What really went on between Boyzone and Louis Walsh? Their relationship explained
What really went on between Boyzone and Louis Walsh? Their relationship explained
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They were one of the biggest boy bands of all time – until they fell apart spectacularly. Now, the story of Boyzone is being told once more, via a new documentary. Titled Boyzone: No Matter What, it’s an in-depth look at the rise and fall of the band, as told by onlookers, journalists and the former members themselves.
Alongside the strains of fame, another topic that’s sure to be discussed is Boyzone’s relationship with their former manager, Louis Walsh. There’s been plenty of bad blood between Walsh and the band (especially frontman Ronan Keating) over the years, and their feud has only gotten more toxic with time.
Here, we break it down in detail. Boyzone was created in 1993 by Walsh, who put an advertisement out in several Irish newspapers calling for people to advertise for a new boy band: Walsh stated he was looking to create an “Irish Take That”. The final lineup, after several gruelling rounds of auditions, ended up being Keith Duffy, Stephen Gately, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating, and Shane Lynch. There was hype around them from the beginning: even before releasing any music, they had appeared on Irish broadcaster RTÉ's The Late Late Show.
Walsh also seemed to be a master at drumming up publicity: in the documentary, he reveals that he used to sell stories about Boyzone to tabloids to keep them in the public eye – including rumours, such as one that Baby Spice and Stephen Gately were dating. If they “got the front page,” he said, he was happy.
![[Boyzone No Matter What premiere - London]](https://static.standard.co.uk/2025/01/28/9/48/Boyzone-No-Matter-What-premiere-London-tmcm4xx2.jpeg?trim=104,0,105,0&quality=75&auto=webp&width=960)
