Louis Walsh has quickly been the most talked-about roommate on Celebrity Big Brother 2024, but it turns out we haven’t been using his true name.
The X Factor judge returned with his cackling best friend Sharon Osbourne for the Celebrity Big Brother live debut on Monday night and instantly caused chaos.
He has been a household figure since Popstars: The Rivals thrust him into the spotlight in 2002, boosting Girls Aloud‘s career after earlier propelling Boyzone and Westlife to the top of the charts.
Almost 22 years later, few people are aware that Louis uses a different name while not in the spotlight.
He was born Michael Louis Vincent Walsh, but he changed his name as his career took off and he became well-known.
Even on Celebrity Big Brother, his buddy Sharon refers to him as Louis, and everyone else in the house appears to be clueless that they are actually living with a Michael.
Within the first few hours of Celebrity Big Brother, Louis (or Michael) caused outrage among viewers with his disgusting habit, tea-making, and then tossing Lauren Simon out of her bed for no apparent reason.
The Real Housewives of Cheshire actress chose an unclaimed bed before Louis approached and informed her, ‘That’s mine. Up, up, up; that’s mine.
He said he was joking, but viewers weren’t convinced.
He’s also had a role in encouraging Sharon to put Kate Middleton’s uncle Gary Goldsmith, reality TV personality David Potts, and TV presenter Zeze Millz in risk.
When Zeze questioned him about the choices, he threw Sharon under the bus, claiming it was all her idea.
Explaining his decision to enter Celebrity Big Brother, Louis told The Mirror he had a recent wake-up call about his own mortality.
‘I don’t want to be in my final chapter, I want to live. I want to enjoy myself. I don’t want to die. But then it makes sense that you get to this age and think, why not? Life’s too short,’ he said.
‘I’ve lost some people in my life recently and that changes you. I went to two funerals. Yeah, It’s a reality check, for sure.
‘It makes you think about what life is all about. It makes you rethink what’s important and what you care about. Losing friends makes you think about your own mortality.’
Celebrity Big Brother continues tonight at 9pm on ITV2.