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Michael Louis Vincent Walsh (born 5 August 1952) is an Irish music manager and television personality. He has managed Johnny Logan, Boyzone,
Jedward John and Edward Grimes (born 16 October 1991), collectively known as Jedward (a portmanteau of their first names), are an Irish singing and television presenting duo. They are identical twins who first appeared as John & Edward in the sixth ...
and
Westlife Westlife is an Irish pop vocal group formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1998. The group currently consists of members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne. Brian McFadden was a member, until he left in 2004. The group temporar ...
, four of Ireland's most successful pop acts in the 1990s and 2000s. He later became a talent judge on television shows such as ''Popstars'' (2001–2002), ''
You're a Star ''You're a Star'' is an Irish music competition series broadcast by RTÉ One from 2002 to 2008. Produced by the broadcaster and Screentime ShinAwiL, the series was similar to formats such as '' Idol'' and '' The X Factor''. For its first three ...
'' (2003–2004), '' The X Factor'' (2004–2014; 2016–2017), and '' Ireland's Got Talent'' (2018–2019).


Early life

Michael Louis Vincent Walsh was born in Kiltimagh on 5 August 1952, the son of Maureen and Frank Walsh. He has one older sibling and six younger siblings. He was raised
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
.


Music manager

Having moved to
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
to start his music industry career in the 1990s, Walsh decided to create an Irish version of Take That, which the papers picked up on when he advertised the open auditions. The end result was Boyzone, whom he managed to international success with 16 top three singles, six of which were number ones, as well as four number one albums, selling more than 20 million copies worldwide. When
Ronan Keating Ronan Patrick John Keating (born 3 March 1977) is an Irish singer. He debuted in 1993 alongside Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Shane Lynch, and Stephen Gately, as the co-lead singer (with Gately) of Irish pop group Boyzone. His solo career s ...
announced he wanted to take a break from Boyzone, Walsh continued to manage his career. Keating achieved a number one hit with " When You Say Nothing At All" in 1999 and also " Life Is a Rollercoaster" in 2000, while his album sold 4.4 million copies. Keating and Walsh later agreed to part company as Keating's solo career reached an all-time high. Walsh then went back to the boy band formula to create
Westlife Westlife is an Irish pop vocal group formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1998. The group currently consists of members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne. Brian McFadden was a member, until he left in 2004. The group temporar ...
, which Keating co-managed with Walsh for the first couple of Westlife's number one singles and albums. Westlife were an Irish boy band, formed in Dublin in July 1998. They sold over 50 million records worldwide, a total that included studio albums, singles, video releases, and compilation albums. The group accumulated 14 number-one singles in the United Kingdom. They achieved a total of 26 UK top ten singles over their 14-year career, and achieved the first number one on the UK Singles Downloads Chart with "
Flying Without Wings "Flying Without Wings" is a song by Irish boy band Westlife, released on 18 October 1999 as the third single from their self-titled debut studio album (1999). It is the band's fourth-best-selling single on both paid-for and combined sales in th ...
" in September 2004. Despite an earlier bitter feud, Walsh had a public reconciliation with Boyzone on the
ITV2 ITV2 is a British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998. For a number of years, it had the largest audience share after the five analogue terrestrial stations, ...
programme '' Ghosthunting With...'' in which they explored a network of subterranean streets beneath
Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
. In December 2012, he became Union J's manager.


Television career

Walsh's first television work was in 2001, in the Irish version of '' Popstars''. The following year Walsh appeared as a judge on the UK ITV show '' Popstars: The Rivals'' with Pete Waterman and
Geri Halliwell Geraldine Estelle Horner (née Halliwell; born 6 August 1972) is an English singer, songwriter, author, and actress. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as Ginger Spice, a member of the girl group the Spice Girls. With over 100 million records ...
. Walsh went head-to-head with Waterman on the show with his girlband Girls Aloud battling it out with Waterman's boy band One True Voice. Girls Aloud's debut single " Sound of the Underground" reached number one in the UK. Walsh managed the band to achieve a million singles sales while their debut album went platinum. Walsh also frequently appears on various talent shows on Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), the most recent being ''
You're a Star ''You're a Star'' is an Irish music competition series broadcast by RTÉ One from 2002 to 2008. Produced by the broadcaster and Screentime ShinAwiL, the series was similar to formats such as '' Idol'' and '' The X Factor''. For its first three ...
''. He covered for
Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of '' The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on ...
as a judge on '' Britain's Got Talent'' during series four's
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...
auditions in February 2010, due to Cowell being ill. He again filled in for
David Hasselhoff David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He has set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. Hasselhoff first gained recognition on '' The Yo ...
at the London auditions in the following series when Hasselhoff was unavailable due to appearing in pantomime. In January 2012, Walsh appeared on the ITV documentary series ''The Talent Show Story'' where he was interviewed about being a judge on ''The X Factor'' and ''Popstars The Rivals''. Fellow ''Popstars'' judge Pete Waterman also appeared on the programme as well as past and present ''X Factor'' judges, including Dannii Minogue, Simon Cowell, Kelly Rowland and Gary Barlow.


''The X Factor''

Walsh appeared from 2004 as a judge, along with
Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of '' The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on ...
and
Sharon Osbourne Sharon Rachel Osbourne (née Levy, later Arden; born 9 October 1952) is a British-American television personality, music manager and author. She is married to heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne and came to prominence while appearing ...
, on ITV talent show ''The X Factor''. In 2004, Walsh found chart success with G4, who went on to have a chart topping album and completed two tours of the UK. In 2005, Walsh managed the winner
Shayne Ward Shayne Thomas Ward (born 16 October 1984) is an English actor and singer. He rose to fame as the winner of the second series of ''The X Factor''. His debut single, "That's My Goal", was released in the United Kingdom on 21 December 2005 an ...
, whose debut single " That's My Goal" spent four weeks at UK number one. In November 2005, Walsh quit the show mid-series out of protest regarding his treatment on the show; the most explicit example being Osbourne's drenching him with water during a live recording. Walsh returned on the Saturday evening's live show, stating that he could not abandon his remaining competitor and eventual winner, Shayne Ward. Ward went on to win the competition with over 10 million votes in the final. Walsh then went on to win '' The X Factor: Battle of the Stars'' with actress Lucy Benjamin. ITV announced in March 2007 that Walsh would not return as a judge on ''The X Factor'', but would remain behind the scenes managing some acts from the show. According to UK tabloid newspaper '' The Sun'', the decision to be replaced with two other judges came as a shock to him. He was replaced on the panel by American choreographer
Brian Friedman Brian L. Friedman (born May 28, 1977) is an American dancer and choreographer. Friedman has created the choreography for many popular music artists – such as Britney Spears, Cher, Beyoncé Knowles, and Mariah Carey – as well as for musi ...
. Osbourne, Cowell, Friedman and new judge
Dannii Minogue Danielle Jane Minogue () is an Australian singer, television personality, and actress. She initially gained recognition for her appearances on the television show '' Young Talent Time'' (1982–1988) and for her role as Emma Jackson on t ...
appeared at the London auditions; however, after the first few days, Cowell decided to re-hire Walsh to the panel and hire Friedman as a choreographic instructor for the live show stages. On 22 June 2007, Walsh confirmed he would be returning as a judge for the fourth series of ''The X Factor''. Friedman then became the show's creative director. Walsh mentored the Over 25s category in series four. In the 'Judges Houses' stage of the competition, Walsh took his acts to
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
and invited guest Kian Egan to help him decide whom to take through to the live shows. Cowell reportedly told Walsh off for his comments about the
Spice Girls The Spice Girls are a British girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Melanie Brown, also known as Mel B ("Scary Spice"); Melanie Chisholm, or Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"); Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"); Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"); and ...
. Walsh had said that the girl group were "past their sell-by date" and lacking in talent, but Cowell already had plans to book the girls on the show. In 2008, Walsh returned for the fifth series along with Cowell, Minogue and Cheryl Cole, who was hired after Osbourne quit the previous June. In this series, Walsh mentored the groups, choosing JLS, Girlband and Bad Lashes to represent him in the live shows. Walsh took his acts to Castle Leslie in Ireland during the judges houses stage where he was aided by Westlife star Shane Filan. Bad Lashes and Girlband were the first two acts to be eliminated over the first two weeks, but JLS finished as runners-up. Walsh returned to the sixth series show in 2009, again mentoring the groups for the fourth time in six years. During the judges houses stage, the Groups and Walsh flew to
Lake Como Lake Como ( it, Lago di Como , ; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Lagh de Còmm , ''Cómm'' or ''Cùmm'' ), also known as Lario (; after the la, Larius Lacus), is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of , making it the thir ...
in Italy where Boyzone singer Ronan Keating helped Walsh pick his final three. Walsh took Kandy Rain, Miss Frank and John & Edward to the live shows. Kandy Rain were eliminated in the first live results show, from which Walsh was absent due to the sudden death of Boyzone member Stephen Gately. Walsh was absent again on the Saturday and Sunday of the second week of live shows due to Gately's funeral on 17 October. In week three, Miss Frank were eliminated from the competition, while John & Edward were eliminated in week seven, though went on to have successful careers in the industry. In 2010, Walsh mentored the Over 28s category on the seventh series of ''The X Factor''. In the judges houses stage, Walsh took his acts to Adare in Ireland. Walsh was helped by former judge Osbourne. His last surviving act, Mary Byrne, was a semi-finalist who finished fifth overall. Walsh returned to the show in 2011 for series eight. He joined new panellists Gary Barlow,
Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the g ...
and Tulisa, who replaced former judges Cowell, Minogue and Cole, all of whom left the show after series seven. This meant that, following Cowell's departure, Walsh became the only original judge left on the programme. During the Bootcamp stages it was announced that he would mentor the Over 25s category for the rest of the competition. In the Judges Houses stage, Walsh took his acts to
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
in Spain where he was aided by Cowell's former assistant judge Sinitta. Walsh chose
Kitty Brucknell Kimberley Dayle Edwards (born 15 November 1984), formerly known professionally as Kitty Brucknell, is an English pop singer. She rose to fame as a finalist on the eighth series of ''The X Factor'' in 2011, where she finished in seventh place. ...
, Sami Brookes, Johnny Robinson and Jonjo Kerr to go through to the live shows. His most successful act of the competition was Brucknell who made it to week six of the live shows before she was eliminated. During the live shows of series eight, in an interview with former judge Minogue, Walsh stated that he did not know whether he would return as a judge in 2012. However, on 3 May 2012, Walsh confirmed he would return for his ninth series alongside Tulisa and Barlow. Former American ''X Factor'' judge
Nicole Scherzinger Nicole Scherzinger (; born Nicole Prascovia Elikolani Valiente, June 29, 1978) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality. She is best known as the lead singer of the Pussycat Dolls, one of the best-selling g ...
who replaced
Kelly Rowland Kelendria Trene Rowland (born February 11, 1981) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of Destiny's Child, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. During the g ...
joined Walsh, Contostavlos and Barlow as the new full-time judge for ninth series. Walsh filled for Cowell at the Kansas City auditions for
season two Season 2 may refer to: * ''Season 2'' (Infinite album) * ''2econd Season ''2econd Season'' is the second and most recent album by Atlanta-based rapper Unk. Release It was released on November 4, 2008. Guest Performers The album features gu ...
of the American version while Cowell was recovering from bronchitis. He joined the other season two judges: L.A. Reid,
Demi Lovato Demetria Devonne Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992), known as Demi Lovato, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series '' Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), Lovato rose to prominence for p ...
and
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage producti ...
, and was introduced with the line, "When Simon needs an opinion from someone he trusts, I'm the man he calls". His episode broke ratings records for the series. Walsh returned for the tenth series and was joined by Barlow, Scherzinger and fellow original judge Osbourne, who replaced Tulisa. Due to being the only judge to remain for the whole ten years, he was awarded by being assigned the Boys category, instead of the Overs and Groups he was assigned to every year, since mentoring Shayne Ward in 2005. His category consisted of
Nicholas McDonald Nicholas "Nicky" McDonald (born 23 November 1996) is a Scottish singer. He was the runner-up of the tenth series of ''The X Factor'' in 2013. After the show, he signed with RCA Records and released his debut album '' In the Arms of an Angel'' ...
,
Luke Friend Luke Friend (born 30 April 1996) is an English singer and former student from Teignmouth in Devon. He started his career in 2013 after winning ''TeenStar'' and appearing as a contestant and later a finalist on tenth series of ''The X Factor'' an ...
, and Sam Callahan. McDonald finished in second place to Sam Bailey, mentored by Osbourne. Despite not winning, this was still by far Walsh's most successful year as a judge on the show due to going 5 weeks (breaking a record) without having any of his acts in the bottom two and had two of them (Friend and McDonald) in the final. In 2014, Walsh returned for the eleventh series, while Barlow, Osbourne and Scherzinger were replaced by former judges Cowell and Cole, and new judge
Mel B Melanie Janine Brown (born 29 May 1975), commonly known as Melanie B or Mel B, is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the girl group Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Sc ...
. In 2015, Walsh stated that he was considering not returning to the twelfth series of ''The X Factor'', citing his desire to return to full-time music management. After rumours circulated that he had been fired from the show, Walsh announced his decision to quit the show, stating that he had not been fired, but he was not "hanging around for them this year." In 2016, Walsh returned as a judge to replace
Nick Grimshaw Nicholas Peter Andrew Grimshaw (born 14 August 1984), also known as Grimmy, is an English television and former radio presenter, podcaster and author. He became known for having hosted a variety of shows on BBC Radio 1. He is also known as a t ...
for the thirteenth series, alongside Cowell, Osbourne (who replaced Cheryl) and Scherzinger (who replaced
Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence in February 2012 when she featured on DJ Fresh's single, "Hot Right Now", which reached number one in the UK. Her debut stud ...
). The same judges returned for the fourteenth series. On 7 June 2018, Walsh announced he had decided not to return for the fifteenth series, in order to focus on music management and other commitments. "The show needs a change and I'm ready to leave," said Walsh in a statement. Walsh was replaced by
Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...
. In 2019, Walsh along with Cowell and Scherzinger returned to ''The X Factor'' as judges in the newly created format '' The X Factor: Celebrity''. He was mentor of the winner Megan McKenna, marking Walsh's third overall victory on the show.


''Ireland's Got Talent''

In May 2015, it was announced that Walsh, would be launching a new Irish talent show, produced by Cowell, as a judge, set to premiere in 2017 or 2018. Walsh stated that he would like to broadcast an Irish edition of ''
Got Talent ''Got Talent'' is a British talent show TV format conceived and owned by Simon Cowell's SYCOtv company. It has spawned spin-offs in over 69 countries, in what is now referred to as the 'Got Talent' format, similar to that described by Fremantl ...
'', though he stated that the untitled talent show was only in early development. Walsh later confirmed himself on ITV's ''This Morning'' as head judge on the show, '' Ireland's Got Talent'', alongside judges
Michelle Visage Michelle Lynn Case (nee Shupack), better known as Michelle Visage (born September 20, 1968), is an American singer, television host, actress, radio DJ and producer. She first gained recognition as a member of the musical group Seduction whic ...
, Denise Van Outen and Jason Byrne. The show launched on 3 February 2018 on
TV3 Channel 3 or TV 3 may refer to: Television * Canal 3 (Burkina Faso), a commercial television channel in Burkina Faso * Canal 3 (Guatemala), a commercial television channel in Guatemala * Channel 3 (Algeria), a public Algerian TV channel owned by E ...
and ran for two series before being cancelled in July 2019.


Junk Kouture

Walsh has been a judge on sustainable fashion programme Junk Kouture since 2014 and has been joined by celebrities such as
Rosanna Davison Rosanna Diane Davison (born 17 April 1984) is an Irish actress, singer, writer, model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss World 2003. She is the daughter of musician Chris de Burgh, and the song "For Rosanna" was written by her father for hi ...
, Vogue Williams and
Michelle Visage Michelle Lynn Case (nee Shupack), better known as Michelle Visage (born September 20, 1968), is an American singer, television host, actress, radio DJ and producer. She first gained recognition as a member of the musical group Seduction whic ...
on the judging panel in recent years.


Other TV appearances

*Walsh has made multiple appearances on ''
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway ''Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway'' (referred to simply as ''Saturday Night Takeaway'' or ''SNT'') is a British television variety show, created and presented by Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly (colloquially known as Ant & Dec), an ...
'' since 2004 *Appeared as a guest panellist on '' 8 Out of 10 Cats'' and ''
Celebrity Juice ''Celebrity Juice'' is a British television comedy panel game on ITV2, broadcast since 24 September 2008. The show is written and presented by Leigh Francis in the role of his alter ego Keith Lemon, and its current team captains Laura Whitmore ...
'' *In 2009, Walsh appeared on the ITV show ''Anonymous'' hosted by Stephen Mulhern *In July 2011, he raced the "Reasonably Priced Car", a
Kia Cee'd The Kia Ceed (known as the Kia cee'd before 2018) is a compact car produced by the South Korean manufacturer Kia since 2006 exclusively for the European market. The Ceed was first unveiled on 28 September 2006 at the Paris Motor Show. In mid-2007, ...
, during series 17 of Top Gear *In April 2012, Walsh appeared on a celebrity edition of
Deal or No Deal ''Deal or No Deal'' is the name of several closely related television game shows, the first of which (launching the format) was the Dutch '' Miljoenenjacht'' (''Hunt/Chase for Millions''). The centerpiece of this format is the final round (a.k ...
and ended up winning £70,000 for ISPCC *On 14 September 2013, Walsh's house featured in an episode of '' Through the Keyhole'', and on 26 December 2014 he featured on the show again – this time as a celebrity panellist *On 1 September 2014, Walsh appeared on an episode of ''
Who's Doing the Dishes? ''Who's Doing the Dishes?'' is a cooking game show that aired on ITV from 1 September 2014 to 14 October 2016. It is hosted by Brian McFadden Brian Nicholas McFadden (born 12 April 1980) is an Irish pop singer and television presenter w ...
'' *In October 2014, Walsh appeared as a contestant on The Chase Celebrity Special hosted by Bradley Walsh *In December 2015, Walsh appeared as a contestant on
Celebrity Catchphrase ''Catchphrase'' is a British game show based on the short-lived American game show of the same name. It originally aired on ITV in the United Kingdom between 12 January 1986 and 23 April 2004. A currently running revival premiered on ITV on ...
hosted by Stephen Mulhern *In January 2016, ITV announced that Walsh would appear in ''
Drive Drive or The Drive may refer to: Motoring * Driving, the act of controlling a vehicle * Road trip, a journey on roads Roadways Roadways called "drives" may include: * Driveway, a private road for local access to structures, abbreviated "drive" * ...
'', a new show which pitted eight celebrities against each other in a series of races in different vehicles. Hosted by Vernon Kay, the show began airing on 5 April 2016 *In late-March 2017, Walsh Made a guest appearance on the first episode of BBC's
All Round to Mrs. Brown's ''All Round to Mrs. Brown's'' is an Irish comedy talk show created by and starring Brendan O'Carroll with his family and other cast members from his original comedy show, ''Mrs. Brown's Boys'' and Aly Mahmoud as Chef Aly. After the final episode ...
as part of Dermot & Busters Celebrity Tour Guide at the Maddam Tussauds Museum. *In September 2017, Walsh appeared as a contestant on '' Tipping Point: Lucky Stars hosted by Ben Shephard'' *In November 2018, Walsh appeared as a contestant for the second time on The Chase Celebrity Special hosted by Bradley Walsh *In January 2020, Walsh appeared as a contestant on
Celebrity Catchphrase ''Catchphrase'' is a British game show based on the short-lived American game show of the same name. It originally aired on ITV in the United Kingdom between 12 January 1986 and 23 April 2004. A currently running revival premiered on ITV on ...
for a second time which was hosted by Stephen Mulhern


Groups and performers managed by Walsh


Controversies


Ronan Keating

When
Ronan Keating Ronan Patrick John Keating (born 3 March 1977) is an Irish singer. He debuted in 1993 alongside Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Shane Lynch, and Stephen Gately, as the co-lead singer (with Gately) of Irish pop group Boyzone. His solo career s ...
announced he wanted to take a break from Boyzone, Walsh continued to manage his career. Keating achieved a number one hit with " Life is a Rollercoaster" in 2000 while his album sold 4.4 million copies. Keating and Walsh later agreed to part company, and then had a bitter falling out. Walsh told the press, " eatingwasn't the most talented one – he's not a great singer and he's got no personality." Keating 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." The feud between the two men had apparently ended by March 2008, and they helped select the finalists in the Groups category in '' The X Factor''.


''Louis Walsh v News Group Newspapers''

Walsh sought access to documents which allegedly showed that '' The Sun'' UK tabloid paid €700 to a man who made a false sexual assault accusation against him. The man was later imprisoned for the false accusation. The senior counsel for Walsh told Ireland's High Court on 14 May 2012, "''The Sun'' directed the operation to take out Louis Walsh as a public person." On 10 August 2012, the High Court ordered ''The Sun'' to give all documents and information to Walsh relating to the preparation of an article in ''The Sun'' entitled "Louis Probed Over 'Sex Attack' on Man in Loo". The article was published both in ''The Sun'' and their website on 23 June 2011. Walsh sued for defamation of character resulting from the false and malicious allegations and the case was settled out of court. Walsh was awarded damages of €500,000 and €180,000 costs on 28 November 2012. Despite winning the legal case, the false accusations had a "lasting effect" on Walsh who was, as of 2015, suffering from paranoid thoughts and
panic attacks Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear and discomfort that may include palpitations, sweating, chest pain or chest discomfort, shortness of breath, trembling, dizziness, numbness, confusion, or a feeling of impending doom or of losing ...
as a result of the ordeal.


Stephen Gately

Walsh was unaware of Stephen Gately being gay when he selected him for Boyzone and said in 2008 that, had he known, he would have thought twice before picking him. He elaborated that he would not have picked Gately because "it wasn't cool then to have a gay guy in a band".


Mel B

During an interview conducted by
Sarah-Jane Crawford Sarah-Jane Crawford is an English television and radio presenter, actress, voice-over artist, and DJ best known for her radio work with Hits Radio and formerly with BBC Radio 1Xtra, and television work with E! Network (which she is currentl ...
on '' The Xtra Factor'' during the semi-final results show in 2014, Walsh groped
Mel B Melanie Janine Brown (born 29 May 1975), commonly known as Melanie B or Mel B, is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the girl group Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Sc ...
by her buttocks. Visibly irritated, she scolded and moved away from Walsh, who said he was only "looking after her". Crawford and the other judges, Cowell and Cheryl, tried to reassure her that she was "safe" while laughing off the gesture. After resurfacing on social media in July 2018, a few months after the Me Too movement began, the clip amassed millions of views on social media; it prompted discussion on the treatment of women by men and drew condemnation of Walsh and the responses of Crawford, Cowell, and Cheryl. Some viewers defended Walsh based on his alleged homosexuality and the justification that he was unaware of what he was doing, while others pointed out that, if it can happen so openly in a public setting, there is a correlation to how frequently it may happen behind closed doors. Walsh stated on 21 July 2018 that he grabbed Mel B's buttocks as a joke, but conceded that the gesture was no longer "politically correct" due to social media reaction.


Misha B

Misha B, a contestant from the 2011 series of '' The X Factor'', stated in June 2020 that she had been a victim of racism and also fabricated accusations made by Walsh and Tulisa, who were judges on the show at the time. She says that the producers and screenwriters created a narrative to make her appear to be a bully. The ''X Factor'' team announced that they would look into the matter.


Awards and honours

*2009 Mayo Person of the Year


References


External links


Louiswalsh.com

Louis Walsh
ITV.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Walsh, Louis 1952 births Talent managers Irish music managers People from County Mayo Living people