The boy band found success on the show in 2010 and X Factor regular Sinitta insists Tomlinson would be the perfect fit.

She tells Britain's Daily Mail, "That would be amazing. He spent a lot of time with us last year, mentoring the talent and watching rehearsals. I could definitely see him going into music management and production so it's a good place to start.

"If Louis (Walsh) goes that's definitely going to shake things up because he's the only one who's always been there... It would be a shame if he's serious and really not coming back."

The news follows reports suggesting X Factor boss Simon Cowell is planning to return to the show with a completely new look panel when the programme returns to British TVs later this year (15).