Ronan Keating claims Louis Walsh tried to ruin his career (Image: Sky TV)
claimed “didn’t give a f**k” about his music career and instead focused on his own career opportunities like The X Factor.
The former TV judge, 72, managed Ronan while he was in Boyzone and when he embarked on a solo career, before they became embroiled in a bitter feud.
Their turbulent relationship will be explored during a new documentary series, , which provides an unfiltered look at the highs and lows of the iconic 90s boyband.
The Sky series, airing on February 2, features unseen footage and interviews with those closest to the band, including manager Louis and members Ronan, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch, and the late Stephen Gately.
A turning point for Boyzone came in 1999 when Ronan’s solo rendition of When You Say Nothing at All for the film Notting Hill topped the UK charts, prompting his decision to leave the band.
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Louis Walsh managed Boyzone and Ronan when he embarked on a solo career (Image: Sky TV)
After pursuing a solo career during the band’s hiatus, he alleged that Louis became vindictive and “tried to ruin his career.”
Criticizing the music mogul, Ronan said: “He just got it wrong. He made the wrong choices. He didn’t know where the f**k I was.”
He also suggested that Louis’s priorities shifted towards TV appearances on shows like Pop Idol and The X Factor, adding: “Louis became a TV personality – he was given that chance because he was the manager of Boyzone.”
The singer added: “Things started falling into place and you realise, Louis is not a great manager. I gave him multiple opportunities to fix things. I have one shot at my career and he didn’t give a f**k, it fell on deaf ears.”
Louis hit back at the claims, saying: “Ronan was a big middle of the road artist, he appealed to older women, that was his market, that was his line.
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Boyzone: No Matter What provides an unfiltered look at the highs and lows of the boyband (Image: Sky)
“He said he didn’t want to be a karaoke artist and wanted to record and write his own songs and be a proper artist – that shocked me.”
Their bitter feud hit breaking point when Ronan sacked Louis as his manager.
Looking back on being fired, Louis said: “I always told him the truth, you’re a lucky f***er. There was a divorce, I called him talentless and things and there in the press… do I regret it? Yeah, a little bit.”
Ronan fired back: “He knew how to hurt me, vicious, f***ing bitchy horrible things. He tried to ruin me and my career.”
The feud with Louis coincided with Ronan’s strained relationship with his Boyzone bandmates, who were pushing for a reunion while he focused on his solo career.
Tensions had been building within the group before their hiatus, with the band struggling under the pressure of their demanding schedule and harbouring resentment towards Louis for seemingly favouring Ronan.
Louis and Ronan were embroiled in a bitter feud (Image: Getty)
Louis explained: “As it got bigger it became harder to keep them happy because they wanted more and they wanted more time off.”
Shane confessed: “At its peak was a gruelling time, there was no mercy whatsoever… we were tired, we were broken.”
Adding his thoughts, Mikey said: “We were all physically and mentally and emotionally exhausted’, while Ronan disclosed that the band hadn’t had more than three weeks off in six years.
Sharing his viewpoint on the tension, Louis stated: “They all had egos and they all wanted to be more famous than they were.
“Ronan was the one I could depend on, if I needed something done, or if there was a gig somewhere they didn’t want to do, I knew he’d talk them into doing it.”
The Celebrity Big Brother star added: “He was managing the group with me, he was making a lot of decisions, I was talking to him almost daily about everything.”