugs and kisses”.

In her 2012 autobiography, My Story, Cheryl also again stressed her side of events, writing: “Completely out of nowhere, I was hit in the face.

 

“I swear on my mother’s life that’s what happened.

“As the months went on and I prepared for the trial, I started to see that it was not acceptable to have hit her under any circumstances, even in self-defence.”

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Broadway star Marisha Wallace was shocked to hear about Cheryl

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The star had only recently landed a spot in Girls Aloud when the assault happenedCredit: Getty

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She was found guilty of assaulting toilet attendant Sophie AmogbokpaCredit: Pressphotos

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Louis credits Chery’s PR team for saving her career