Irish star Samantha Mumba has said Louis Walsh “wasn’t a hands-on manager”, but that she is still “forever grateful” to him.

Walsh has faced public scrutiny recently following the Sky Ireland documentary 'Boyzone: No Matter What'.

Walsh’s comments in the series unsettled some audience members, such as when he said he liked “ordinary people” because “they do what you want at the start”.

The UK's Telegraph went as far as to call Walsh “the ghastly villain” of the piece, who “failed to shield two of the band’s members from anguish”.

However, Ms Mumba offered a different perspective.

“Listen, I would have had a different perspective again because obviously he was my manager as well,” she told Lunchtime Live.

“So, their experience was theirs, mine was mine – I don’t know, I think if I’d been asked about this maybe 10 years ago, I would have had a very, very different opinion.

“I’m just more in a place where I just think, you know, I’m 42, I think you have to be accountable for your own stuff as well sometimes.

“So, from my perspective, he was my manager, he made huge things happen for me that wouldn’t have otherwise happened.”

Samantha Mumba & Louis Walsh during the Brown Thomas International Fashion Show at The Point in Dublin. Image: PA Images / Alamy. 23 January 2003

According to Ms Mumba, Walsh “wasn’t a day-to-day manager”, but was always there if needed.

“He probably never knew where any of us were, but he was always at the end of the phone if I ever needed him," she said.

"He always made the calls that needed to be made and I’m so forever grateful for that.

“And that’s kind of my perspective on it, but I completely respect and understand their perspective as well – and his. 

“He’s a manager through and through and he’s a businessman and that’s just what it is. 

“I think unfortunately as artists we can get quite attached or be emotional – I just feel like artists come at it from a different perspective.” 

Samantha Mumba with Andrea Gilligan in the Newstalk studio. Image: Newstalk. 5/2/2025

Speaking on her future career, Ms Mumba said she hopes people are “pleasantly surprised” by her upcoming Late Late Show Eurosong performance.

With her song ‘My Way’, Ms Mumba has been unveiled as the fifth artist hoping to represent Ireland in the contest taking place in Basel, Switzerland in May this year.

“I believe in the song, and I’ve never been shy of putting in work and grafting and I believe in it,” she said.

“I think whatever song is supposed to go forward is going to be the right song, but at least I’ll know I’ve tried.”

Ms Mumba said she is “so excited” for the performance.

Main image: Samantha Mumba in the Newstalk studio. Image: Newstalk. 5/2/2025