Louis Walsh
Louis Walsh was born in Kiltimagh, Connacht, Ireland on August 5th, 1952 and is the Reality Star. At the age of 71, Louis Walsh biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.
At 71 years old, Louis Walsh has this physical status:
Michael Louis Vincent Walsh (born 5 August 1952) is an Irish entertainment manager, talent agent, television personality, live promoter and former judge on British television talent show The X Factor. Originally from Kiltimagh, County Mayo, Walsh moved to Dublin to get a start in the music industry.
He managed Johnny Logan, Boyzone and Westlife, three of Ireland's most successful pop artists in the 1990s and 2000s.
In later life, Walsh began an alternative career as a television talent pundit and personality. He has been a judge on The X Factor since the show's inception in 2004 (with the exceptions of 2015 and 2018).
He has mentored the "Groups" category six times and the "Overs" category three times.
He was the winning judge of the show's second series, mentoring Shayne Ward.
He has also appeared on You're a Star, Popstars, Popstars: The Rivals and The X Factor: Battle of the Stars.
Walsh has also guest judged on Britain's Got Talent a number of times and on The X Factor USA in 2012.
He is also the creator of, and was a judge on Ireland's Got Talent, which first aired in February 2018, and The X Factor: Celebrity, which first aired in October 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.
Television career
Walsh's first television appearance was in 2001, in the Irish version of Popstars. Walsh appeared as a judge on the UK ITV show The Rivals, alongside Pete Waterman and Geri Halliwell. Walsh and Waterman were going head-to-head with Waterman's girlband Girls Aloud, who were fighting it out with Waterman's boy band One True Voice. "Sound of the Underground," Girls Aloud's debut album, debuted at number one in the United Kingdom. When Walsh's debut album went platinum, the band managed to sell a million singles.
Walsh has appeared on numerous talent shows on Raidió Teilif's Éireann (RTÉ), the most recent being You're a Star. During series four's Birmingham auditions in February 2010, Simon Cowell appeared as a judge on Britain's Got Talent due to Cowell's sickness. At the London auditions in the following sequence, Hasselhoff was substituted due to being in pantomime again.
Walsh appeared on the ITV documentary film The Talent Show Story in January 2012, where he was asked about being a judge on The X Factor and Popstars. Pete Waterman, a fellow popstar, appeared on the program as well as past and present X Factor judges, including Dannii Minogue, Simon Cowell, Kelly Rowland, and Gary Barlow.
On ITV's talent show The X Factor, Walsh, Simon Cowell, and Sharon Osbourne appeared as a judge from 2004. Walsh, who went on to have a chart topping album and undertook two tours of the United Kingdom, found success with G4, his fourth child. Walsh managed Shayne Ward, whose debut single "That's My Goal" spent four weeks at number one in 2005.
Walsh resigned from the show mid-series in November 2005 after being confronted about his treatment on the program; the most notable example being Osbourne's drenching him with water during a live recording. Walsh returned to his show on Saturday evening, arguing that he could not abandon his long adversary and eventual champion, Shayne Ward. Ward went on to win the final with over ten million votes. Walsh then went on to win The X Factor: Battle of the Stars with actress Lucy Benjamin.
Walsh will not return as a judge on The X Factor, but will remain behind the scenes directing some acts from the film, as ITV revealed in March 2007. According to UK tabloid newspaper The Sun, the decision to replace two other judges with two other judges came as a surprise. American choreographer Brian Friedman had him substituted on the panel. At the London auditions, Osbourne, Cowell, Friedman, and new judge Dannii Minogue all appeared; however, Cowell decided to re-hire Walsh to the panel and hire Friedman as a choreographic coach for the live show stages. Walsh confirmed on June 22nd, 2007 that he would be returning as a judge for the fourth season of The X Factor. Friedman became the show's creative director after becoming Friedman. In series four, Walsh mentored the Over 25s group. Walsh performed in the 'Judges Houses' stage of the competition and invited guest Kian Egan to assist him in deciding who would attend the live shows.
Walsh was reportedly told off for his remarks about the Spice Girls. Walsh had said that the girl group was "past their sell-by date" and lacking in talent, but Cowell already had plans to book the girls on the show.
Walsh, Cowell, Minogue, and Cheryl Cole, who were hired after Osbourne departed in June, returned to the fifth series in 2008. Walsh coached the groups in this series, selecting JLS, Girlband, and Bad Lashes to represent him in the live shows. Walsh performed at Castle Leslie in Ireland on the judges' stage, where he was aided by Westlife actor Shane Filan. Bad Lashes and Girlband were the first two acts to be disqualified over the first two weeks, but JLS came in runners-up.
Walsh was back to the sixth series show in 2009, helping the participants for the fourth time in six years. The Groups and Walsh then travelled to Lake Como, Italy, where Boyzone singer Ronan Keating assisted Walsh in selecting his final three candidates during the judges' dinner. To the live shows, Walsh welcomed Kandy Rain, Miss Frank, and John & Edward. Kandy Rain were ruled out of the first live results show, despite the fact that Walsh was absent due to the sudden death of Boyzone member Stephen Gately. Due to Gately's funeral on October 17, Walsh was absent again on Saturday and Sunday of the second week of live broadcasts on Saturday and Sunday. Miss Frank was dropped from the competition in week three, while John & Edward were unveiled in week seven, but they went on to have fruitful careers in the industry.
On the seventh series of The X Factor, Walsh mentored the Over 28s category. Walsh brought his acts to Adare in Ireland on the judges' stage. Former judge Osbourne helped Walsh with Walsh. Mary Byrne, his last living act, was a semi-finalist who placed fifth overall.
In 2011, Walsh appeared on series eight for the first time. Gary Barlow, Kelly Rowland, and Tulisa, who replaced former judges Cowell, Minogue, and Cole, all of whom left the program after series seven, were among the new panelists. Walsh became the only original judge on the show after Cowell's departure. It was confirmed that he would mentor the Over 25s category for the remainder of the competition during the Bootcamp stage. Walsh brought his performances to Barcelona, Spain, where he was assisted by Cowell's former assistant judge Sinitta. Walsh selected Kitty Brucknell, Sami Brookes, Johnny Robinson, and Jonjo Kerr to attend the live shows. Brucknell, the show's most popular act of the season, made it to week six of the live shows before being barred from the competition.
Walsh said in an interview with former judge Minogue that he did not know if he'd return as a judge in 2012. Walsh, however, announced on May 3rd that he would return for his ninth series with Tulisa and Barlow. Nicole Scherzinger, the former judge on X Factor, joined Walsh, Contostavlos, and Barlow as the new full-time judge for the ninth series.
Walsh was drafted at the Kansas City auditions for season two of the American version, when Cowell was recovering from bronchitis. "When Simon needs an opinion from someone he trusts, I'm the one he calls" and was introduced by L.A. Reid, Demi Lovato, and Britney Spears. His episode tied for the longest show on record.
Walsh returned to the tenth series, alongside Barlow, Scherzinger, and fellow original judge Osbourne, who had to replace Tulisa. Since being the only judge to sit for the entire ten years, he was given the Boys category rather than the Overs and Groups he had been assigned to every year, first teaching Shayne Ward in 2005. Nicholas McDonald, Luke Friend, and Sam Callahan were all included in his category. McDonald finished in second place to Sam Bailey, who was mentored by Osbourne. Despite not winning, this year was still by far Walsh's most fruitful year as a judge on the show due to going 5 weeks (breaking a record) without having any of his performances in the bottom two (Friend and McDonald) in the final.
Walsh returned for his 11th series in 2014, while former judges Cowell and Cole replaced Barlow, Osbourne, and Scherzinger, and new judge Mel B. Walsh admitted in 2015 that he was considering not returning to the twelfth series of The X Factor, citing his desire to return to full-time music management. Walsh declared that he had been fired from the show, despite the fact that he wasn't "hanging around for them this year."
Walsh returned as a judge to replace Nick Grimshaw in the thirteenth series, alongside Cowell, Osbourne (who replaced Cheryl) and Scherzinger (who replaced Rita Ora). The same judges appeared in the fourteenth series for the fourteenth time. Walsh revealed on June 7, 2018, that he did not return for the fifteenth series in order to concentrate on music production and other commitments. "The show needs to change, and I'm not ready to leave," Walsh said in a tweet. Robbie Williams replaced Walsh in Walsh's absence.
In 2019, Walsh, Cowell, and Scherzinger returned to The X Factor as judges in the newly formed format The X Factor: Celebrity. Walsh was the mentor of the winner Megan McKenna, a show that won for the third time.
Walsh, a judge from Cowell's production in May, was announced in May 2015 that a new Irish talent show, not to be announced in 2017 or 2018. Walsh said he would like to air an Irish version of Got Talent, but he claimed that the untitled talent showcase was only in early stages. Walsh defended himself on ITV's This Morning as the show's head judge, alongside judges Michelle Visage, Denise Van Outen, and Jason Byrne. The show debuted on February 3rd 2018 on TV3 and was run for two seasons before being cancelled in July 2019.
Walsh has been a judge on Junk Kouture's sustainable fashion show since 2014 and has been joined by celebrities such as Rosanna Davison, Vogue Williams, and Michelle Visage on the judging panel in recent years.
Awards and honours
- 2009 Mayo Person of the Year