Tulisa Contostavlos outside the High Court in London PIC: Sean Dempsey/PA Wire

X Factor Tulisa Contostavlos has blasted Louis Walsh for branding her a “chav.”

In a sure sign the new series is soon to begin, show judges are engaging in publicity spats.

Walsh insisted last week he sees former N-Dubz singer Tulisa as a “chav in a tracksuit.”

“She is a bit rough round the edges and when they announced she was on the panel, I was expecting a chav in a tracksuit - which is what we got - but she’s a lot of fun,” he said.

Sticking the knife in further, Walsh added: “She thinks she’s a bigger star than she actually is though.”

Such comments by him were unlikely to go unanswered and so it has proved.

Tulisa, who recently went to court over a leaked sex tape showing her and ex-boyfriend Justin Edwards, has predictably hit back.

“I’m not any less educated in music just because I’m a newbie on the scene... I still deserve my spot on the panel,” proclaimed the ‘Young’ star.

“When was Westlife last number one? Because mine was a couple of weeks ago. Ha! Don’t give me all that ‘selling millions of records’ rubbish. Because how long ago was that?”