After being absent for most of his son’s life, Troy Austin lost touch with Louis Tomlinson two years ago. Yet, after standing in the audience of a One Direction concert on March 20, Troy reveals that he hopes to heal the rift between him and his son.
Louis Tomlinson’s dad Troy Austin and half-sister Georgia, 14, attended a One Direction concert on March 20. While Georgia is a huge fan of the band, she’s only met Louis three times. Troy, 44, lost touch with his son after he split from Louis’ mom Johanna, 40, when the pop star was two.
“Seeing Louis on that stage was amazing. He's in the biggest band in the world and I'm the proudest dad in the world. I just hope he knows it,” Troy told the Sunday Mirror after attending the March 20 concert in Nottingham.
Troy and Georgia were hoping to go backstage and see Louis, 21, but were told that the band had to “rush off.”
“I haven't been there for most of his life, so I understand I'm not one of his main priorities. He knows we were in the crowd and now I want to tell him what it meant to me to see him up there. I cried buckets. I thought the best concerts I'd ever been to were U2 and The Waterboys, but not any more,” he said.
“Me and his mum splitting up when he was so young wasn't anyone's fault… I know it was hard on him. Seeing what he's done with his life makes me so happy. I know people will think I'm only interested in being part of his life again because he's rich and famous. But it's not about that. I'm his dad. We're flesh and blood and nothing can change that. I'm so proud of him I could burst. Of course, I would love to see him again and have a proper relationship with him. What dad wouldn't? But it's up to him. I want him to know I think he's fantastic – and that Georgia is his biggest fan,” Troy continued.
Troy & Louis Reconnected Around The Time Of His ‘X Factor’ Audition
“A few days before [Louis' audition], his mom rang out of the blue and told me Louis wanted to see me. He was so grown up. The last time I'd seen him, he was a boy. Now he was a handsome young man. His manners were impeccable. I was bowled over by how he'd turned out. I told Johanna he was a credit to her. He explained that he'd auditioned for The X Factor and that he'd been put in a group by Simon Cowell. He said he didn't want me to find out just by seeing him on TV. I knew he'd been in a band when he was at school and that he was into performing. I think he gets it from my nan, his great-gran. She died in 2001 aged 86 but was still singing in her local pub right up until the end. She was a born entertainer,” Troy remininsced.
Troy tried to talk to Louis several times during his reign on X Factor, but Johanna and the show's producers were protective and his phone number was changed constantly.
“I had to watch from afar. When the show ended and the band took off, it was unbelievable. Every time I opened a paper or turned on the TV, they were there. I told the odd person I was Louis' dad but mostly kept it to myself. I didn't want to look like I was jumping on the bandwagon. Georgia was nuts about the band from the start. She went to the X Factor Live Tour with her aunt. Louis knew she was going to be in the front row. He singled her out and reached out and touched her hand for a second or two. It made her year,” Troy said.
Troy Wants To Heal His Relationship With Louis
Troy now runs a hotel and has pictures of Louis and One Direction on all the walls. He hopes to heal the rift between him and his son.
“I love him to bits… I just hope he knows it,” Troy added.
What do YOU think, HollywoodLifers? Should Louis reunite with his estranged father?
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