What happened to Louis Walsh after The X Factor?-Robert Oliver-Entertainment – Metro

What’s Louis Walsh been up to since the end of The X Factor? (Picture: Getty)

We’re just hours away from finding out the line-up for Celebrity Big Brother 2024, with the likes of Louis Walsh, Sharon Osbourne, and Nikita Kuzmin rumoured to be going into the house.

The revived series begins on Monday at 9pm on ITV1 (a live stream will also be available on ITVX, STV, and STV Player) after six whole years off the air.

Hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best will return as main presenters following their successful stint hosting the main series, which returned to ITV in 2023 – the contest was won by Jordan Sangha.

One of the names touted to be entering the Big Brother house is Sharon Osbourne, wife of heavy metal singer Ozzy, former music manager, and X Factor judge.

While her involvement in Celebrity Big Brother 2024 is still be determined, her fellow former X Factor judging colleague Louis is apparently dead set to take part.

But what has he been doing since he quit The X Factor?

What happened to Louis Walsh after The X Factor?

Louis was a judge on The X Factor 13 years across two stints (Picture: WireImage)

Louis Walsh was a judge on The X Factor from its first episode, alongside Simon Cowell and Sharon Osbourne, following his work as a judge on similar ITV singing competition Popstars: The Rivals.

He was a judge for the first 11 seasons of the show, mentoring winning act Shayne Ward in 2005, before briefly departing for one year during season 12 – Nick Grimshaw sat in his seat for that year.

He returned alongside Simon, Sharon, and returning judge Nicole Scherzinger, before bowing out once more, meaning he was not involved in the final X Factor season in 2018.

Away from TV, Louis Walsh managed the likes of Boyzone, Westlife, Johnny Logan, and X Factor’s very own Jedward, who didn’t win the competition but remained immensely popular with the public.

After leaving the ITV talent competition, he became a judge on Ireland’s Got Talent, the Irish equivalent of Britain’s Got Talent, which lasted for two years.

And in 2023 he was a guest on Channel 5’s Eurovision: 30 Unforgettable Moments, a countdown programme that looked back over the Euro singing competition’s history.

He has also continued to manage singer Shane Filan, a Westlife member from 1998 to 2012, and then again after their 2018 reformation. Louis also took on management duties for Westlife themselves during these times.

Is Louis Walsh married?

Louis has managed the likes of Boyzone and Westlife (Picture: ITV)

Despite being one of the most famous faces in Irish music and in British TV, Louis Walsh has managed to keep his private life just about as private as it can be.

He might be very public about his thoughts on popstars of today (and potential popstars of the future) but he’s kept his relationship status quiet and has rarely publicly discussed his dating life.

In a 2013 interview with The Sunday Times, he was asked about his sexuality, and he quickly responded: ‘I can’t. Don’t go there. I can’t. I think your private life is your private life. I’m happy. Happy as Larry!’

How old is Louis Walsh?

Louis Walsh is ready to return to primetime British TV (Picture: Rex/Shutterstock)

Louis Walsh is 71 years old. He was born in County Mayo in Ireland in 1952 into a huge family – he’s the second oldest child among eight Walsh siblings.

He left his hometown of Kiltimagh and moved across the country to Dublin in the early 1990s – this is when he began to pursue a career in the music business.

Upon his arrival in Dublin he planned to create the ‘Irish answer to Take That’ and held auditions for the group that would eventually become Boyzone, featuring Ronan Keating as the lead singer.

After Ronan left Boyzone to pursue a solo career, Louis managed him personally and also took time to form another boyband, Westlife.

Louis Walsh net worth

While it’s not known exactly how large Louis Walsh’s fortune is, it’s been reported that he could be worth anywhere between €104 million (£89m) and €138million (£118m).

His portfolio as a music manager boasts groups such as Boyzone and Westlife – both boybands have sold millions of singles and albums worldwide.

Celebrity Big Brother launches tonight on ITV1 and ITVX at 9pm.

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