A MEMBER of Louis Walsh's latest boyband abandoned his class against his teacher's instructions to take a call from the pop mogul, who told him he had made the final line-up.
Wicklow lad Josh Grey was 16 years old when he auditioned to be in Hometown - the band Walsh hopes will become the next One Direction.
"I made it down to the final 10. I didn't make the final cut at the time. I was too young," Grey explains.
However, the youngster patiently waited and months later got a call up while in the most unfortunate of places.
"I was in school and the phone started ringing and it was Louis. I asked the teacher could I take the call," he recalled.
His fifth-year teacher in Blessington Community College refused him permission to answer his mobile.
"She said 'no'. But I ran out and took it anyway, he (Louis) said he wanted me to come to the studio and do a vocal test," Josh said.
The bold move paid off for the Wicklow teen, as a mere five minutes after leaving the studio he got another call.
"I went up to the studio, did a song. I was only gone five minutes when he (Louis) rang and said 'You're in the band'. It was my birthday that day too, the day I turned 17," he told the RTE Guide.
popularity
The group performed on the Late Late Show last May. Their debut single Where I Belong, written by Kodaline, also reached the number spot in the Irish charts in its first week.
Although they have a long way to go to be the next 1D, their popularity on Twitter could be an indicator of things to come.
hnews@herald.ie