Louis Walsh is certainly no stranger when it comes to drama.
The music manager who is known for pushing his clients to be the front of every news outlet has had his fair share of arguments with fellow celebs over the years. Over the years, the 72-year-old has argued with some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, including his pal Sharon Osbourne and Girls Aloud’sCheryl Tweedy.
During his many years on X Factor, Louis would regularly hear the audience booing and hissing him for his often biassed and sometimes ridiculous decisions which favoured his ‘joke’ acts over more credible and talented ones. He also fell out spectacularly with his fellow judges (even Mrs O once threw a glass of water over him during a show for offending her) and other high-profile stars for his outspoken views and glib comments.
But now his major drama with Boyzone has been uncovered as the band prepare to speak out about their career and how it tore them apart for the first time. In an emotional trailer for Boyzone: No Matter What, the lads, Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Shane Lynch and Michael ‘Mikey’ Graham re-live the moment they discovered their band mate, Stephen Gately had died.
They also open up about their ongoing issues with Louis Walsh – who stated he always made sure that they were in the news. In the documentary, Louis reveals that “cruel” ways he managed the boys, admitting that non-famous people always did as they were told at the start of their careers.
Speaking in the emotional documentary, Louis said: “I prefer ordinary people, they work harder and they do whatever you want at the start. They believed their own publicity, they forgot I wrote it.”
Louis also spoke about Stephen, saying he “was living the dream” while making references to him hiding his sexuality, until Keith called the press “absolutely scandalous” for what “they did to Stephen”. In 1999, Gately came out as gay after discovering that “someone was trying to sell this story to newspapers,” a spokesperson said at the time.
While grinning, Louis told the camera: “He [Stephen] got the front page.” In 2018, the group cut ties with Walsh after forming in 1993. Addressing their early days, Ronan told the camera: “We were a bunch of kids put together. We weren’t perfect, we weren’t polished.” Fans have since taken to X, formerly known as Twitter to air their views on Walsh.
One said: “Louis Walsh really is an odious nasty little man, and that’s just from the trailer.” A second fumed: “Why would Louis Walsh take part in this? It proves repeatedly what a low down, self serving s**t he is… Not to mention his RIDICULOUS looking change in appearance… Stupid hair, bright, puffy hamster cheeks & slimey smile.” “I’m already annoyed at LW and its only been the trailer so far,” tweeted a third.
Louis branded Irish twins Jedward “vile” on CBB but also claimed he made them £5 million after they appeared on X Factor back in 2008. The brothers hit back at his recent comments, calling him a “cold hearted b*****d” and a “senile old man”. Things weren’t always so prickly between Louis and John and Edward Grimes though and he took over their management from the company who initially signed them after the talent show.
They went on to have huge success with their music and a tour and even represented Ireland twice in Eurovision. Louis bragged about how everyone had laughed at him for “taking a chance” on them and called them “really nice kids and good role models”. But he had a total change of heart after a period when their mother took over their management and labelled them “the most embarrassing thing to happen” to him.
The boys furiously hit back with John raging: “I don’t think he took us under his wing. I think we were already flying and he was like, ‘Oh I think I want a part of that’. I think he got old. It’s like someone saying behind your back and you are like, ‘wait, I didn’t know there was a problem’.”
After Louis’ latest attack and money claims on CBB, the boys claimed they had only met him four times in their career and said: “You’re an absolute disgrace. You’re a senile old man who did nothing for us, who had no ideas. Not even a manager! Simon Cowell made you who you are.”
When the CBB famous contestants were treated to a VIP pop party, Boyzone’s hit, Life is a Rollercoaster was played into the house. Louis managed the band – made up of Ronan, Keith Duffy, Stephen Gately, Shane Lynch, and Mikie Graham – after they were formed in 1993 and they went on to become one of the most successful boybands ever. Louis did hail the track as “great” when it was played to the celebs but then took a knock-out swipe at frontman Ronan, grumbling: “He was such a p***k.” And he didn’t back down.
Speaking to Sharon, he went on: “Everybody thinks he’s a lovely guy, do you know what I mean?” He then claimed Ronan has failed to enjoy chart success without him. He raged: “He hasn’t had a hit record since I left. He sacked me.” Louis was referring to when Boyzone split for a time in 2000 and Ronan went solo. He continued to manage him briefly but they went their separate ways with Louis saying at the time: “[Ronan] wasn’t the most talented one – he’s not a great singer and he’s got no personality.” Ronan later told Closer Magazine: “That man absolutely tried to ruin me and if he thinks we can ever hug and make up he can forget it. I haven’t heard from him in three years and I wouldn’t have a problem if I never saw him again. He’s not a nice character.”
By the time Boyzone celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2013, Louis had stopped managing the group, claiming his time as manager had ended “badly”. Shane Lynch publicly aired his views when he said: “You can meet him for lunch one day and have four hours of gossip and great fun and the next day he’s in the papers slagging you off.”
The feud between Louis and Girls Aloud singer Cheryl has been ongoing for years and they often clashed on The X Factor, when she appeared as a judge. One of their most memorable spats saw Louis mock Cheryl for being ‘orange’, to which she retorted that he was “a silly old man looking for attention”. In another heated exchange on the show, Cheryl accused Louis of “taking the cheques” during her time in Girls Aloud. Louis hit back, saying: “I am a much better manager than she is a singer.”
Girls Aloud, made up of Cheryl, Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts, Kimberley Walsh and Sarah Harding, made their name on ITV’s Popstars: The Rivals in 2002 when judge Louis put them together. He managed them for two years.
His feud with Cheryl began over a decade ago when he allegedly body-shamed all the members of Girls Aloud. In 2017, Kimberley recalled an incident from 2004: “We were doing our video for Love Machine and Louis Walsh waltzed in and said to us, ‘Oh, none of you are fat any more! Brilliant, that’s great’. I was like, ‘OK! There it is …’ That was the first time I thought, ‘OK maybe my weight is an issue.'” Cheryl also claimed that Louis had negatively commented on the band’s appearance, telling Marie Claire in 2012 that he said: “They’re all fat. They all need to lose weight.”
Louis also previously made fun of Fight For This Love singer Cheryl’s vocal talents and suggested she “lip-syncs for her life”. Speaking to the Daily Star, Louis said about Cheryl possibly returning to The X Factor: “X Factor as a contestant? As a contestant she would be good. I don’t know if she could win.” He added: “She doesn’t mime. It’s called lip-syncing… lip-sync for your life.”
It is thought Cheryl and Louis no longer speak and when asked about the Girls Aloud reunion tour he commented: “I haven’t seen her, I haven’t heard from her. We didn’t get on great on X Factor because she didn’t get the fun of it. She didn’t understand that side of it.”
When he was asked if Cheryl could potentially rejoin the X Factor judging panel during a red carpet chat in 2016, Louis barked to the Huffington Post: “Simon wouldn’t invite Cheryl back because we have Nicole (Scherzinger). We have Nicole and Sharon – we don’t need another girl. So go and f**k off now. No silly questions, seriously.”
He was at an event with his finalists 5 After Midnight at the time and was supposed to be garnering support for them. His vicious comment attracted the attention of Cheryl’s then boyfriend, One Direction star Liam Payne, who didn’t hold back when it came to standing up for his lady.
He fumed: “Congratulations Louis Walsh for setting the worst example on handling media for his band who are about to step into a very hard industry. Maybe it’s about time you realise it’s not all about you and shut the f**k up for once, let them speak.
CBB fans watched as Sharon spoke about her beef with former X Factor judge Dannii Minogue, but Louis also had a rocky time with the Aussie singer. In 2008 a row erupted between the pair live on TV when Louis accused her of stealing the song Rule the World for her act Rachel Hylton because he wanted it for JLS.
She broke down in tears and after the ad break was so upset she couldn’t introduce Rachel before she performed. After JLS sang A Million Love Songs, Dannii told them: “Whatever you believe there were no songs stolen. You chose that song – and you got into your stride tonight.”
But Louis hit back and continued the row, saying: “I’m in charge of JLS. Nobody else. Dannii you did nick their song – but it doesn’t matter!” Dannii defended herself by saying the songs were chosen on a rota and Simon Cowell was forced to step in and stand up for Dannii. He said there had been a mix up between Louis and JLS which meant their song was changed 24 hours before they performed. “To be put in that position at this stage in your career is unforgivable,” he said. “We do take it in turns (to have first pick of songs), Dannii made the right choice, Louis, if you don’t like it, tough. You’re always whining and complaining. You two have to kiss and make up.”
Boyzone: No Matter What is on February 2 on Sky Documentaries and streaming service NOW.
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