Michael Louis Vincent Walsh, better known as Louis Walsh, is a widely renowned Irish music manager and television personality who is best known for his role on the X Factor and for managing famous artists and groups such as Boyzone and Westlife. Walsh moved to Dublin to begin a career in the music industry and ended up managing three of Ireland’s most successful pop acts throughout the 90s and 2000s.

Later in his career, Walsh achieved fame as a television personality as a judge on Popstars, You’re a Star, Ireland’s Got Talent and most notably, The X Factor.

When Walsh formed Boyzone, his aim was to create an Irish version of Take That. With the guidance of Walsh, Boyzone gained international success and achieved 16 top three singles, six of which got to No 1. They sold over 20 million album copies worldwide and four No 1 albums.

Walsh later created Westlife who were co-managed by Ronan Keating initially. Westlife went on to sell over 50 million records worldwide and achieve international fame, drawing in huge crowds to their live performances. Walsh has became a much loved and widely celebrated name as a judge on The X Factor, appearing on the panel alongside Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole and other celebrities.