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One-fifth of one of the biggest boybands in history and chart-topping solo artist
Raised in South Yorkshire, Louis Tomlinson (born Louis Austin) first auditioned for The X Factor in 2009 but didn’t get selected, so he returned in 2010. The judges felt instead of a soloist he would be better partnered with four other contestants – Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Harry Styles – and hence, One Direction was conceived. Although the vocal group placed third during The X Factor’s seventh season, they went on to become one of the decade’s biggest acts, scoring numerous No.1 hits like 'What Makes You Beautiful', 'Story Of My Life', 'Drag Me Down', 'Little Things' and the cover 'One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks)'.
In 2015, after releasing five studio albums, One Direction went on hiatus and Tomlinson launched a hugely successful solo career. He released his debut single 'Just Hold On' in 2016. It peaked at No.2 on the official UK singles chart, and the following year he unveiled the singles 'Back To You' and 'Miss You'.
Due to his interest in helping other artists develop, Tomlinson rejoined The X Factor in 2018. He served as a new judge with Robbie Williams and Ayda Field alongside Simon Cowell for the 15th series of the show.