Louis Tomlinson: Everything you need to know about the 'Walls' singer

Louis Tomlinson rose to fame after competing on The X Factor in 2010, becoming part of One Direction alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and the late Liam Payne, who he paid an emotional tribute to following the tragic news of his death. The five boys went on to be one of the biggest boybands in the world, releasing five albums and going on world tours before taking a hiatus in 2016.

Since then, Louis has embarked on a successful solo career, releasing debut album 'Walls' in January 2020 and his follow-up 'Faith In The Future' in November 2022. He even went on to release a Paramount+ documentary called All Of Those Voices. Here's everything you need to know about Louis Tomlinson...

Louis pays tribute to Liam Payne

On 16th October 2024, Liam Payne tragically passed away whilst on holiday in Argentina. The sad news was confirmed that Liam had died after falling from the balcony of his hotel room, with tributes pouring in from friends, family and fans.

On the evening of 17th October, following streams of tributes from countless celebrities, Louis, Harry, Zayn and Niall shared a joint tribute to the One Direction Instagram page. On top of that, the boys shared their own incredibly emotional messages to the late Liam Payne.

Louis shared a sweet image of him and Liam on stage together, with his tribute referring to Liam as his 'brother', as well as adding he will be the uncle that Liam's son Bear needs in his life. Louis wrote: 'I am beyond devastated to be writing this but yesterday I lost a brother. Liam was somebody I looked up to everyday, such a positive, funny, and kind soul.

'I first met Liam when he was 16 and I was 18, I was instantly amazed by his voice but more importantly as time went on I got a chance to see the kind brother I’d longed all my life for.

'Liam was an incredible song writer with a great sense of melody, we often spoke of getting back in the studio together to try and recreate the writing chemistry we had built up in the band.

'And for the record, Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us Liam.

'A message to you Liam if you’re listening,

'I feel beyond lucky to have had you in my life but I’m really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye. I’m so grateful that we got even closer since the band, speaking on the phone for hours , reminiscing about all the thousands of amazing memories we had together is a luxury I thought I’d have with you for life. I would have loved to share the stage with you again but it wasn’t to be.

'I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me I will be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was.

'I wish I got chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you.

'Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well X'

How old is Louis Tomlinson?

Louis William Tomlinson was born on Christmas Eve in 1991, making him 32-years-old. Louis was the oldest member of One Direction, being 13 months older than second eldest Zayn Malik.

Louis Tomlinson's star sign is Capricorn. Apparently, typical Capricorns live by the motto, ‘Slow, steady and win the race.’

Where is Louis Tomlinson from?

Louis was brought up in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Other famous people who hail from the town include Jeremy Clarkson, Kevin Keegan and Brian Blessed!

What is Louis' documentary called?

In March 2023, Louis released a documentary called All Of Those Voices, the film follows the singer as One Direction start their hiatus and he's wondering what to do next. Former bandmate Liam Payne joined Louis for the premiere of his film in London, and later shared his thoughts on the film, congratulating him.

Liam told Louis: 'I’m so proud of how you did it not only with amazing music but with passion and the will to get up off the canvas every time life beat you down and fight back.'

Watch the trailer for All Of Those Voices below:

The film was added to Paramount+ on 5th October 2023.

What is Louis Tomlinson like?

As well as a solo career, the former One Direction singer makes time for his fans. Louis made time for one of his young fans by sending him a handwritten message and a hamper full of gifts. The little boy's mum tweeted her appreciation saying, 'Just had an amazing call from @MakeAWishUK louis has reached out to Harrysson and sent him lots of bits my heart is literally going to burst thank you for always being there for my precious boy!' (sic)

In an interview with us, Louis revealed what he misses about being with the One Direction boys. He also opened up about his single 'Two Of Us', which had a very emotional video. The video followed Richard who was up for anything despite losing his wife in the same month Louis lost his mum.

During the interview, Louis was asked, if he could be another celebrity for the day, who would it be? Louis admitted it would probably be his friend and former One Direction member Niall Horan.

Following the release of Stranger Things 3, the pair had a Twitter exchange in which Louis offered to watch Stranger Things with Niall, despite not being a fan. Louis explained, Niall used to be scared of the series, so he would 'grin and bear' it to watch it with his friend. Aww!

When did Louis break his arm?

Louis broke his arm after a show in New York, following the release of his second solo album. He shared the update with his fans, apologising for having to postpone some in-store signings as he'd broken his right arm. The singer also shared some painful-looking X-rays of his injury.

Is Louis Tomlinson still friends with other One Direction members?

Louis also told us that he's still really good friends with his 1D pals, opening up in 2019 about his friendship with the late Liam Payne. Speaking to us in September 2019, shortly after Liam's birthday, Louis said: "I spoke to him a couple days after his birthday actually. I’m not going to lie, I was actually really busy on the day, I missed his birthday but to be fair to Liam, he’s proper sound.

"I just rang him the next day, explained and he was cool, and Liam’s probably the one I’ve spoken to most recently before his birthday. I’ve been chatting to him a bit on the phone when I’ve had some time in LA and I’ve been getting up proper jetlagged, so I give Liam a ring just to catch up with him.

"I saw Niall at Glastonbury. I’ve not seen Harry for a while but I’ve been in contact with him, you know, recently so - it’s proper nice. Proper nice."

In November 2022, Louis admitted he'd initially been "envious" of Harry Styles' solo success, but added that he looked on him as a "brother". You can take a look at some of the biggest moments of Harry and Louis' friendship here.

In March 2023, Liam Payne joined Louis at the premiere of his documentary. The pair were seen in Leicester Square together, and after the event he took to Twitter to give Liam a special thank you for coming. He told his followers: 'Special thank you to Liam for being there for me. It means the absolute world. Love you lad!'.

Is Louis Tomlinson going on tour?

He's now finished the UK and Ireland leg of his world tour! Louis took his second album 'Faith In The Future' on tour, performing in Dublin, Sheffield, Manchester, Glasgow, Brighton, Cardiff, London and Birmingham in November 2023.

In May 2024, he announced he would be live streaming the last stadium gig of his tour from Mexico. Fans can purchase tickets to watch the live stream, including a re-run of it a day later at a suitable time for viewers in the UK. The live stream will air on Veeps, with a portion of the sales going towards War Child.

What is Louis Tomlinson's net worth?

Louis Tomlinson is worth an estimated £47 million, thanks to the singer's time in One Direction and his solo material. Louis appeared on the heat Rich List in 2021. In the 2022 edition, Louis was reported to be worth £48.3 million.

What does Louis Tomlinson have on his rider?

Louis Tomlinson revealed to us that he has a very simple rider for his shows. He told us that he likes to have Yorkshire Tea teabags. The pop star, who was born in Doncaster, says tea and some good sweets or chocolate will do him!

"I'm not going to lie, I've never had a good rider," he explained: "I realised, pretty early on, it blew my mind - the idea of a rider. The only thing that's ever on my rider, honestly, and it's properly stereotypical, is Yorkshire tea teabags.

"That's literally it!"

Louis Tomlinson on The X Factor

Louis first auditioned for The X Factor in 2009 but didn't get through the producer's audition, but that made him more determined to return in 2010 as a solo artist at the age of 19. He then met his future bandmate Harry Styles in the toilets at The X Factor auditions in Manchester.

Although he made it through to bootcamp after singing a version of Plain White T’s ‘Hey There Delilah’ and getting a clean sweep of yeses from the judges, he wasn't able to progress as a solo artist.

However, judge Nicole Scherzinger suggested that he go through in a group with some other rejected solo boys, and he was put together with Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Harry Styles.

They went through to Judges' Houses, singing an acoustic version of 'Torn' by Natalie Imbruglia with Simon Cowell himself commenting that the group "were confident, fun, like a gang of friends and kind of fearless as well."

They were Simon's last act standing on the series, but finished in third place behind Matt Cardle and Rebecca Ferguson.

When One Direction formed, Louis’s big ambition was to go "straight to the top." Proof that dreams come true! He also once said that if he could give anyone a tip when auditioning for The X Factor it would be "just be yourself and really try and get your personality through in your song choice and interview."

Although Louis later returned to The X Factor as a performer, he took part in the show in 2018 as part of a brand new line-up alongside Robbie Williams - coincidentally, someone who Louis once called his 'man crush'.

He also once said that Robbie is his biggest role model, telling Cool FM: "I’ve got a massive musical icon and that’s Robbie Williams. We actually got to sing with him on The X Factor and it was absolutely amazing."

Louis Tomlinson in One Direction

After coming third on The X Factor, the boys were signed to Simon Cowell's label Syco in a reported £2 million contract and immediately started working on their debut album. They took part in The X Factor Live Tour in 2011, and released their debut single 'What Makes You Beautiful' in September that year, which debuted at Number 1.

The debut album 'Up All Night' was released in November 2011, and Louis’s favourite track on ‘Up All Night’ is the Ed Sheeran-penned track ‘Moments’. The track appears on the deluxe version of the record.

They released second album 'Take Me Home' exactly one year later. Their documentary and concert film One Direction: This Is Us was released in August 2013 and grossed $68.5 million worldwide.

Third album 'Midnight Memories' was released in November 2013, and fourth album 'Four' came out in November 2014. Just prior to the release of their fifth album 'Made in the A.M.' in November 2015, the band announced in August that they would be taking a hiatus, following the departure of Zayn Malik in March.

What was Louis Tomlinson like in One Direction?

According to his bandmates, Louis had the smelliest feet in One Direction! Niall once said: "Louis wears plimsolls with no socks so his feet get very sweaty and the sweat is captured. If we are on a bus or something and he takes them off we all pretty much start gagging." Despite having smelly feet, Louis is a big fan of shoes! His favourite types are chinos and Toms and he's a size 10.

Louis also revealed in an interview with us that Niall is the one person in the world he would swap bodies with, "I’ll go close to home Niall Horan, he doesn’t worry about anything in the world, Irish accent I’m not too bad I spend a lot of time with Niall."

Louis was given a telling off by police when filming the ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ video Los Angeles in July 2011 for his erratic driving. Afterwards, he explained: "I got pulled over by the US police. They thought I was all over the place. The officer goes, 'Listen, man, I can shut this thing down if you carry on driving like this. You're driving like a maniac.' And I was like, 'Man, put the gun down. I don't want no trouble.'"

He also says that he and his 1D bandmates are like brothers. Admitting that they occasionally bickered in the band, Louis told Digital Spy: "Because we're around each other so often it's like arguing with your siblings. You fall out with them, go away and have a bit of a paddy, then come back and get over it."

Louis hates rumours, especially when they involve Harry and himself. In a Tumblr interview he explained: "Me and Harry are best friends, people look into our every move. It is actually affecting the way me and Harry are in public, We want to joke around but there seems to be a different rumour every time we do anything."

Louis once said that he likes snuggling up in bed with one of the One Directioners... HARRY! He said: "A few weeks ago I made a cup of tea, then went and got in bed with Harry and we watched a show called something like The Top 50 Boybands Of All Time." Nice!

Louis has approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds of solos on ‘Up All Night’ – the second least behind Niall Horan. Louis says he’ll "never get used to" the adoration he receives from fans. He once said: "At the end of the day we’re doing something that we really love and to be appreciated for that is really nice."

Louis told us the one thing he misses about being in One Direction, "Probably touring, that’s why I’m excited to perform today and excited to get out and spent time touring the world as that’s probably the best thing about being an artist."

It was no surprise that despite their hiatus, Louis took to his socials to celebrate One Direction's 10th anniversary in 2020.

Louis, took to Instagram to share an adorable photo of the boys at the very start of their career, writing: 'Our first ever photo together. The memories we've shared together have been incredible. Can't believe it's been 10 years already. I look back incredibly proud. Thanks for everything lads and love to you the fans as always x.'

What does Louis Tomlinson think about One Direction's music?

Six years after One Direction started their hiatus, Louis Tomlinson has revealed what he really thought of their music. In an interview with an Australian radio show called Smallzy’s Surgery he told Kent ‘Smallzy’ Small: "The first album was s--t anyway," in response to the host joking that he was "late to the party", only interviewing One Direction in 2012, when the band formed in 2010.

Unseen footage of the moment the members of the band were chosen by judges Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Nicole Scherzinger was released by The X Factor in 2022.

Louis Tomlinson's solo career music

After his successful solo performance on The X Factor in 2018, Louis delighted his fans in March when he dropped his amazing new single 'Two Of Us'.

The song, which is adored by fans, is a tribute to Louis' late mum Johannah Deakin. Johannah left behind seven children, including Louis, at the end of 2016, when she lost her battle with an aggressive form of leukaemia at the age of just 42.

Louis' track 'Two Of Us' features the lyrics, 'I know you'll be looking down/Swear I'm gonna make you proud/I'll be living one life for the two of us.'

The heartwarming music video saw Louis team up with 83-year-old Richard Green to complete a bucket list of adventures that he'd been trying to complete after losing his wife Pat in December 2016 - the same month Louis tragically lost his mother, Johannah Deakin.

Thanks to the success of the video, Louis has helped to raise a whopping £10,000 for the Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice with the music video, which encourages fans to donate to the Sheffield-base charity in a call to action on his music video, which also promotes the Alzheimer's Society and Cancer Research UK.

He told us about the video, "He is, honestly, one the most amazing men I’ve ever met. Probably the most amazing man. I was so in awe of him, you know. Eighty-four, and to have that outlook on life. He was an amazing guy. Really funny as well.

"Just his outlook in general was what I took from that whole experience. You know, he recently had lost his wife but his outlook was so positive and a lot of people are entitled to dwell and be sad about those kind of things. But he was the exact opposite. He was so upbeat, so fun, and up for anything."

Louis Tomlinson's album 'Walls'

Louis released his debut solo album 'Walls' on 31st January 2020. In an interview with us, Louis revealed more details of his album, saying, "Everything's fully mastered, fully signed off, that was as of about two weeks ago. About three weeks ago I had a listen down to the album top to bottom. I'm not going to lie, I'm proud of it, I'm really happy with where it finished off."

He also told us, "Lyrically, I always try and be as honest as possible, so there will be some honesty in the lyrics. And musically, you know, keep it organic and live, so they're some guitars in there and that."

In July 2020 he announced he would be parting ways with Syco Music. The singer also confirmed he was very excited for the future, saying, ''I'm really excited for the future and to be back in the studio writing the next album. Can't wait to finally see you all on tour!!'

Louis Tomlinson's family

Louis' parents are Johannah Deakin and Troy Austin. In 2011, his mum Johannah and stepdad Mark split up and he took on his stepfather Mark Tomlinson’s surname. Speaking about his mum, Louis said, "It must be so much harder for her because I’m living this fantastic life and being so busy every day whereas she’s still in the old life I was in but without me... It must be really difficult for her not to get upset."

Johannah sadly passed away in 2016, and Louis paid tribute to his mum on the anniversary of her passing.

Louis was incredibly close with his mum, and she once told Sugarscape that Louis is a giver and not a taker. In fact, there’s nothing he enjoys more than giving his friends and family presents, "He’s not a materialistic person himself, but he likes to give people things. He spoils me and the girls and he's happiest doing that."

He also has five younger half-sisters - one on his father's side (Georgia), and four on his mother's side (Charlotte, Félicité, and twins Daisy and Phoebe). Sadly, it was announced in March 2019 that Louis' sister Félicité tragically passed away after suffering a suspected cardiac arrest, at the age of just 18.

Just days after the release of his brand new single 'Two Of Us' in memory of his late mum, Louis' 18-year-old sister Félicité Tomlinson tragically died after she suffered a cardiac arrest.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed, "Police were called by London Ambulance Service at 12.52pm on Wednesday, March 13 to a residential address in SW5 following reports of a female in cardiac arrest. At this stage the death is being treated as unexplained. A post-mortem examination will take place in due course. Enquiries continue."

Is Louis Tomlinson a dad?

He is indeed! In July 2015, it was reported that Louis was expecting a baby with stylist Briana Jungwirth, and he confirmed the rumours in an interview in August on Good Morning America. Their son Freddie Reign was born in January 2016. He's now four-years-old, and fans think he's the spitting image of his dad!

In January 2020, to celebrate Freddie's fourth birthday, Louis's ex Brianna Jungwirth uploaded the cutest photo of their son to Instagram, writing, 'Birthday Boy'.

She also shared a tribute to Louis on Father's Day in 2020, sharing a previously-unseen photo of the day Freddie was born. She wrote, 'Happy Father’s Day Louis. We’ve created the most special boy and he’s lucky to call you his dad.'

What did Louis Tomlinson do before The X Factor?

Louis had a number of part-time jobs before The X Factor, including working at a local cinema and as a hospitality waiter at Doncaster Rovers Football Club. When he was younger, Louis wanted to work on a farm.

He also once revealed that if he wasn’t a multi-million selling pop megastar, he reckons he’d be training to be a drama teacher.

Where did Louis Tomlinson go to school?

When he first auditioned for The X Factor, Louis was a sixth form student at Hall Cross School in Doncaster. Louis also attended The Hayfield School in Doncaster, but dropped out when he failed his first year of A-levels.

Has Louis Tomlinson ever acted?

When he was just 11-years-old, Louis had a role as an extra on ITV drama Fat Friends. His newborn sisters Daisy and Phoebe starred as babies on the show. Spurred on by his appearance on Fat Friends, Louis attended acting school in his spare time and eventually had small parts in 2006 ITV drama If I Had You! and Waterloo Road.

As a student, Louis played the lead role of Danny Zuko in a high school production of Grease. He says playing the part gave him the confidence to audition for The X Factor.

WATCH: Louis Tomlinson answers the internet's biggest questions

Does Louis Tomlinson have hearing problems?

Louis suffers from a ringing noise in his right ear. Although yet to be officially diagnosed it’s thought it could be tinnitus which can lead to deafness if untreated. He once said, "I am going slightly deaf in my right ear. It’s tinnitus, something like that," before joking that it was because of screaming fans.

Is Louis Tomlinson good at cooking?

Louis admits he’s a really bad cook. Speaking to us in May 2019, Louis admitted that whilst he's very romantic, he's not great in the kitchen! "When I first met my girlfriend... I am a horrific cook, a very, very bad cook. I give it a go, you know what I mean, I’ll try.

"So, I said to her, 'I’ll make you a nice meal'. Honestly, she did all the polite things and said it was lovely. I, obviously tasted it too, it was awful. It was awful, really poor."

Despite his lack of skills, he appeared alongside Harry in a cooking segment on This Morning in September 2011.

Can Louis Tomlinson play any musical instruments?

When he was 14, Louis played lead guitar in a band called The Rogue with his schoolmates.

Louis is also pretty decent on the piano and he loves to play ‘Mr Brightside’ by The Killers. Louis is a big fan of Las Vegas rockers The Killers. After seeing them perform at V Festival, he tweeted, 'Watching Mr Brightside live last night was unbelievable. LOVED The Killers!!'

Unfortunately, Louis was fined £80 for speeding on the way to V Festival in 2012. It’s reported that he was going 48mph in a 40mph zone, which means that he may also have had three points on his licence. Ouch!

What are Louis Tomlinson's favourite TV shows?

His favourite TV shows are Misfits and One Tree Hill. In a recent interview with us, Louis revealed that he also loves Westworld and Black Mirror.

Check out One Direction through the years:

Now read:

One Direction: 107 facts you never knew about the boys ❤️

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The X Factor: A complete history of the show

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• Louis Tomlinson
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