Former pop singer Samantha Mumba has said that Louis Walsh contributed to the demise of her music career.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, the 28-year-old said that the "hands-off style" of her former manager did not instil her label, Polydor, with confidence.
Back in 2000 Mumba was being tipped for big things when she topped the Irish album charts with her debut release, Gotta Tell You. But her decision to work in the US in 2002 on the film, The Time Machine, combined with Walsh’s laidback style resulted in the ultimate death of her pop career.
She says that Walsh was asked to offer his ‘vision’ for her future as a pop star but didn’t. "I think the label felt if her own manager either doesn't have a direction for her or care enough to give it to us ... I think they lost a little bit of faith," she said.
"I'm an adult and I hate putting the blame on anybody ... I probably should have had other songs out while I was doing the film, but was he a hands-on manager? Absolutely not."
The X Factor judge, who also managed boy bands Boyzone and Westlife, dismissed Mumba’s claims this weekend. "She simply did not sell enough, that's why," said Walsh. "Why did nobody else sign her after?"
