Louis Walsh net worth: Former X Factor judge reportedly charging eye-watering fee for Celebrity Big Brother appearance

Louis Walsh, the former X Factor judge, has entered the Celebrity Big Brother house. The show, which is airing after 6 years, is in its 23rd season and premiered on March 4, 2024 on ITV. Walsh is joined by his X-Factor co-star Sharon Osbourne on CBB.

According to the Mirror, Walsh will get paid £500,000 for his time in the show. Sharon Osbourne is being paid the same amount, but she will reportedly stay in the house for only five days, whereas Walsh is expected to stay for the entire run.

Mirror reported that Louis Walsh already has £116 million to his name. A source told The Sun:

"Louis knew he could name his price because ITV bosses have been desperate to get him to do the show for months. He's not short of a bob or two thanks to The X Factor, so he's always said he'd only come on board for a fee that shows what he's really worth.

Both Walsh and Osbourne have flown from the United States to the UK for the show.

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Louis Walsh started his musical career in 1990s

According to Irish Mirror, Louis Walsh's birth name is Michael Vincent Louis. He was born on August 5, 1952 in the town of Kilti Magh in county Mayo.

Walsh grew up in a large family and had seven siblings. He moved to Dublin in the 1990s in the pursuit of a music career. He wanted to create an Irish Take That and advertised for open auditions, which led to the creation of boy band Boyzone. Boyzone songs soon became a sought after thing and the band had 16 top three singles and sold more than 20 million copies worldwide.

Louis Walsh then went on to create the band Westlife, which also sold more than 4 million copies worldwide. Soon, he began to appear as talent judge on TV, featuring on shows like Popstars, You're a Star, The X Factor, and Ireland's Got Talent. Walsh also managed stars like Ronan Keating and Shayne Ward.

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Louis Walsh trolled online following his Celebrity Big Brother entry

Soon after getting in the Celebrity Big Brother house, Walsh was trolled online for how he acted. This happened when the beds were open to choose.

While other participants were choosing, Lauren Simon, the Real Housewives of Cheshire star sat on the double bed on the end of the room. However, as soon as Walsh came to the room, he claimed, "That's mine."

“Out. That’s mine. Up, up, up. That’s mine.”

After hearing the conversation, Gary Goldsmith pointed out to Walsh that it was "very strong." In response, Walsh said:

"I was joking she knows that. She knows I’m joking."

Users on X trolled and criticized Walsh for his behavior, calling him a "bully" and "arrogant." Walsh was also criticized for "body shaming" Ibiza Weekender star David Potts' legs. People on X wrote that it'd be a miracle if Louis isn't cancelled by the end of the series.

It will be interesting to see how Louis Walsh navigates the remainder of the show.