Louis Walsh has confessed that he leaked several false stories about Boyzone to get tabloid attention, even going so far as to make up a story about how they survived a plane crash.
The Irish manager, 72, formed Boyzone in 1993 and did everything he could to keep members Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Stephen Gately, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch in the public eye.
Now, a new documentary about the boyband titled Boyzone: No Matter What, reveals just how far Louis would go, with the music mogul described as “the master puppeteer of the press”.
Speaking in the trailer for the Sky documentary series, Louis laughed: ‘Sometimes kids would read stories in the newspapers about themselves that weren’t true and they’d say ‘who told you that?’ I did! I told them.’
Ronan explained: ‘He believed that any story was a good story. “I was constantly making up stories about the band, about relationships with girlfriends that were non-existent.”
Louis Walsh confessed in the new docuseries Boyzone: No Matter What that he leaked several false stories about the band, even going so far as to make up a story about how they survived a plane crash.

The manager, 72, formed Boyzone in 1993 and did everything he could to keep (clockwise from top left: Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating, Stephen Gately, Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch) in the public eye.
Listing one of his most outlandish stories, Louis confessed: ‘I once had them in a plane crash in Australia and I forgot to tell the families I made it up!’
And he continued laughing: “There was no plane crash, but it has a good story.”
When asked if he ever felt guilty about leaking fake stories, Louis insisted: “No way, I was promoting them.” I was doing my job. But I would do it all over again, yes. Absolutely. I would do it even more now.’
However, while Louis may have managed to keep the group in the spotlight, it was not without consequences, with Ronan revealing the influx of false stories that “massively affected” the band.
He explained: “It left us with a huge scar. What the media did to us all.
In 2023, Ronan spoke about exactly what inspired the ‘plane crash’ story and explained how Louis had exaggerated the story.
Speaking on Magic FM, he shared: ‘We were in Australia doing a promotional tour. We took a plane to a place called Broken Hill, in the center of Australia.
‘One of the plane’s engines failed and we had to make an emergency landing inside.
“It was totally fine, it wasn’t like ‘we’re going down!’ or anything. These plans can fly with only one engine.

While Louis may have managed to keep the group in the spotlight, it was not without consequences, with Ronan revealing the influx of false stories that “massively affected” the band.
Ronan continued: “It landed in the middle of nowhere – literally kangaroos jumping in the middle of nowhere.”
“It’s around four in the morning and we’re waiting for another plane to come pick us up.”
“Meanwhile, Louis Walsh finds out that one of the planes, one of the engines, had, you know, and he goes straight to the press and says, ‘Guys in a dramatic plane crash!’
‘We hadn’t had time to tell our parents that this had happened. We were fine, we didn’t think about anything.
‘My mother was crazy and thought: “Oh, my son!” It all started in a big way, when you had to talk on the phone and tell them that everything was going great.
The three-part show, Boyzone: No Matter What, gives fans a look at the “fame, fights and tragedy” of the Irish band, who formed in 1993 before splitting up seven years later.
Part of the show will focus on the period when late star Stephen, who died aged 33 in October 2009, came out publicly as gay, and the singer was forced to do so after a publication gave him an ultimatum.
A synopsis of the documentary Boyzone: No Matter What reads: ‘They were one of the most successful and iconic boy bands of all time, but behind the scenes, conflict and rivalry, betrayal and tragedy led them to fall apart.
Now, thirty years later, the four remaining members (Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Shane Lynch and Michael ‘Mikey’ Graham, as well as their former manager, Louis Walsh) reveal the truth of what really happened, the extraordinary moments of their ” “The meteoric rise to fame and the enormous costs it took for each of them to be in a boy band.”

Part of the show also focuses on the period when late star Stephen, who died aged 33 in October 2009, came out publicly as gay after being forced to do so by a publication.

Boyzone: No Matter What will air on Sky Documentaries and NOW on February 2, offering fans a look at the Irish band’s “fame, fallout and tragedy.”
Last year, Louis opened up about his true feelings towards Boyzone while in the Celebrity Big Brother house.
Speaking of his proudest professional achievements, he said: “Honestly, I think I’m lucky to still be working.” I think I’m lucky to have originally had a chance with Boyzone, which was the start of my life.’
The music director went on to say that Simon Cowell “changed his life” when he invited him to take part in several of his projects, including X Factor.
He continued: ‘Simon Cowell changed my life because I met him, I did a lot of things with him. I think I’m lucky to be working, that’s absolutely true, and still get away with it!’
Boyzone: No Matter What airs on Sunday 2 February on Sky Documentaries and the NOW streaming service.