Nicky Byrne has joined Giovanni Trapattoni's critics in suggesting Ireland needs a new manager.
The singer insisted the time for 73-year-old Trapattoni to step down has come.
POP hunk Nicky Byrne thought his world had caved in when he was rejected by Everton as a teenager. The ex-Westlife star was set to sign for the Premier League giants as a goalkeeper before they decided against the move.
The 33-year-old will present the Irish version of reality series Football’s Next Star when it hits RTE screens next month.
And the doting dad of two believes his own experience will help him relNicky Byrne believes Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh is his biggest competitor on 'Strictly Come Dancing'.
Nicky Byrne considers Kimberley Walsh his biggest "rival" on 'Strictly Come Dancing'.
The Westlife star - who is partnered with newcomer Karen Hauer on the show - claims the Girls Aloud singer is his greatest competitor because they are both from band backgrounds and both experiencing a similar level of nerves.
He said: "When I was on tour with Westlife, we danced but we didn't have anyone judging us and it was all a bit of fun. This is completely different.
"Kimberley Walsh form Girls Aloud is in a similar position to me, only she went to stage school too. I love all the rivalry that is going on with Kimberley and I."
However, his dancing prowess has led him to get a nickname from his family - Glitterballs.
He joked: "My wife is buzzing with excitement. She will come to all the shows - we are very much a team.
"Her sister Cecelia nicknamed m Glitterballs and now that's the running joke in my family. I like to put a smile on their faces." ....ate to the youngsters vying for a professional contract.
Nicky explained: “When we were filming the show it brought back loads of memories because I know what they’re going through, I’ve been there.
“I know all about getting dropped and that’s because it’s happened to me.
“Everton were allegedly set to sign me because I’d done a goalkeeping course with Neville Southall and done well, and then I got dropped for the final and that was that.
“I was devastated. It’s tough, you think that’s that and your whole world is ruined but life is about disappointments and picking yourself back up. It happened with Leeds and in League of Ireland but you dust yourself down and move on.
“That’s why when we were filming this I was able to relate to the lads and empathise with them.
“I grew close to the guys and of course it was tough when they got eliminated but they’re all very talented guys with bright futures.”
Byrne was signed by Leeds United when he was 16 before moving into music. The RTE version of the UK reality show will see ten young footballers battle for one place at Celtic’s Youth Academy, headed by ex-footie star Chris McCart.
And Nicky revealed: “I’m very proud to say we really did unearth a true gem in our winner.”
FOOTBALL’S Next Star will start on Friday on RTE Two at 5pm.
WESTLIFE star Nicky Byrne has told of how his new show reminded him of the highs and lows he experienced during his time as a professional footballer.
Football's Next Star follows 10 young hopefuls as they battle for a year-long contract with Celtic's training academy.
Nicky said that watching the boys getting eliminated reminded him of the highs and lows of being a player: "It brought it all back.
TEARS
"When I played, there were plenty of tears back at the parents' house. There are highlights, walking out on the pitch, winning cup finals, that sort of thing.
"But there is a lot of rejection. But that's part and parcel of football. You get dropped like that. You turn up late and you get dropped. Your boots aren't clean, you get dropped.
"It's tough for the players and for the managers.
"I remember the feeling of sitting there in a dressing room and your heart pounding and listening to the manager call the team and you're not in it..."
Nicky kept his spirits up listening to Boyzone tracks.
"When I was at Leeds I became very patriotic; I had the tricolour over my bed and I was a big Boyzone fan.
I'd listen to a lot of their albums when I was in digs, purely to wreck the English lads' heads," the 34-year-old singer joked.
The football fanatic told the Herald he would love to see former Spurs manager Harry Redknapp manage Ireland.
The singer, who is starring in this year's series of Strictly Come Dancing, says current manager Giovanni Trapattoni has done a good job, but Rednapp could bring a bit extra.
Nicky made his comments during the launch of his new programme, his first solo TV project since Westlife decided to call it a day.
PASSION
Nicky's passion for football started at a young age. "I always wanted to be a footballer ever since I was six or seven.
"That's the great thing about working on this show. I felt like I've come full circle."
Nicky will be doing most of his training for Strictly in Dublin. Married to Georgina Ahern, he is proud dad to twins Rocco and Jay and they had their first day in school earlier this month.
The doting dad did not want to relocate to Dublin and told BBC bosses that, if he were to participate, they would have to let him stay in his home city.
Neil Lennon: I thought Westlife fans were there to see me not Nicky Byrne
NEIL LENNON has told how he went to greet female fans – only to learn they were really after Westlife star Nicky Byrne.
The Celtic boss revealed on an Irish chat show he was left red-faced by the gaffe outside the Hoops’ training ground.
Neil, 41, was with Nicky on The Late Late Show when he told host Ryan Tubridy: “One day I turned up and there was a large group of middle-aged women. So as you do, you show your manners and pull over for an autograph and they were all, ‘Neil, is Nicky Byrne here? I have taken the day off work to see him.’
“For security reasons, we could only let four or five in and we made Nicky get changed and train with some of the guys. It made these women’s day.”
Neil and Nicky were on the programme to promote RTE show Football’s Next Star – that will find a new player for the Hoops.
The singer will work with the club he supports to find the best prospect from thousands of hopefuls. He said: “With my football background, I thought this is a great opportunity for me to go back to my roots.
“And also since Westlife I have always wanted to get into TV.”
He said of his time working with the club: “Celtic has this old-fashioned homely vibe.
“You walk in and the women on reception come up and give you a hug and a cup of tea.”
But Lennon joked: “They don’t do that with me.”
Lennon revealed he finally feels safe again in Glasgow.
He said: “Glasgow has been my home for 12 years. I have a boy who is six years of age who loves life there and loves what I do in the football scene.”
..........Strictly Come Dancing pro Kristina Rihanoff has said she reckons Nicky Byrne is the celeb to beat.
Talking to Yahoo, the ballroom champ suggested that the Westlife star had the whole of Ireland behind him, and he didn’t even need to worry about dancing.
“The whole of Ireland is behind him. He could go out there, stand on his head and do absolutely nothing for 30 seconds and he’s going to be voted for another five or six weeks,” she said.
Kristina, who is partnered with Hollywood star Colin Salmon, added: “If he just puts left foot in front of the right. He’s a lovely guy, he’s a national treasure for Ireland and I think he’s going to be all right with or without the lift.”
FORMER Westlife star Nicky Byrne has told of how ending up in the bottom two on 'Strictly Come Dancing' has given him more focus and made him work harder to compete.
Speaking to the Irish Independent during a closed dance rehearsal in Dublin ahead of tomorrow's live round of the BBC show, the 33-year-old admitted he was disappointed with his performance.
He and his partner Karen Hauer (30) performed a waltz but did not impress the judges.
"It was a bit savaging last week," he said.
"We had the waltz down to a tee last week in Dublin and then I went to England, walked in for a run-through and I forgot it all as soon as I got on the floor. It's very intimidating being on the 'Strictly' set.
"That's why I'm working extra hard this week, to make sure I'm not in that position again."
The father-of-two will perform a version of the Cha Cha on tomorrow's live show.
In Westlife it was the four of us. Now it's just me... and I'm terrified
..A week after his savaging on Strictly Come Dancing, Nicky Byrne is bent on redemption. The problem, he claims, is that fans just don’t know the real him
They don’t come much bigger than Nicky Byrne. With Westlife he has sold over 50 million albums, filled Croke Park four times and pocketed a personal fortune believed to be in excess of €10m. He is married to the daughter of one of the country’s most notorious politicians and his sons, Jay and Rocco, are rivalled only by Jedward as Ireland’s most famous twins. But for all that, for the past decade Nicky has lived in a showbiz bubble, insulated from public scrutiny and acerbic comment – until last weekend. After performing a waltz on Strictly Come Dancing with his American partner, Karen Hauer, Nicky received something that his ego hasn’t experienced in over a decade – an utter bruising.
Smile: Nicky Byrne with lissom dance partner Karen Hauer ‘We had the waltz down to a tee last week in Dublin,’ he says. ‘Then I walked in for a run-through and I forgot it all as soon as I got on the floor. It’s very intimidating being on the Strictly set but Craig [judge Craig Revel Horwood] deemed the routine “poor” and the lift “illegal” and gave us a bit of a savaging.
‘I thought I went into it correctly and I got slated. I took all their comments on board. Obviously, they were very harsh for the first week. And we did an illegal lift and as a result we are right down at the bottom and, I suppose, rightly so. From then on, I decided I wasn’t going to give them a second chance to savage me like that again.’
The problem, Nicky complains, is that the judges and the general public don’t know the real him. To the 10 million BBC viewers, he is just one quarter of an ageing boyband.
‘Not everybody knows the cheeky performer that is Nicky Byrne,’ he laments. ‘The Westlife fans and the people who came to the live shows know that character. And I suppose, when I stepped out of the band and agreed to sign up to a show like Strictly, it was a chance for me to let all these people know who I really am. Because when we did shows, we sat on stools and we sang ballads. And I wasn’t the lead singer and, to the average person who wasn’t a Westlife fan, I was just some guy who was sitting at the end.
‘That never bothered me but mentally I had to make a decision that if I was out on my own, I had to change that perception for a lot of people and that it would take work. As famous as Westlife the brand name is, it only got me into the competition but it doesn’t allow for the personality.’
Nicky hopes last night’s performance of the cha-cha will redeem him. He spent all week in a dance studio in Dublin’s inner city, secretly practising the high-octane routine to LMFAO’s I’m Sexy And I Know It. I meet him just after lunchtime on Thursday and got a sneak preview of his number. Wearing loose-fitting grey tracksuit pants and a sweat-soaked navy and silver T-shirt, he bursts into a routine so fast and complex it would give Michael Flatley a run for his money. Afterwards, gasping for breath, Nicky flashes his trademark smile and asks: ‘What do you think?’
I have to say I’m impressed. After 14 years following Westlife, the most dancing I have ever seen him do is a glorified version of musical chairs with the band’s ever-present four stools.
‘The cha-cha is such a different dance,’ he says. ‘It is full of personality and that really suits me. I need to get that across to the public. If they get to know me, hopefully they will vote for me. It is a fast dance and there are over 100 more things that we have had to incorporate into the set this week. But there is also the chance to smile and be funny and sexy and hopefully, I can nail it on the night.’
Nailing it on the night was never a problem for Nicky the team player. Now, he admits he is consumed with fear.
‘The biggest fear I get is at the start, just before I go on, when I hear Tess and Bruce introduce us,’ he says. ‘That is the moment when I get that awful knot in my stomach. They play the opening video sequence and then that realisation that you have to go out on your own and perform hits you.
‘It’s like what I imagine it is like just before you go into a boxing match. You can’t show that fear when you go out on stage because you have to put on a show. My biggest fear now is that I will go completely blank and forget everything I have prepared. For the first time, I understand the sort of stress and pressure that Louis is under week in, week out – to be constantly told you are great or you are s***, to be scrutinised for every little thing you do or say. In Westlife, all four of us dealt with it. Now it is just me. It’s tough.’
For Nicky’s partner, 30-year-old Karen, the battle is merging the pop star with the dancer.
‘He is naturally a great performer and I want to keep the Westlife spirit that he has,’ she says. ‘But I need to mix that with the ballroom steps. The most difficult thing was to get him to smile. He has this Westlife pout, this look where he squints his eyes and looks longingly at the camera. That doesn’t work with dancing. It is this smooth criminal kind of look. We need to get him out of that and into the smiling ballroom dancer. If he can nail that, it will really help him.’
He has had plenty of support from home. It was his 34th birthday this week and all of Westlife wished him luck. Shane Filan will take his family to the studio next weekend to offer moral support. Kian and Mark are holding out in case Nicky makes it to the final. But the cornerstone for the former professional footballer is, as always, his family. Georgina is always at his side, scrutinising videos of the day’s rehearsals at home and cheering him on at weekends. It was she who convinced him to take part.
How does Georgina feel about him sweating and grinding with Karen?
‘She has been fine. She was the first person to push me towards it,’ he says smiling. ‘If you can do that show and that dancing and be half decent at it, the exposure can only be a good thing. She has been great. I go home and show her some of the moves on the phone and she gives me her feedback. She comes over every weekend to support me. Jay and Rocco are delighted. I am home every week and then they fly in after school on the Friday.
‘They are glued to the show – when I made the illegal lift, they called me on it. Jay said, “Why did you lift her when you weren’t allowed lift her?”
‘Don’t get me wrong, I was happy in Westlife. I was probably the one who didn’t want it to end – it just became inevitable. But I am very happy at the moment, waking up at home and being able to rehearse in Dublin. My head is in the right place and I am busy and I still have a buzz from the TV side of things. The pressure of live television has replaced the adrenaline rush of the concerts. I’ve yet to meet anyone who has done Strictly and said they regretted it.’
The aspect of the show he is least comfortable with is the wardrobe. Having been dubbed Glitterballs by Georgina on Twitter, Nicky has railed against the frippery – and told the producers he won’t wear spray tan.
‘I really have trouble with the fake tan, the heels and the sequins,’ he said. ‘I keep putting this block up about being dressed within an inch of my life. I have managed to ward them off with the fake tan and I have managed to keep the sequins to a minimum.
‘But as soon as you do the dress rehearsal on the Friday, you go back into the stylist’s room and take off your kit. Then an hour later, the wardrobe girls knock on the dressing room door to let you know that the powers that be want more sequins. You don’t want to go out there looking like a panto dame and I am doing my best to resist but it is Strictly and you have to look the part to a point.’
Nicky, still sweating profusely, breaks off to take a sip of water. He has been off alcohol for six weeks and has taken up kick-boxing for aerobic fitness. He is trimmer than I have ever seen him. Georgina, a fitness trainer by profession, looks after his diet. He says: ‘Food and fitness Georgina knows really well, so she helps me with all that. But I also have my own trainer, Pádraig Murphy at Involve fitness in Blackrock. He is a former Irish kickboxing champion so I do the pads with him. I will only spar with him because anyone else would kick the s*** out of me.
‘I have never trained as hard for anything in my life. I had to because it is so intense. I knocked the drink on the head as well. I wasn’t a big drinker anyway but I gave it up while I was training. I had a few beers after the show last Saturday but I really needed them after those comments. If you work hard you can play hard. I gave it up for about six weeks coming into the show and I feel now that I am in the best shape of my life.’
Karen returns with a fresh towel and leads Nicky back to the dance studio. Before he disappears, he again flashes his trademark smile and thanks me for making the effort to interview him. If the British public see only half of his natural charm, then he is in with a shot of waltzing away with the title.
Nicky’s kids feel the Byrne
NICKY BYRNE’S young children were distraught over the Strictly judges’ scathing criticism of their dad’s dance moves last week. Sharp-tongued Craig Revel Horwood called the Westlife star’s waltz “hideous” and scored him two out of ten.
Nicky’s five-year-old twin boys, Jay and Rocco, were watching horrified at home.
A show source said: “When Nicky went home after the show, his little boys were quite upset and asked him why the judges were picking on him.
“They said they thought Craig was a bully and didn’t understand why he was being so mean.
“Unfortunately, comments like that stick with kids.”
Bruno Tonioli also blasted Nicky’s routine, telling the singer’s partner Karen Hauer: “It looked like you were dancing with a cardboard cut-out.”
Strictly Come Dancing 2012: Nicky Byrne calls judges "savage"
Strictly Come Dancing star Nicky Byrne has branded the show’s judges “savage” for their comments on the series so far.
It’s fair to say that Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood, Bruno Toniloi and Darcey Bussell haven’t given Nicky the best of marks.
In Week 1 they penalised the Westlife singer for an illegal lift in his waltz, and week two saw the panel complain about his “boy band dance moves” in cha cha.
The low scores left Nicky bottom of the leaderboard, but fortunately his fans managed to help keep him out of the bottom two during Sunday’s results show.
Nicky said this week: “I was so nervous going into the first lie show. It probably wasn’t my best performance and standing in front of the judges afterwards was particularly savage, but I’ve just got to take it on the chin, pick up the pieces and start again.”
The popstar claimed that the girls were the ones to watch out for this year, as well as gymnast Louis Smith.
“I’ve always said that the competition to watch – not just for me , for everybody – is Kimberley, Louis and Denise. I think Lisa can really move too and she’s shown that in the first week,” he said.
Nicky added: “Obviously, because we come from two pop band that have been around for a while, there’s a friendly rivalry between me and Kimberley, but I wouldn’t say Kimberley is my only rival.”
Nicky: Cecelia's baby has made us broody
Saturday October 20 2012
Nicky Byrne has admitted that seeing his sister-in-law Cecelia Ahern with a newborn has made himself and his wife Georgina broody again.
The 33-year-old said he'd "absolutely love" to have another child in the next few years and introduce a little sister or brother to his twins Rocco and Jay.
And the household's been a little quiet of late with their sons just having started primary school.
"We've put the boys in separate classes which we thought could be a bit strange, but it's worked out great and they've relished it so far."
The father-of-two married his other half in 2003.
"Down the road, Georgina and I would definitely want another child, it'd be a great addition to the family," said Byrne.
"Cecelia's baby Sonny is so cute and he's been great for the boys." The singer is currently competing on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing and insisted that he'd never have considered taking part on the show if it meant being away from home for rehearsals.
"I wouldn't have done the show if I couldn't train in Dublin. I met the guys from Strictly before the final Westlife tour and said that I'd have to be in Ireland for rehearsal sessions.
"In fairness to them, they looked at it and came back to say it was fine.
"So I train here and it's great. I get to see Georgina in the morning and bring the kids to school.
"I've been back and forth for 14 years and funnily enough in the later years of Westlife I had a lot more time at home, as busy as it all was. So I didn't want to go back to that. I didn't want my children starting school and me being over in England.
"I really thought: 'OK, if it doesn't work out, I'll take the hit and do something else.'
"I'm so glad it has worked out and was able to be achieved because it is such a buzz to be on a programme like this one."
'I've never known fear like I've felt on Strictly': Nicky Byrne says singing to millions in Westlife was a cinch compared to dancing on TV
..When Nicky Byrne was feeling miserable as sin following a verbal kicking from the BBC1 Strictly Come Dancing judges for an illegal lift during a waltz in his very first dance of the competition, dear old Sir Bruce Forsyth ? bless him ? went to seek him out backstage.
?He was so encouraging,? says Nicky, who?s more used to rapturous applause as one quarter of Westlife, one of the most successful boy bands in pop history. ?He said: ?Don?t let it get you down. It?s a journey. It?ll be fine ? just work hard.? ?
Which Nicky did, practising all the hours God sends with Venezuelan partner Karen Hauer to perfect his cha cha cha for the following week?s show. ?Nobody understands how nervous you are, going into that first night in front of ten or 11 million people,? he says. ?You?re being judged and you?re trying to remember steps in your head.
Having a ball: ?When we finished the waltz, I thought we did OK. I didn?t fall over or forget the routine. Then we stood there and got absolutely hammered.?
Craig Revel Horwood made such a fuss of the illegal lift you?d have thought they?d vandalised Strictly?s spray-tanning booth. They received a disappointing 17 points.
?There was a part of me that thought: ?This is week one. The judges are going to go hard.? OK, we did put an illegal lift in there and had we known it was as bad as it was going to be we wouldn?t have.
?Anyway, I was raring to go with the cha cha cha to show what I could do. It?s a bit more me. There?s a lot of hip movement involved and a chance to have fun. The final rehearsal went great. I thought: ?If I do that tonight I?m happy.? We were all set to go.?
But his cha cha cha was a disaster. Nicky and Karen hadn?t taken account of the noise of the applause. ?The song starts with eight beats, during which I was supposed to do three big moves. But the crowd started clapping and I couldn?t hear the beats of the music. Not only that, but I was waiting for the clapping to stop.
?I missed six of the eight beats, which is equivalent to missing the opening verse of a song and didn?t get to do the big moves at the start. The judges don?t see the rehearsals so they didn?t know they had been there and the people at home didn?t either.
?To everyone bar me it looked like I?d fluffed it. I was chasing my tail after that. I managed to get in a few moves but my heart was pounding. When we got to the judges, I didn?t mind being criticised. I couldn?t even say I was saddened. I was really, really p***ed off.
?I was just thinking, ?How could that have happened?? It was nobody?s fault. Inside you feel like you?ve let yourself down. That really stung me.?
Putting the right foot forward: Nicky Byrne and Karen Hauer practice their dance routine for several hours a day between Monday and Thursday Thankfully, last Saturday?s quickstep went off without a hitch. The theme for the week was Hollywood and Nicky impressed the judges with his fancy footwork dressed as Jim Carrey from Nineties movie The Mask. When they received 27 points, Nicky was cock-a-hoop.
?I had a good week. I wasn?t so nervous,? he says. ?Maybe it?s because I was playing a character and had a mask on. I was somebody else.?
Nicky, you see, is not entirely comfortable in the spotlight. For 14 years, he was ?the bloke on the stool at the end? (his words) in Westlife.
Fifteen months ago, he and fellow band members Shane Filan, Mark Feehily and Kian Egan took the decision to call it a day after selling more than 45 million records with 14 No 1 hits and 26 top ten singles. They performed their last concert in Dublin in June.
?Outside the Westlife family, nobody really knows who you are,? he says. ?You?re one of four guys who sing ballads and wear black shirts. I saw Strictly as a chance for people to get to know the real me.?
In turn, he has been enjoying the chance to get to know the other competitors in what?s been called the best Strictly line-up ever. ?I feel for Jerry,? he says of model Jerry Hall, who was voted off last week.
?We saw a side of her lots of people don?t see. She?s so funny. Her one-liners are priceless. The camaraderie backstage is really good. Everybody gets on, everybody buzzes, everybody?s nervous as hell and everybody?s tired.?
He adds: ?Some people get good marks and some don?t. I?ve been near the bottom of the scoreboard for two weeks, so I know how disheartening it is when everybody else is being clapped and getting high scores.
?Richard Arnold [the ITV Breakfast presenter who ended up in the first dance-off of the series] said to me: ?When you?re in that dance-off, it?s just horrible.? But we?re all going to have to face it. Thankfully, last week I had a good week. I knew I had more in me, which last Saturday showed. I can build on that. But it was a relief.? He chuckles. ?So, I?m still in it, but I?ve got an awful lot of work to do.?
Goodbye Mrs Robinson: Jerry Hall is the latest celebrity to be voted off Strictly Come Dancing He says the biggest thing about leaving Westlife is he feels out there on his own and exposed. ?That goes for sitting on the couch and being interviewed. In Westlife, there?s four of you. Four different views.
?Someone may be grumpy that day. Someone may be jokey. You support each other. When you?re on your own, you?ve got to be funny, interesting, intriguing. It?s not easy. It?s certainly taking me time to be the real Nicky Byrne.?
The real Nicky Byrne is actually thoroughly nice. During his ?bloke on the stool? days, he was always the warm, funny one with an easy line in banter.
Enjoying an early career as a professional footballer with Leeds United, Nicky was only 19 when The X Factor?s Louis Walsh approached him to join his new boy band, Westlife.
Nobody could have guessed how huge the band would become. Nor that Nicky would be a man with children of his own by the time Westlife decided their boy band days were over.
Today, Nicky is 34 and married to his childhood sweetheart Georgina, the daughter of former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern. They have five-year-old twins, Jay and Rocco. He says of Westlife?s split: ?There was no major row that forced our hand so we could have done more years, but you have to know when the fire inside the band has burned a little bit.
Foursome: Nicky Byrne with wife Georgina and twin sons Rocco and Jay ?The line you always give is: ?We?ll know when the time is right, when the fans don?t want us any more and the market has gone.? Funnily enough, the fans did still want us.?
So why call it a day? ?The only times I was still really enjoying were the live shows,? he says.
?The discussions with the record company, decisions about the videos, the songs, were all becoming fraught. All of us knew the machine was starting to falter.
?You can only put yourself through that for so long. There?d been plenty of discussions about whether it was time to leave or not. Some people felt yes, some weren?t sure and some felt no.?
What about him? ?I knew it was time to move on and throw myself into something new. At that time, we were out of contract so everyone was a free agent. The label was banging on the door to offer us a new deal ? with good money.
?We?d been offered these before but we just couldn?t see ourselves signing another three or five-year deal and completing it. It had got to the point where we felt: ?Oh, it?s another album, another tour, another X-Factor performance.? It was too easy. We needed to go away.?
Tough decision, though?
?Yeah, I can remember the exact moment. My heart was sinking and I was thinking, ?This is it.? You?re scared in a way, but we knew it was the right thing to knock it on the head. So we took a deep breath and said: ?Let?s do it.?
?Louis was crushed. One of his biggest strengths was always keeping us together. There was no big fallout. There were arguments, but that?s life.
?We felt the quality of our singles was slipping. Our problem was that there was no Gary Barlow figure in the band and, towards the end, we weren?t necessarily the priority for other songwriters any more. That just happens.
?Louis assured us we?d be fine and were just going through a phase. When he knew how we were feeling wasn?t going away, he said: ?Let?s take a break for a year.? But we knew it was time to call it a day.?
The decision was made in summer 2011 when Westlife were part-way through their 11th major tour. Nicky had arranged to fly from Switzerland to meet his family for a holiday in Portugal. ?I was on my own, and when you?re alone there?s a lot of time to think about it. I knew the timing was right for all of us.?
When they broke the news to Simon Cowell, who had steered them with Louis through their 14 years, he shook their hands.
?He told us it had been a great time and for us to hold our heads high. He said: ?If there?s anything I can do for you, let me know.?
?It?s no more than you?d expect from Simon. If I did need guidance or advice, he?s at the end of a phone call.?
Westlife promised fans a farewell album and tour, which ended in an emotional concert in Dublin in June. Nicky says: ?We all cried ? us, our wives, the crew. It was a lifestyle for us all. My fear was waking up the next morning and thinking: ?Oh no, it?s over.? But I never got down. It had been a fantastic ride and it was time to get into something else. I?d given everything I had to the band.?
Now he has ambitions to be a TV or radio presenter. ?I?m the sort of person who has to get up in the morning and work. We all enjoy family time, but you still need to have a function.
?I look at Dermot O?Leary and think: ?That?s where I see myself going.? But, for now I?m knee-deep in Strictly.?
When producers approached Nicky to take part, he says he was encouraged by Georgina. There was, though, one proviso: the twins were starting school in Dublin so Nicky, a devoted father, wanted to share this precious time.
So he rehearses in a studio in Dublin from Monday to Thursday, then travels to London for the show on a Friday, where his wife and sons join him after school. Last week, they watched him on TV sporting Jim Carrey?s Mask make-up. ?They were very excited my scores were higher,? he says.
I wonder what they made of his first-week hammering? ?Jay said: ?Why did you lift her when you weren?t allowed to lift her, Daddy?
........Strictly Come Dancing 2012: Nicky Byrne wants to show fans who he really is!
Westlife star Nicky Byrne has said he hopes Strictly Come Dancing 2012 will let people get to know who he really is.
The singer hasn’t got off to the best of starts in the ballroom, but is more concerned about showcasing his personality than his footwork.
Speaking to the Daily Mail today, Nicky said: “Outside the Westlife family, nobody really knows who you are.
“You’re one of four guys who sing ballads and wear black shirts. I saw Strictly as a chance for people to get to know the real me.”
Nicky really has been struggling so far, and admitted he’s felt like he’s let himself down.
“I missed six of the eight beats, which is equivalent to missing the opening verse of a song and didn’t get to do the big moves at the start,” said Nicky about his disastrous cha cha two week’s ago. “The judges don’t see the rehearsals so they didn’t know they had been there and the people at home didn’t either.
“To everyone bar me it looked like I’d fluffed it. I was chasing my tail after that. I managed to get in a few moves but my heart was pounding. When we got to the judges, I didn’t mind being criticised. I couldn’t even say I was saddened. I was really, really p***ed off.”
He added: “I was just thinking, “How could that have happened?” It was nobody’s fault. Inside you feel like you’ve let yourself down. That really stung me.” ....Westlife's Nicky Byrne has been one of the main eye candy sources on this year's Strictly Come Dancing.
HUNK Nicky Byrne has revealed that show bosses forced him to have a spray tan because he looked too pale.
The singer, who danced the rumba with Venzuelan professional Karen Hauer, 30, last night, was desperate to avoid the tanning booth.
Westlife star Nicky, 34, said he had no choice in the matter.
“I knew about the spray tan coming into Strictly. Obviously I had to wear make-up for TV things we did with Westlife but I’d never had a spray tan before.
“I was told you just stand there and pictured myself standing there in some sort of sun bed.”
.............Karen’s not sorry for illegal lift
STRICTLY dancer Karen Hauer isn’t sorry about the illegal lift in her first routine with Westlife singer Nicky Byrne. The Venezuelan pro was slammed by judge Craig Revel Horwood after she chose to incorporate the risky move into the pair’s waltz.
But last night she hit back and said: “I don’t think it was a mistake. We take risks as performers and artists and it was a learning experience.
“I am new to this so I had to learn the ropes. It was just a shame Nicky did a great waltz and all of the focus was on those two seconds where my feet left the floor.”
Nicky backed up his partner: “It’s better to be talked about than not be talked about – not that we did it on purpose.
“In the aftermath we did think, ‘Well, that was a disaster’. But then it was one of the highlights of the weekend because everyone was talking about it.
“In that respect it was good and we survived it. It was week one and no one had to leave the show, so we were quite lucky.”
Strictly star Nicky Byrne reveals Celtic boss Neil Lennon turned down request to appear on BBC show
4 Nov 2012 THE Westlife singer insists he tried to get pal Lennon to put his name forward for the dance show but was told there would be "no chance" of it happening.
Neil Lennon and Nicky Byrne on The Late Late Show STRCITLY Come Dancing star Nicky Byrne has revealed how he tried to get Neil Lennon on to the show next year.
The former Westlife singer is pals with the Hoops boss and presented reality show Football’s Next Star, which gave young Irish footballers the chance to win a place at Celtic’s Youth Academy.
Nicky, 34, who danced the rhumba to Aerosmith’s I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing last night with Venezuelan beauty Karen Hauer, told how he had been delighted by the support from the Glasgow club and their youth coaching staff.
He said: “I was on a chat show with Neil in Ireland and I was trying to get him to do Strictly next year. He just had a little laugh and said, ‘Absolutely no chance.’
“I’ve had massive support from Celtic and the backroom staff. Everybody’s been texting me, including Chris McCart, Tommy McIntyre and Greg Robertson, who looks after the younger lads.
“I’ve heard the Celtic website has been putting my number up to vote. That’s brilliant.”
Nicky also revealed how Westlife manager and X Factor judge Louis Walsh put the rivalry between their two shows to one side to wish him luck – but told him Olympic gymnast Louis Smith would win.
Nicky said: “I met him at a party three weeks ago. He said to me, ‘Do you think you’ll win it?’ I said I’d give it a good shot and he said, ‘Louis Smith will win’.
“He’s great fun and he said the positives are I’ll be able to dance when we do a reunion.
“He said he knows genuinely how hard you have to work on Strictly and wished me luck.”
Nicky, who trains in Ireland to be close to his wife Georgina and twin sons Rocco and Jay, five, was delighted yesterday when his boys attended a dress rehearsal for the first time.
I’ve learned to have a thick skin; Westlife’s Nicky Byrne, 34, talks about Strictly Come Dancing, his hopes for the future and the precious time he now gets to spend with his family…
What have you enjoyed the most about Strictly? I’ve just loved the whole thing. It’s a great bunch of people and I’ve been taught something that doesn’t come naturally to me. My only experience of dancing was getting off the stool at the key change in Westlife!
Were you pleased to be paired with Karen Hauer? Yeah she is great, she’s new and she is ambitious. I think she was under a lot a pressure too because of that illegal lift in week one.
You had a couple of bad weeks to start, how did that make you feel? Under a lot of pressure! When you mess up, the dancers tell you to throw yourself into it but it’s hard. It didn’t look as bad on TV as it was in front of the judges.
How have you found the judges’ criticism? I’ve learned to have a thick skin. I take it on board but I don’t lose any sleep over it. I was embarrassed, not because of what the judges said but because I knew I had gone wrong. I felt bad for people at home watching, they must have thought I was just like a really bad drunk dad at a wedding. Thankfully the public saved me.
Is the Strictly training schedule a shock to the system? I’m quite fit in terms of aerobics so the walking and dancing I don’t find physically hard but I find it hard on my feet. The blisters are terrible and the arches in my feet ache from being in high heels. I’ve never experienced pain like that before. I can totally sympathise with all those women going out on the town on a Saturday night, I don’t know how you do it.
How do you keep fit normally? I train with a guy in Ireland who is an ex Irish kick boxing champion. So I box quite a lot and do a lot of weight training. I train at least three or four days a week.
Who do you think will win Strictly this year? Kimberly has a great chance to go all the way. I’m not sure if she’ll win but I think she’ll be in the final. Denise is fantastic, she should probably win it, she is the best dancer by a mile. I think Louis is certainly going to be up there, Dani is a great dancer, and Lisa has proved she can do really well too.
What have you found more challenging, performing in front of thousands of fans with Westlife or dancing on Strictly? So far, definitely performing on Strictly. In Westlife there were four or five of us and we worked together. We were able to have bad gigs and we got away with it because no one was really judging us. The fans were mostly young girls who fancied us. In Strictly you’re watched by adults, on probably the biggest show on television, and it’s a big jump. We’re dancing in front of top notch dancers and 12million people on TV. I’m on my own, totally exposed, doing something I’ve never done before.
Do you keep in touch with all of your old mates from Westlife? Yeah they’ve all been in touch to say good luck on Strictly. We spent 14 years together and now we’ve gone our separate ways. I feel like you need to give people space and that goes four ways. I’m not sure meeting up so soon and trying to continue like everything was the same would have been a good idea. It’s not like we’re on the phone every day and that makes it all better when you do meet up.
Is there a Westlife reunion on the cards? No that’s definitely not on the cards.
Do you see your family more now or has the Strictly training got in the way? Amazingly I arranged for my training to be in Dublin so it’s brilliant. My twin boys Jay and Rocco are just in primary school and for the first time in my life I actually feel like I’ve got a bit of structure, a bit of nine to five. I get up and have breakfast as a family and either Georgina, my wife, or myself with drop them to school then I’ll head into work or training and then I’m usually home by seven and we have dinner and put them to bed.
What did your boys think about seeing you on the show? They love it! I recently presented a show in Ireland called Football’s Next Star, the one Jamie Redknapp did in the UK, and they were like ‘Ok Daddy’s going to be a TV presenter’. So when they saw me on Strictly they were like ‘Oh Daddy’s dancing now.’ I think I’m confusing them a little bit. But they are loving it and they give it loads in front of the TV when I’m dancing. One of them had tears in his eyes when I was getting bad comments from the judges.
Are their any signs of them following in your football, singing or dancing footsteps? Whatever they want to do I’ll be happy. If I had a choice I’d love it if they wanted to get into football, but whatever makes them happy you know. You just got to show them the ropes and let them make their own decisions.
What have you got coming up next? Nothing in concrete but I’d love to present TV or radio shows, or interview people on a chat show. There has also always been a dream inside me to do a bit of acting. The beautiful thing is, the world is my oyster. We were so confined in Westlife and rightly so, none of us were venturing off doing separate projects, we had that kind of unity. Now we are out there on our own and I am able to accept shows like Strictly.
Credit/Source: Sunday People
Strictly Come Dancing star Nicky Byrne has revealed that Louis Walsh has told him he will not win the competition.
The Westlife singer said his former manager had predicted that Olympian Louis Smith will take the title.
Byrne told The Sun: “Louis asked me, 'Do you think you'll win it?'.
“I said, 'Well, you see... ' and he said, 'No, you won't. Louis Smith will win it'.”
Nicky added: “I was like, 'Cheers, Louis'. But that's just him. He said to me afterwards, 'Listen, well done. The positive is you'll be able to dance when we do our reunion'.”
He claimed that Louis was hoping that Westlife would reunite in the future following their split in the summer.
Nicky said: “He is obviously convinced we are going to do a reunion. And then he said to me, 'Genuinely, I know how hard you need to work with Strictly, so the best of luck with it and hope it goes well'.
Strictly's Nicky Byrne given fake tan order 04/11/2012 - 09:02
Strictly Come Dancing contestant Nicky Byrne has revealed that show bosses ordered him to get a fake tan after branding him 'too pasty'.
The Westlife singer, who performed the rumba with partner Karen Hauer on Saturday night's show, admitted that he had tried to avoid the process until show producers stepped in.
"I’d never had a spray tan. On week one I could hear the fake tan lady coming down the corridor saying 'next is Nicky', so I ran out the door into my car," he admitted.
"But then the following week the make-up artist said 'Nicky you’ve got to get a spray tan' and I was like 'No, I'm fine thanks'.
"But she said 'No, no – it's come from upstairs, you're looking too pasty and white. You have to get one'."
Nicky also revealed that his former manager Louis Walsh has told him he is unlikely to win the series - and is tipping one of his rivals for success instead.
"He said to me, 'Do you think you'll win?' I said, 'I’ll give it a good try. "He replied 'No you won't, Louis Smith will win'."
"I was like, 'Cheers, Louis', Nicky added. "But that's just him. He said to me afterwards, 'Listen, well done. The positive is you'll be able to dance when we do our reunion'."
...........The Westlife singer said that his former manager Walsh had predicted that Olympic medallist Louis Smith will be crowned the winner for 2012.
Byrne claimed that Walsh is hoping for a Westlife reunion in the future following their split in the summer. He also has hopes that the X Factor judge will be allowed to attend a Strictly live show if possible.
"He is obviously convinced we are going to do a reunion. And then he said to me, 'Genuinely, I know how hard you need to work with Strictly, so the best of luck with it and hope it goes well'.
"We will hopefully hook up on one of the Saturdays. I'd love him to come down but I don't think ITV will let him."
Speaking about his time on the show so far, Byrne revealed that his wife Georgina Ahern holds no jealousy towards his dancing partnership with Karen Hauer.
He said: "Georgina is very supportive and wants me to do my best. I don't think I'd be here if dancing with Karen was an issue.
"We've all got jobs to do and everyone is very professional. I've heard people have got together in the past but, no disrespect to Karen, it's not for me.
"I don't even feel sexy when I dance because I'm too busy counting. I could be dancing with anyone and all I'd be thinking is '1,2,3,4'."
On his chances of winning the show, he added: "I am very competitive and I want to do well but this is definitely the biggest challenge I have ever taken on.
"It's not that I think I can't win but I'm up against brilliant people. Denise van Outen is great and Kimberley Walsh is fantastic.
"Louis Smith is also really good and one of the favourites. There are at least five people above me at the moment. But who knows with this show? Anything can happen..............
During his time in Westlife he reigned at the top of the charts, but unfortunately Nicky failed to emulate that success on the dance floor and recently has only ruled the bottom of the leader board. Tonight he faced the music and was evicted from the competition following a fierce dance-off with Denise Van Outen.
This week’s Strictly Come Dancing had a special twist in which the dancers had to blend together two different styles of dance into one ‘dance fusion’, which of course added extra pressure to the celebrities. And with it being the quarter final, the competition was as tough as ever. But it proved too tough for poor Nicky as the judges decided it was his time to go.
Nicky and partner Karen had earlier performed an electric American Smooth/Quickstep to Olly Murs’ ‘Troublemaker.’
Predictably Craig unleashed a tirade of criticism, saying to the pair: “There wasn't any bounce - your posture was awful in the American Smooth,” before adding “I suspect that we're going to be seeing that dance again.”
The other judges provided some better news; Bruno said that Nicky “always gives 110% and I commend you for it.” Meanwhile head judge Len added “I though you came out and did a good job”
The judges scored Nicky and Karen a rather low 27 points, with grumpy Craig giving only five points. Unsurprisingly this score was booed by the audience.
Joining him in the dance-off was Denise and James- a shock contender for everyone considering that the pair has topped the leader board on countless occasions.
The pair had danced a Jive/Quickstep and it started off so well, but unfortunately Denise got her heel stuck in her dress and this didn’t go unnoticed by the judges. Bruno said, “You were going at the speed of light. Apart from that moment when you caught yourself, it was superb.”
Although the pair scored a commendable 35 points, this was still not enough to keep them out of the bottom two, and the upset was evident to see on Denise’ face.
When it came down the final dances, both couples gave it their all, but the judges had unanimously opted to save Denise and James.
Although disheartened, Nicky graciously accepted his fate. He went on to say that Strictly is “the biggest and best show in the world!” He then thanked the judges for their advice, the people backstage and of course his partner Karen- who had remarkably come a long way in the show considering it was her first year.
A tearful Karen also thanked the other celebs and the professional dancers, before adding that she couldn’t have asked for a better celeb in Nicky whom she said had “blew me away.”
..........Nicky Byrne has confessed he'd love to get into acting, and is eyeing a role in the West End.
The Westlife star and Strictly Come Dancing contestant revealed he has even considered a career in Hollywood.
Nicky said: "Acting is definitely something I'd consider. I did an acting course in New York about five years ago and I made a decision that one day I'd go to the States and try to get an agent. But times change. Now I'm married, with twin boys..."
But he added he's be interested in starring in a musical.
"Probably something like Grease, that'd be pretty cool. The songs and characters are so well known."
Westlife have decided to call it a day after 14 years, but Nicky insists he, Shane Filan, Mark Feehily and Kian Egan will always be friends.
He said: "There are many reasons [why we split], but 14 years is a long, long time. You've got to remember that we started when we were kids, did everything we were told, and then what happens when you grow up is you develop your own opinions, and that changes things.
"I share a serious bond with the lads, and we'll never lose that bond. I like to think we'll be able to keep in touch and pick up the phone at any point."
Strictly viewers last night saw Nicky going through to next week after coming joint second on the leader board this week and getting three nine points from the judges, who said it was jus best performance yet.
Press Association
...........Nicky Byrne thinks his Strictly Come Dancing chum Michael Vaughan is just like David Beckham
The Westlife star and cricketing pro have struck up a real bromance during their time on the hit BBC1 show and Nicky has nothing but good things to say about his new pal.
He told Metro: ‘Michael Vaughan is the David Beckham of cricket. He’s got everything. He’s got talent, he’s got personality.
‘All he needs now is an underwear range and his poster on the side of buses.
‘He’s got everything. He’s great fun, he really is.’
.................Nicky: “It was brilliant. It took us time coming but it just goes to show what hard work does you know. We were that close to going home last week and then this week I just thought ‘we have to go for this’. This dance has so much character that you just really have to embrace it, smile and go for it. I was so delighted that I could do it justice basically.”
Karen do you think that being in the bottom two last week gave you and Nicky the motivation and drive to fight this week?
Karen: “Definitely. I mean being in the bottom two was the worst thing that could have ever happened but it really was the best thing for us because it gave us even more oomph and more fire and so when we went into that studio it really was ‘work, work, work’ with not that many breaks.”
..............Karen Hauer is the newest member of the Strictly Come Dancing professionals as she partners Westlife singer Nicky Byrne. However, the Venezuelan pro certainly stood out from her peers on Saturday night's show as she raised temperatures in a very risque dress. The 30-year-old dancer left little to the imagination as she performed the Argentine Tango in a tiny lace dress.
...........At one point she wrapped her legs around Nicky, nearly flashing her derriere to the cameras as they performed to Adele's James Bond theme song Skyfall, ending up with a score of 30. ...........
Nicky, the ninth celebrity to leave this year's competition, said it had been "so much fun" to be part of the "biggest and best show in the world".
None of us 'absolutely minted' after Westlife, admits Nicky Byrne
THEY sold more than 50 million albums, racked up 14 UK number ones and toured the world.
But none of the former members of Westlife are "absolutely minted", according to bandmate Nicky Byrne.
The 34-year-old, pictured right, has revealed how they all made poor business decisions and handled finances badly starting out.
"We have all lost money. We were all very foolish with money in the early days, we all bought cars and watches – the silly things.
"I don't think any of us were lucky," said Byrne.
The biggest financial meltdown was suffered by Shane Filan, who was declared bankrupt in a UK court earlier this year for outstanding debts of up to €23m.
However, his bandmate revealed how their income had dropped off by the end of their 14-year career.
"We did very well out of Westlife but everybody lives and spends," he said.
"In the early days we earned great money, and in the latter days it was all gone.
"We all looked after it as best we could but none of us are absolutely minted," he added.
The father of two revealed how he found life after Westlife "very strange", but said 'Strictly Come Dancing' helped him move on.
"Having been in Westlife, I thought we had got to a level where we had done it all. "But no, the fanbase for 'Strictly' is phenomenal. This was a different league and a different ballgame. Everywhere you went, people wanted to talk to you. I found it overwhelming," said Byrne.
Voted off 'Strictly' earlier this month, the former popstar said he now wants to move into TV presenting.
"At this time of the year we would usually be very busy promoting an album. I'm not the sort of person who likes to sit around and do nothing."
WESTLIFE'S Nicky Byrne has already started the next chapter in his life, completing filming on his new soccer show.
Fans of the Dublin singer shouldn't be too sad about the prospect of never seeing him live in action again, following the band's split after 14 years.
The Herald can reveal how he has almost finished work on his first big TV gig for RTE, Football's Next Big Star.
"I've filmed the whole show, it's all done and dusted so it's just a matter now of doing some voice-overs for it," he said. "It should air around September-time and I really enjoyed doing it, it was right up my street."
The curtain finally came down on the chart-topping group after a pair of sell-out gigs at Croke Park where they performed to 160,000 fans.
Nicky, who was signed to Leeds United for two years, fronts the show looking for the next big thing in football.
The show is being produced by Tyrone Productions, the company that made OMG! Jedward's Dream Factory.
The overall winner of Nicky's show will be given the chance to get a coveted pro contract with Celtic.
"Celtic is steeped in history and has such strong ties to Ireland, with Neil Lennon, Roy Keane, Robbie Keane and Anthony Stokes to name but a few, which shows that this is really an opportunity of a lifetime," said Nicky.
From thousands of aspiring hopefuls, just 10 boys will be handpicked to move to Celtic's prestigious Youth Academy in Glasgow, Scotland, for a month of challenges. The final 10 will face a month of intensive training at one of Europe's biggest clubs.
The one showing the most potential will be chosen by Celtic boss Neil Lennon to win a shot at joining the club.
Trials for hopefuls were held in various locations around Dublin and Limerick last March.
- Melanie Finn, Showbiz Editor
...............
Westlife is over, but my Nicky's not quite ready for the pipe and slippers yet
Friday July 06 2012
AFTER the madness of Westlife's final gig, I've had an easy week getting ready for a family holiday in Portugal.
Myself and Nicky are heading off with the kids for some quality time. I don't know how long we're going for, we're just going to play it by ear.
Obviously my sister Cecelia is expecting her baby, so we'll be coming back for that. I'm really excited about it and I can't wait for lots of hugs and cuddles with my new nephew or niece.
.......
Nicky Byrne is acclimatising to domestic life after Westlife, and accompanied his wife Georgina Ahern to the launch of the website her.iein Pink nightclub on Thursday evening. “We’re into the second week now since it all ended. It’s nice to be at home and I’m doing a lot of training.”
Byrne said that although he played professional soccer for Leeds United for a while, he’s not training in the beautiful game at the moment. “I’m boxing training and weightlifting.” He’s also cleaning. “I cleaned out the garage today, which I wanted to do for a long time. It’s nice to be around the house and to take the kids to summer camp.”
Ahern is one of the weekly contributors to the new website. “It’s all very light-hearted. It’s not rocket science and is all common sense,” she said. The Byrnes are heading to Portugal this weekend and are due to holiday at Parknasilla in August.
Monday Jul 9 2012
HE is only out of a job two weeks, but ex Westlife star Nicky Byrne has revealed he has his eye on a career in TV, and wants to be the new Dermot O’Leary.
“I’ve always been interested in interviewing people as opposed to being interviewed,” the singer who previously had a career as a professional footballer has said, as he considers his future options.
The dad of two has revealed that he has not been short of offers in the weeks since the band played their final concerts in Croke Park.
“There is nothing in stone right now although I have had a lot of interest,” Nicky said as he revealed that he would like the be Ireland’s answer to Dermot O’Leary or Ryan Seacrest.
Nicky, who has in the past presented shows on 2FM said: “Radio stations especially in Ireland say they would love to get me on. I would love to do something in radio, but what exactly, I’ve no idea. Priority-wise, TV is really where I want to be.
And The Voice of Ireland host Kathryn Thomas had better watch out, as Nicky says his ultimate job would be a presenting a talent show in Ireland
“Shiny floor, prime time, your Dermot O’Learys, Ryan Seacrest of this world – I do look at them with a bit of envy and think I’d love to do a job like that, presenting a big, big show.
“Right now it’s loads of meetings – I’ve met with the guys from ITV, I’ve met with the guys from BBC, I’ve met with RTE and loads of different people like that.
“Meetings are meetings – they excite me but at the end of the day you have to turn them into something in stone. Until that day comes they are just meetings.”
Westlife star Nicky Byrne says he’s contemplating working in the UK.
The band recently performed their farewell gig to a sell-out crowd in Dublin.
Now Byrne – who has two children with Georgina Ahern, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s daughter – says he’d go to Britain for a TV presenting gig.
He’s hoping to fill Dermot O’Leary’s spot on the X Factor – but Dermot is confirmed for this season’s show.
But the former Westlife star says he might commute back and forth, if he won the job. ............
Westlife split not a big deal
NO DRAMA: Nicky and Georgina POWER couple Nicky Byrne and Georgina Ahern made their first public appearance since Westlife split up when they popped along to help launch the yummy mummy's latest venture. Georgina is one of the columnists on the new www.her.ie website, which is aimed at Irish women. The couple will soon go on a family holiday to Portugal with their five-year-old twin boys Jay and Rocco. However, Georgina tells us that she and Nicky are not reeling from the demise of Westlife. "It's so bizarre, it doesn't feel very different at all," she insists. "Life is quite normal. After any of the Westlife tours we normally take a break anyway, so it's not as dramatic as people may think."
.............Westlife’s Nicky Byrne says father-in-law Bertie Ahern did his best for country
Monday Jul 23 2012
Westlife singer Nicky Byrne has leapt to the defence of his father-in-law, Bertie Ahern.
Nicky, who married Bertie’s daughter Georgina in 2003, says that the former Taoiseach did his best for the country.
“There’s no big house. There’s no Porsches. There’s no anything like that. It’s not there and if it was, believe you and me, it would have been found,” he told the ‘Sunday Independent’s Life magazine.
He said: “Plenty of people have opinions on Bertie for lots of different reasons but, you know, it’s one of those where he was in power for so long.
“Unfortunately, with the economic crisis that Ireland is in, the whole world is in it, but people will only look at what’s going on in their own backyard.
“I’m sure Bertie probably feels he made some mistakes, but, actually, not many more mistakes than previous people before him. Or people that will make them in the future. Or probably people that are making them presently. But it’s just that he was there at the time.”
The singer also said that he found it sad that his father-in-law was painted as being “corrupt”.
He said: “You just have to hold your head high and say ‘I know him as a person. He’s a lovely guy and he is 100,000% committed – always has been – to Ireland. ‘
“You know that’s the sad part for me. Because out of anyone, some of the stuff that would be painted of him as being like a corrupt politician or anything like that when he enjoys the simple things.
“That would be something that I would know and I think most people around him would know. The way it happened is the way it happened, it can’t be changed.”
Nicky said that Bertie has not spoken about whether the Mahon tribunal fall-out had damaged his legacy and ruined his retirement.
He said: “He’s a very private person and he wouldn’t speak about those things.
“As a son-in-law, married to his daughter, knowing him so well, he was married to that job. There’s not a politician in the country that gave more time and effort.
“I can only look at it from a personal point of view. He did his best. He was there for long, he was popular for long. He did his best. And it’s a real shame how it ended.”
Nicky revealed that his father-in-law dotes on his three young grandchildren.
He said: “He spends a lot of time with Rocco and Jay [Nicky and Georgina’s twin sons] and little Robin [Cecelia Ahern’s daughter]. Bertie’s always stayed loyal to his constituency.
“He was always the type of politician for whom grassroots was the most important thing. So he still lives in Drumcondra, still walks around. He’d have a close-knit social network.”
..............Westlife Call Boy-Band Breakup 'Strange' After 14 years together, 'It just hits you that you keep telling yourself that we are not going to do this again,' Nicky Byrne tells MTV News. ..........LIFE MAGAZINE
Past Life
In their first post-Westlife interview, Nicky Byrne and Georgina Ahern discuss their career and family plans for the future with Liadan Hynes, while Nicky reveals the tension that caused the end of Westlife, the smooth charm of Simon Cowell and sympathy for his father-in-law Bertie Ahern.
“Everywhere I’m going, mates, family are going ‘Ah, how’re you enjoying retirement? Are you singing on Tuesday?’”, Nicky Byrne says with a smile. When I met him and his wife Georgina, he is one and a half weeks into retirement, and, so far, he seems unfazed.
“At the moment, I’m not feeling any different,” he says. “We’ve done so many long tours in the past, and it’s always a bit sad when they’re over, but usually you’re back in touch within a couple of weeks. But say the first week and a half, you wouldn’t be in touch with anybody. So doing nothing this time a week after isn’t any different.”
In fact, Georgina, if anything, seems a little bit more shaken than Nicky. “It’s funny,” she says. “I mean, it’s been a long time coming, obviously. Like, they were happy, so it wasn’t a sad thing. The whole tour, everyone was like ‘Oh, it’s so sad’, and I was like ‘It’s not really hitting me, am I really hard?’” she jokes. “And then, as the week got closer, I was, like ‘Ooooh’”, she gasps in mock of fear. “I was really kind of treasuring the moments, and Nick was like ‘Why’re you getting all soppy now? You told me it was grand’”, she exclaims laughing.
Georgina says it’s a little bit scary that Westlife is over, but mainly it just seems right. “It’s funny, it does feel strange. But it’s natural, we’re older, things have to move on. Our boys have to move on. It’s good. It definitely will be different, but we have had months, and days, together. Our life has been very normal. Even though he has lived as a superstar, a pop star, at home, our day-to-day stuff is very normal. That’s not going to change, and so it’s not a frightening feeling. Does that make sense?” she laughs. They may look a bit like the Beckhams – at one point on the shoot, when someone points out similarities, Nicky jokes that he’s available for Adidas campaigns – but they’re decidedly more down to earth.
The Byrne’s marriage is known as one of the strongest in showbiz circles and Nicky obviously still has eyes only for his wife. “She gets me and I get her”, he says. “And that little bond and that little click is there.” They first met when they were both 12, in Business Studies class in first year at school. Nicky still remembers the first time he ever saw G, as he calls her.
“I was sitting there, far wall, over there, second desk down,” he gestures, “and she was at the far wall, over there, first desk up.” He fancied her from the minute she walked into the room. “Just these massive big blue eyes,” he says. “Her hair was real long, down to her bum. She had it in a ponytail. I just thought, ‘Wow! Didn’t know who she was, where she was from, knew nothing about her.’”
Possibly alone out of everyone, Georgina had the ability to quell Nicky’s natural exuberance. “I don’t know if any other lads are like this but I’m always quite outgoing, always up for banter with anybody and everybody”, Nicky says. “But with Georgina, I always felt that obstacle. In any other class, I’d be messing with the lads. Come into the classes that I share with G, it was just, like quiet. It was just like, she’s gonna think I’m an absolute…you know.”
After three years, he got a friend who shared the same bus to “put in a good word”. “Never been more, like, heart pounding,” Nicky says of the nerves while he waited to hear, only to be devastated the next morning when he was told she’d turned him down. Luckily he mentioned it to a mutual friend a year later, she used it out and came back to say, “She’s interested. She said she’ll meet you.” He punches the air, hissing “Yes”, at the memory. The day before Nicky’s 16th birthday, they both attended a house party. “So, sat on the couch, snogged in the corner. That was it,“ he says matter-of-factly. “Never broke up once.”
So the end of Westlife will be Nicky’s first big break-up. The couple agree that it has been coming a while.
The split was a mutual decision, less a result of arguments, or solo glory-hunting that growing ‘been there, done that, what’s next?’ attitude among all ‘the lads’, as Nicky refers to the men he says became his best friends over the years.
When I last met Georgina, her twin sons, Jay and Rocco, now five, were just about to start Montessori. Her ability to travel with Nicky was clearly about to be severely curtailed, and you did wonder weather this would signal the end of Westlife – with Nicky, it’s clear that family comes first.
“It’s different when you have a baby,” Georgina says. “You can bring them to a hotel, you can have loads of toys. But now they need friends, they need to play football. It actually made me realise, on this tour, that we couldn’t – I couldn’t – do what we’ve been doing any more. Because it wouldn’t be fair on them. A rainy day in a city; there’s only so much you can do.”
She and the boys joined this tour for the first week or two – they love the tour bus and the socialising at gigs, she says – but after one hotel arrival at three in the morning too many, she realised it wasn’t going to wok, and went home, deciding instead to visit Nicky at weekends.
It’s a time of chance for all their family. The boys will start school in September and Georgina herself has just started working as a columnist for a new website – www.her.ie – writing a healthy-living column, full of tips and anecdotes from her own life.
“I’m not going to be trying to even pretend that I know everything,” she says. “It’s just common sense, and why I like things and why I’m trying them, and a girl’s perspective. I often get worried, because I’m sure people in the industry will think, ‘What’s she doing? What does she know?’ But it’s just common sense. My point of view, my hobbies, speaking out loud. It’s nice to have something.”
It’s important to her, though, that her schedule allows for the boys to be her main priority. “I still would like to kind of treasure it,” Georgina says. “But it’s good for me to gain a bit more experience and confidence in something. Where I’m going to go I don’t know, but things will hopefully naturally build up.”
The pressure may be on now to see what each member of Westlife does next, but Nicky seems completely at ease with this new phase of his life. “Personally, for me”, he says, “I always knew I’d do something when the band ended. I’m not worried. Everybody started to feel a bit like, ‘We’re getting older, this is getting harder.’ We actually started to doubt ourselves. Were the songs as good as they used to be? Were we enjoying it as much as we used to? And the answers to those questions were, no and no.”
With age comes confidence, and he paints a picture of a group of adults beginning to buck slightly against their management, despite how glowingly he speaks of Simon and Louis.
“When we started off, we were kids. It was ‘Jump, ‘How high?’,“ Nicky says. And although the band began to have their own opinions as they matured, they still felt that they had little say in the decision-making. “Louis and Simon would always say, ‘Well, I hear you, lads, but I still believe this is the way’. And even though the majority of us might have said, privately, ‘I still believe we are right’, we would go with what they felt.”
In March 2011, in an effort to quell their mounting dissatisfaction, Westlife moved from Simon Cowell’s label Syco, to RCA. “We felt things weren’t great, so maybe if we shifted over to another label within Sony, things would change,” Nicky says. We still felt there were cracks there, and we were trying to constantly fill them.”
One problem was the X Factor approach adopted by the record company. Choose one single and “promote the arse out of it”, as Nicky puts it. The routine went: break for Christmas, tour from around February, break for the summer, record an album in August, pick one single, and promote it solidly until Christmas. It worked well in terms of spending time with the family, however. “In the later years, they had it so sussed,” Georgina says, rather delightedly. “They were only in the UK from September to December – it wasn’t like they were travelling the world.”
Creatively though, it got a little uninspiring. “Over the last few years the record company started to pull the second single from us,” Nicky says. “At the 11th hour, Simon Cowell or somebody would go ‘Actually, we’re worried about this song, we don’t think it’s going to do well.’ That added to our own individual feeling of ‘what’s going on here, where are we actually going?’”
Although Louis, whom Nicky describes as a close personal friend, was always the more hands-on when it came to managing Westlife, Simon Cowell had been there from the beginning, at their first audition in 1998.
Nicky can’t say enough about Simon. “He’s the most suave businessman you’ll ever meet,“ he says. “You walk out of the room, and you just think that they must have put something in the air conditioning, because you went in there saying ‘No, no, no, no, no’ and you came out of there going ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah’. He would have made the best politician in the world. He nevre raises his voice. Everyone has their say. We’d be all sitting there facing him. He’d be listening, nodding. And then he’d light a cigarette, and say ‘Guys, I just don’t want us to fall into the trap of…’ and then he starts to gradually undo everything you’ve said,” Nicky smiles, mining the action of unpicking stitches.
“While Shane might be talking, he’d look at me, or one of the other boys, and he’d give you a little wink. And you’re thinking ‘What, what’s the wink about?’ You know? And what it was, he made you feel special.”
The band had nearly split before, after the disappointing Rat Pack tribute album. “The first five, six and seven years of the band were the most exciting. You were constantly breaking records. All of the dreams were coming true. We lost the excitement about year seven or eight. I think we were probably contemplating where we’d go then. I think that was just after Brian left. We did an album called Allow Us To Be Frank. It was the best fun. But it didn’t perform like a Westlife album performed. I think we were very honest with each other in a scary kind of way when we sat down, a bit Toy Keanesque. ‘Lads, this was terrible. What do we do next? Is it time?’”
They took four months off. Nicky and Georgina went to America, and he enrolled in an acting course in New York. “In my mind, mentally, I was preparing for something after the band,” Nicky says. “It was just a taster. I wanted to do in where nobody knew me. I’ve always enjoyed movies, but you could be absolutely terrible, so I didn’t want the embarrassment of doing it in Ireland or England or anywhere.”
When the management persuaded them to do You Raise Me Up, on the album Face To Face, Nicky thought it would be Westlife’s last outing. “I even think that the record company were feeling it, too. I remember at the photo shoot for the album, we were arguing for a song called Amazing, which is like a Backstreet Boys number, and Louis and Simon wanted You Raise Me up. The main marketing man said something to me like ‘Why don’t you just let us make the decision on this lads? Cause you never know how it’s gonna go’. And we all kinda felt ‘Shit, we could be dropped here.’ You know, Westlife, seven years in, all the albums, the records, but that’s what it boils down to. You’re only as good as your last album. Now we never mentioned those words, but I could read between the lines. I remember going out for dinner with Georgina, it was summer 2005, and kind of having a mini ‘this could be it’.”
At that time, nobody was prepared for the end of the band. Luckily, You Raise Me Up was a massive success. “All of a sudden the record company were like ‘Ah, there’s legs in this yet.’ They gave us a big fat cheque, they signed us for three albums”, he laughs.
This time around, Nicky’s more than ready for freedom. Leaving the bubble of a boyband – he joined Westlife when he was 19 – doesn’t phase him. “I think that comfort zone is gone. When you’re in Westlife, you’re completely protected by a security blanket which was Westlife. Nowadays, when you do an interview, that’s gone. Because, all of a sudden, you’re sitting there on your own and you’ve got to be all of it – serious, funny, interesting – and I think that’s a whole new ball game for every one of us.”
Success at such a young age can make moving on a daunting prospect, but Nicky says he’s not feeling the pressure. “It’s more a realisation than a worry. Back in ’05, when I had that brief moment when I though the band was splitting up, that was more of worry. That was ‘Oh, this is finishing. I’m only 24 or 26, whatever.’ I was thinking
‘Oh god, what now? What will I do?’ But I think nearly eight or 10 years on, you kind of go ‘You know what, I’m 34 in October. If I had’ve been a footballer, I would have been retiring at this point.’ Plenty of people have gone before me and faced this in their lives.”
I wonder whether he’s ever discussed the workaholic who faced retirement having reaching the pinnacle of his chosen field, in a different, but equally all-consuming career.
“I’ve never discussed it with him,” says Nicky, “but I’ve certainly looked at it and thought, you know, I’ve seen somebody go from not having a second to think to having obviously a lot of time on his hands.”
And how does he cope? “Well, he spends a lot of time with Rocco and Jay”, says Nicky, “and little Robin [Cecelia’s daughter]. Bertie’s always stayed loyal to his constituency. He was always that type of politician who, grass roots was the most important thing. So he still lives in Drumcondra, still walks around. He’d have a close-knit social network.”
Is Bertie the kind of father-in-law Nicky would go to for advice? “Oh, he is. Absolutely.” Nicky says emphatically. “Plenty of people have their own opinions on Bertie, because of lots of different reasons, but, you know, it’s one of those where he was in power for so long. Unfortunately, with the economic crisis that Ireland is in, the whole world is in it, but people will only look at what’s going on in their own backyard. And I’m sure Bertie probably feels that he made some mistakes, but, actually, not much more mistakes that previous people before him. Or people that will make them in the future. Or probably people that are making them presently. But it’s just that he was there at the time.”
Nicky, who has known Bertie since he was a teenager, says that, of course, Bertie is family, so he can’t help but feel defensive, but he’s philosophical about the whole thing. “For me, looking at that, you just to hold your head high, and say ‘I know him. I know him as a person. He’s a lovely guy, and he is a hundred thousand per cent committed, and always has been, to Ireland.’ You know, that’s the sad part for me. Because out of anyone, some of the stuff would be painted of him as being like a – what would you say? – like a corrupt politician, or anything like that, when he enjoys the simple things. D’you know what I mean? There’s no big house. There’s no Porsches. There’s no anything like that. It’s not there and if it was, believe you me, it would have been found. So that’s the hard part. But that would be something that I would know, and I think most people around would know. The way it happened is the way it happened, it can’t be changed.”
Has it ruined his legacy or his retirement? “He’s a very private person and he wouldn’t speak about those things. But the best way to put it is you just feel a bit of ‘Ah well, the way it ended wasn’t great.’ As a son-in-law, married to his daughter, knowing him so well, he was married to that job. There’s not a politician in this country that gave more time and effort than him. I can only look at it from a personal point of view. He did his best. He was there for long, he was popular for long. He did his best. And it’s a real shame the way it ended. But, sure, that’s life.”
As for his own second act, Nicky is raring to get going and quite clear on what he wants to do: “TV’s where I want to be. Presenting big shows, live shows.” Never one to the let the grass grow under his feet, he has already had meetings with TV agents, RTE, UTV, BBC, and is soon to meet with Sky. Right now, there are definitely no plans for a Westlife reunion. “You never say never,” Nicky says. “ I would hate to think that I’d never sing with the lads again. However, there are no plans. I think we all need to breathe, live, do our own thing.”
So the last word to Georgina. Do they plan to expand their family now? “I know I said I definitely would, but I wouldn’t really want a big family,” she says. “We would want one more, definitely. The boys are great, it’s very fun, it’s very busy.”
Credit/Source: LIFE magazine / Verena / Chrissy & Maya
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FORMER WESTLIFE singer Nicky Byrne and his wife Georgina’s twins Rocco and Jay will be split for school after spending everyday of the last five years together.
The five year old’s proud mum Georgina (32) said there would be “lots of tears shed” when they have to say goodbye at the school gates.
Georgina explained that the twins will be put into separate classes so they can have their own circle of friends.
“They really enjoy being a twin and they’re so close but everybody needs their own circle of friends and to find their own way to develop their own individuality,” she said.
“I’m really close to my sister, but I still have my own friends and my own things going on.
“We have told them they’re going into their own classes but I don’t know if it sank in.
“They haven’t spent a day apart since they were born but you can’t make a big deal out of it because you don’t want to frighten them either.”
“It is a massive milestone in any mum’s lives,” said Georgina, who is a daughter of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
“You’re sad that it’s the end of their babyhood in a way and the start of a whole new chapter.
“I’ve had much quality time with them over the summer and then they were in Montessori before this so it won’t be a massive shock.
“But even at their graduation from that, I was tearing up so I know this is going to be really emotional for me.”
Nicky and Georgina celebrated their ninth wedding anniversary this month.
The family have been spending lots of quality time together since Westlife split up – and were holidaying in sunny Portugal last month.
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You Raise Me Up - Nicky Byrne joins line up for BBC's Strictly Come Dancing
Tuesday Aug 28 2012
FORMER Westlife star Nicky Byrne is expected to be announced as one of the contestants in the BBC’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, which starts next month.
WHEN Westlife called it a day in June, Nicky said he’d like to appear more on TV, and it seems he has got his wish, as the Dublin based dad-of-two has reportedly signed on to appear in the next season of the BBC One show, which rivals X Factor for viewers every weekend.
He is said to join fellow contestants including Girls Aloud member Kimberly Walsh, former supermodel turned actress Jerry Hall, British Olympic heroes Steve Redgrave and Victoria Pendleton and ‘Great British Bake Off’ judge Paul Hollywood, who are all said to have signed deals for the show, which runs every week until Christmas. Former Daytime TV presenter Fearne Britton is also expected to be one of the contestants.
Nicky is said to be delighted with the offer, even though it means time apart from his boys and wife of eight years Georgina Ahern, who works as a personal trainer.
According to a UK paper: “Nicky's management think it will be great for him and he is really excited about it.
“He's done lots of dancing and loves to perform but he's never done anything like this before.”
Shortly before Westlife parted Nicky said that he saw his future in TV, and in particular primetime shows:
“Shiny floor, prime time, your Dermot O’Learys, Ryan Seacrests of this world – I do look at them with a bit of envy and think I’d love to do a job like that, presenting a big, big show.
The ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ launch show goes out on September 15 and the first live show is on October 5.
Harry Judd the drummer from McFly won last year’s series.
- Independent
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Westlife star Nicky Byrne joins Strictly Come Dancing Byrne is the third celebrity to reveal their involvement in Strictly
Westlife member Nicky Byrne has confirmed he is to compete on the new series of Strictly Come Dancing.
The 33-year-old revealed he would be one of the contestants while appearing as a guest on The One Show.
Byrne also said he was apprehensive about the costumes he would need to wear for the show.
"We were over last week and we met all the contestants and we met all the wardrobe girls who had plenty of fun putting some stuff on us.
"They made us put on this sequined diamante vest, with no material only diamantes and I thought, you're never going to see me in that."
Chart-topping Irish band Westlife called it a day earlier this year with a farewell tour marking their 14 years together.
Tuesday September 11 2012
FORMER Westlife star Nicky Byrne (right) has been busy perfecting his dance moves ahead of taking to the floor as a contestant on the BBC show 'Strictly Come Dancing'.
The 33-year-old singer has been busy in rehearsals in recent days along with the 13 other stars of the BBC1 Saturday evening favourite hosted by Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly.
The Dubliner joked he was "delighted" to have made it through the first few days of rehearsals. He used Twitter to reveal he was hoping the "group dance" was coming together for the first show next Saturday. The boyband star told BBC's 'The One Show': "I'm excited, scared to death. Most of my dance career has been spent sitting on a stool with Westlife."
The full line-up for the show was unveiled yesterday with other stars including British silver Olympic medallist gymnast Louis Smith and gold-winning track cyclist Victoria Pendleton; TV presenters Denise Van Outen and Johnny Ball; Jerry Hall, the ex-wife of Mick Jagger; and former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan.
Other hopefuls include former 'This Morning' presenter Fern Britton, 'Eastenders' actor Sid Owen, and 'James Bond' actor Colin Salmon.
Another contestant, Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh, said rehearsals had been fun but painful.
Irish Independent
.........Nicky Byrne With fellow Irish cutie, One Direction’s Niall. ............
A star studded line-up has been revealed for this year's Strictly Come Dancing including Westlife's Nicky Byrne.
Nicky Byrne is a singer/songwriter and one quarter of famous Irish pop band Westlife, one of the most successful bands of the 1990s and 2000s. The group sold over 45 million records worldwide, accumulated 14 number-one singles in the UK and Ireland, had 26 top ten singles over their 14 year career, performing for the last time together in June 2012.
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Name: Nicky Byrne
Age: 33
Twitter: @nickybyrneoffic
Famous for: Singing in Westlife
Nicky became a professional footballer at the age of 15, playing in goal for Leeds United from 1995-97. Changing tack, he auditioned for the group that would become Westlife in 1998 and remained with the band until their split in June 2012.
During Byrne's time with Westlife, the group notched up 25 top ten UK singles, seven number one albums and sold more than 45 million records worldwide. When the group announced their final show in Ireland, all 85,000 tickets sold out in five minutes, necessitating the band to schedule a second goodbye show, which was screened in 200 cinemas around the world.
While still a member of Westlife, Nicky tried his hand at TV presenting, guest-hosting an edition of CD:UK with Cat Deeley in 2002 and presenting the closing ceremony of the 2003 Special Olympics. Byrne won the Soccer Aid charity football match in 2010 alongside his Westlife bandmate Shane Filan and the Rest of the World team, and has also appeared on the likes of A Question of Sport and All Star Mr and Mrs.
As a man whose pop career lasted for 14 years and saw him dancing up a storm on stages all over the world, Byrne could well be set for success in Strictly 2012...
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Byrne hopes for Westlife support
Westlife singer Nicky Byrne would like his bandmates to support his stint on Strictly Come Dancing.
The 33-year-old Irish star will be showing off his moves in the upcoming season of the BBC dance show and hopes that at some point, his former colleagues will come and cheer him on.
"I don't know but I hope so. It would be great if they could, although we've only broken up two months now so I don't even know where in the world everybody is. It would be good if they come down," he said at the show's launch.
Nicky said he has always been tempted of the thought of appearing on the dancefloor.
"It's something that I always thought in my head, 'maybe one day'. Now that I'm here, it feels strange, especially walking the carpet without the lads. It's weird but it's going to be a good challenge," he added.
The singer - who said he's "here for a laugh" - has already been bonding with the other male contestants including Olympic gymnast Louis Smith, cricketer Michael Vaughan, actor Colin Salmon and ex-EastEnders star Sid Owen.
"A few of the lads - Louis, Vaughan, Colin and Sid, we've all been hanging out together and having a good laugh. We've been swapping stories and all," he said.
The next series of Strictly Come Dancing begins on BBC One on September 15.
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....Nicky Byrne has revealed that it was seeing Harry Judd win last year that really pushed him to say yes to Strictly Come Dancing.
Can anyone else not wait to see this man in sequins?!
Speaking exclusively to omg! Nicky said it was watching Harry in the previous series that inspired him to give it a go this year.
The Westlife star says: "Seeing what Harry Judd did was one of the reasons I did the show. Seeing what he did, he was absolutely brilliant so fair play to him. If I was half as good as he was I'll be very happy."
But what do his Westlife band mates make of his decision to don the sequins? He confessed all the boys are happy for him but one member in particular was extra excited.
Nicky says: "Shane was buzzing a bit like Cheryl was to Kimberley, he was like "you've got to do it! I'll come down for you, I'll help you out, waving on the front row"
And does Nicky reckon the other lads will come down to cheer him on?
"It's very different for us in the sense that we've only just split up so the lads might have other things on. I'd love them to come down and hope they do."
Nicky looking gorge on the red carpet. Nicky also talked about his incredible fanbase but admitted it will take more than dedicate fans to win the show:
"Twitter exploded when we were announced. But it's not just about that — you're learning something new, the fan base won't make you win the show. "
Well, we have a sneaky feeling they will
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Former Westlife star Nicky Byrne says he can handle any criticism the Strictly Come Dancing judges throw at him - after working with X Factor supremo Simon Cowell for so long.
The Irish singer, whose group split earlier this year after a 14-year career during which he was signed to one of Simon's record labels, is in the latest series of the BBC dance show.
And he insisted he has developed a thick skin after working with TV's Mr Nasty for years.
Nicky laughed: "I've been signed to Simon Cowell for 14 years so I know exactly what it's like sitting in an office getting criticism.
"But this scenario is different - we don't really know this kind of dancing. They're the pros and you take it and then you walk away and that's how you learn."
The 33-year-old singer insisted Simon and Westlife manager Louis Walsh bear him no grudges for signing up to Strictly, which is a direct rival to their ITV talent show The X Factor.
Nicky said: "No, not all. I spoke to Louis yesterday, it's all good. He said 'I know how difficult Strictly is and all the time you've got to put in. I wish you all the best and we'll hook up for dinner after one of the shows on Saturday night'."
Nicky added: "I'd love him to come down but I don't think that's going to happen."
Westlife became famous for performing most of their 14 number one hit ballads while sitting on stools.
Nicky said the boyband did dance during their live shows, but admitted his moves from those days were unlikely to impress the Strictly judges. He said: "If we were being judged after a Westlife concert we wouldn't be getting any sevens or eights or anything good."
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STRICTLY star Nicky Byrne is insisting on having his midweek dance rehearsals in Dublin so he won't be away from his family.
Before signing up to this year's hit BBC series, the former Westlife singer (33) told bosses this was the only way he could participate in the show.
With twin sons Jay and Rocco (5) starting school, the doting dad wanted to stay at their Dublin home with wife Georgina -- and BBC bosses agreed.
He will now fly over to London every Thursday for the duration of the series -- and his family will see him at the weekend for the live shows before returning home together on Mondays.
Delighted dad Nicky was bursting with pride at seeing his sons attend their first day at school.
"They're happy and healthy, coming out of school buzzing," he told his week's RTE Guide. "They're talking to each other about what they have done all day. It's kind of surreal at the moment. When they walked down in their uniforms, I looked at them, and all I could see in my head was when they were born, they were six weeks early and they were in an incubator, and now they're walking down in their shirt and tie, saying 'Daddy, how do I look?'"
................Nicky Byrne has been voted as an early favourite to win Strictly Come Dancing 2012 by our readers.
In our first popularity poll of the new series, the Westlife singer topped the vote of the fourteen celebrities by an impressive 29% of the vote.
Model Jerry Hall was a perhaps surprising second with 22%, while Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh completed the top three with 14%.
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Former Westlife star Nicky Byrne has revealed that the latter years of Westlife saw plenty of in-house fighting. Although he has no regrets about the 14 years he spent with the band, according to the RTE Guide, the time had come for them all to move on.
He said: “We’d done it all, we’d the best of times and the worst of times. Battered each other – obviously not physically – but argued like hell.
“Probably more so in the latter years but that’s part of relationships, isn’t it? We had a laugh. We earned a few quid. We weren’t unique, but what was unique was that we lasted so long. I don’t know how we did it.”
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Nicky Byrne has revealed that he feels "exposed" without his former Westlife bandmates next to him on Strictly Come Dancing.
Byrne talks about Strictly challenge The singer confessed that he felt petrified when he arrived on the dancefloor during the launch show.
Digital Spy quotes Byrne as saying: "When I walked on the floor I thought, 'Holy s**t, what have I signed up for?'.
"You are totally exposed and this is the first time I've done something out of Westlife.
"This is something with such media interest and out of my comfort zone, it's the toughest thing I could have picked."
However, Byrne added that he is looking forward to the challenge of doing something new in training every day.
He explained: "It's actually a long while since I've done something like this where I'm genuinely excited about what I've got in store during the day.
"All the celebrities are riding a crest of the wave at the moment."
Byrne has been partnered with new professional dancer Karen Hauer on the BBC One talent contest, which will return on Friday October 5.
.............Louis Walsh reckons the new series of Strictly Come Dancing is brilliant, or so Nicky Byrne has claimed!
The Westlife singer said that the X Factor judge and his former manager was loving the series.
“It’ll be fun,” Nicky said. “I actually spoke to Louis last night and he was saying Strictly is brilliant.”
Nicky also promised his fans many more revealing outfits!
He said: “It’s exciting. The guy shave said I’ve got away lightly so far – thee a re lot more sequins to come, apparently!
“I’ve never had a spray tan in my life but everyone tells me I’m going to love it, so watch this space!”
Nicky previously admitted that he was feeling “exposed” on the show without his Westlife bandmates.
Speaking to DigitalSpy, Nicky said: “When I walked on the floor I thought, ‘Holy s**t, what have I signed up for?’
“You are totally exposed and this is the first time I’ve done something out of Westlife.”
............Nicky Byrne: I’ll get Irish team all the way to World Cup final
NICKY Byrne has told how he hopes his new TV show will turn the Ireland football team into a world-beating side. The ex-Westlife singer, 33, hosts a new show called Football’s Next Star, which sees him scour the country in search of fresh talent.
And he reckons some of the youngsters he’s found are capable of turning Ireland’s footballing fortunes around — but only if gaffer Giovanni Trapattoni moves on first.
He said: “It’s everybody’s dream to see Ireland in a World Cup final, isn’t it?
“The whole country would shut down for a week like in 1990 and we were only in the last eight then. I’m not sure even if Football’s Next Star can guarantee something like that but our winner is definitely good enough to go all the way to Ireland’s first team if he keeps his head and has a bit of luck.
“Although, I think Trapattoni may need to move on pretty soon so we can see more of these young lads blooded through.”
Nicky — who is focusing on a career in TV since Westlife’s split — is also starring in Strictly Come Dancing.
And he revealed how he’d love to do his own bit for Ireland by winning the competition.
He told TV Now: “It is an absolute joy to be a part of. It’s one of the biggest shows on TV. I’m loving it! Hopefully I can do Ireland proud and bring that Glitter Ball back across the water.”
.................
NICKY Byrne's former bandmates in Westlife are backing his bid for glory on 'Strictly Come Dancing'.
Training for the past week with US dance partner Karen Hauer, the 33-year-old said he has been inundated with requests for tickets for his first live show, on October 5.
However, the singer is keeping the best seats for his former bandmates.
"I have spoken to Shane (Filan) and he has his name down to come and watch us. Kian (Egan) has texted me too. Their support is good to have, and if they come along, it will be a big positive for me," said Byrne.
The father-of-two is counting on their support as he revealed that after 14 years together, he feels strange performing without them.
"I'm super-exposed because the boys are not around me. At the same time, it feels like I have joined a new family. I'm excited and that's a good sign," he said.
Westlife are no strangers to 'Strictly Come Dancing', having appeared on the BBC dance show several times throughout their career.
"We performed on it three times as Westlife, and we were always curious about what it would be actually like to dance on it as a contestant.
So it's always been in the back of my mind, really. Now here I am, and the buzz is brilliant," added Byrne.
..............Strictly Come Dancing 2012
Nicky Byrne wants Westlife dance moves in his routines!
Westlife’s Nicky Byrne has joked he’ll only be comfortable with his Strictly Come Dancing routines if there’s a stool involved!
Perhaps hoping to make it to props week, the singer said he was secretly wishing that pro dancer Karen Hauer incorporates the famous Westlife signature dance move into their dance.
“With Westlife we never took the dancing seriously and are more or less taking the mickey with all of our gyrating and pelvic thrusting,” said Nicky.
Although we’re not sure his army of female fans see it that way.
He laughed: “The only thing we perfected was standing up from our stools on the key change.
“If Karen puts a stool not he stage I might feel more comfortable.”
But while Nicky was joking about, it seems Karen wasn’t too sure how to take the comments.
She said: “He has the experience to handle the pressure of going on stage- though I am a bit worried about that now!”
WESTLIFE INSPIRED BY RAUNCHY FANS Nicky Byrne of Westlife.
The band's next album will be one for the bedroom
WESTLIFE have been inspired by their raunchy fans to make their next album one for the bedroom.
After seeing the crowds wave filthy banners at them on their current arena tour, the Irish lads want their fans to make sweet music to what will be their 11th release.
Nicky Byrne, told me backstage at their sell-out O2 Arena gig: The banners have become raunchier and most don,t leave anything to the imagination.
Liverpool and Sheffield are definitely the dirtiest crowds. So the next album is going to be one for the bedroom with lots of juicy and sensual tracks.
Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, and Nicky expect a baby boom across the nation, thanks to their new album.
Mark added: You can listen to it while you conceiving. Lots of people have called their sons and daughters after us already.
We in meetings this week for the next album and have lots of ideas as we want to get out by the end of the year.
Nicky admitted: Touring is our baby. When we promote a single it,s normally a big ballad so we limited to what you can do with the live performances.
So touring is like getting out of school on our summer holidays where we can go daft
Shane revealed he will once again pair up with manager and X Factor judge Louis Walsh, 57, for the TV show's new series.
He said: If we have a new single out we love to perform on the show too.
02 Nov 2009
westlife's shane filan - Interview
Love them or hate them, you can't dispute Westlife's popularity and success. 14 consecutive number one singles, a dozen number one albums, sell out tours, and they're still going strong after more than ten years.
Now they're back, and we caught up with frontman Shane Filan....
How's it going? Are you fed up of doing all these interviews?
No, not at all we're officially back on the bandwaggon, we're totally back.. The single's out and the album is out a month from now. We're very excited about talking about this album. It's a slightly different sound, but it's still pop music and it's very exciting for us and the fans. It's a great album and i'm very, very proud of it. I think the first single is a very good indication of what the album is like.
What have you been doing for the last 12 months?
We have been hanging out with our families, playing golf, chilling out, Nicky set up a girlband (I bet they mean Kian) and his twins are running around the place now, my wife had a baby, some of us travelled, so we've been doing all the things we haven't been able to do properly over the last ten years really. We played a huge gig at Croque park in Dublin, which was one of the highlights of our careers, so we finished on a high there.
How are you going to top the Croque Park gig?
We've got some big ideas, we want to tour Asia and some of the places we've never been to on a world tour. We're rushing to meet our agents now to thrash out ideas. That is why we're so excited about this album, we know it's going to be a really good album and we are spoilt for choice with singles. We made a pact as a band that we wouldn't record a song unless we thought it was good enough to be a single, so it was probably annoying for the record company, but as a band, we've never come together so well on an album. We've really worked closely with Simon Cowell on this album. We never thought he'd still be so in to us, but he is, he's been very involved and he's so proud of this album. When you have Simon behind you, you just feel a good buzz there, and we feel we've done something special. It's a great pop album.
You mentioned a different direction, can you expand on that?
A different direction might be a bit wrong. I think it's still pop music, but there's a different variation on it. One massive thing is we worked with different producers, who we've never worked with before, and new song writers. There are thirteen songs on the album and twelve of them are originals. There's more tempo, more rocky songs, some more american songs, some darker songs on there with darker lyrics. It's the best production we've had on any other album. The strings, the music is just on another level. Even if you're not a Westlife fan but you're a music fan, you will recognise the quality on this album.
You apparently said in the papers that your X Factor appearence would determine the next 18 months of your career. How do you feel now you've done it?
I think the next 18 months might be good!! We were very happy with the performance, we felt it went really well, Louis and Simon were delighted and they'll always tell us honestly what they think, even if it's to say we could have done something better. They were literally jumping up and down, they were so pleased with it.
How many albums are you contracted to do? How long will Westlife be around for?
We only have one studio album left on our current contract, so renegotiations will be happening shortly. As a band, we've done ten albums but we want to do twenty. We don't see ourselves splitting up, ever. We're very proud of this album and I think it's going to be hard to top, but we'll take each album on at a time. We'll give it a good old try. Instead of doing an album every year, we think we'll make one every two albums, and keep making pop music. We will never desert our fans, and fans of what we are, but we will still have a dabble here and there with what we do. We'll experiment, like What About Now - it sounds like a Weslife song, but it has a slightly different sound and it's more uptempo.
None of you have done anything solo - will that change?
No, I don't think it will. We're not that type of band. We're all individually very happy, we have no hidden agenda's in the band. If someone wants to do something different we'll always encourage it, Nicky might present at an awards show, Mark might want to sing a song on his own and Kian may want to do something I don't know, but as a band, when we're singing we're there as a four. It's always been that way since Brian left and it always will be. They say the grass is always greener, but I don't think it is. You need to have someone with you, it would be a fairly lonely life doing this all on your own. We're successful and happy, why ruin that? We have a great life, we're all great friends. Two or three of us might go for a drink together or go to the cinema, you know, we have a great craic outside of Weslife, we're all great friends, so Westlife will continue as it is.
2010
Tenth time lucky: Westlife picked up the award for Best Pop Group yet again
Brit Boy Band Westlife Bids Farwell: Journey through the Years
Westlife in 2003 Irish boyband Westlife (From L-R) Nicky Byrne, Shane Filan, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Bryan McFadden attend a news conference for "Hong Kong Harbourfest" October 23, 2003.
Westlife in 2004 Members of the Irish band Westlife arrive for the World Music Awards at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, September 15, 2004.
Westlife in 2006 Irish pop group Westlife (from L-R) Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan and Nicky Byrne pose for photographers during a news conference to promote their last album "Face to Face" in Taipei March 10, 2006
Westlife in 2008 Irish group Westlife pose at The South Bank Show Awards at Dorchester Hotel in London January 29, 2008.
Westlife in 2009 Pop diva Donna Summer performs with Irish band Westlife during the final act of the Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo December 11, 2009
Weslife in 2011 Irish pop band Westlife perform at the Convention Centre during the visit of Queen Elizabeth in Dublin May 19, 2011
It’s Westlife’s final farewell tour this weekend and we’re set for an amazing gig at croker. If you were lucky enough to get a ticket, you’re going to have a ball or you may be checking the lads out in one of the cinemas around the city. Lawson, The Wanted & Jedward are supporting the lads. But what happens after the final farewell, will the lads stay in touch.
Kian Egan revealed to 98fm that behind the boy stroke man band Westlife are bessies and they always will be….
Record-breaking farewell for Westlife at Manchester Arena is a piece of cake The Diary by Dianne Bourne
June 12, 2012
Westlife stars Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, Shane Filan and Nicky Byrne receive their 33 cupcakes at the Manchester Arena to celebrate their 33 gigs here Westlife stars Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, Shane Filan and Nicky Byrne receive their 33 cupcakes at the Manchester Arena to celebrate their 33 gigs here 1/3 Play Slideshow
It was undoubtedly a bittersweet moment for the Westlife lads as they performed for the very last time at the Manchester Arena at the weekend.
But arena staff made sure it was the sweetest finale – by presenting the Irish manband with 33 cupcakes to celebrate their record-breaking 33 gigs there over the years.
The foursome - Kian Egan, Nicky Byrne, Mark Feehily and Shane Filan, are to split after this farewell tour following a hugely successful 14-year music career.
Arena spokesman Matt Ward said: “It was a genuinely emotional night for the boys. They adore their Manchester fans and you could tell it was really hard work saying goodbye to everyone.
"We couldn't let the occasion pass without a celebration though and the specially-commissioned cupcakes really put a smile on their faces.”
Kian and Nicky couldn't resist taking a swift bite out of the cupcakes before heading on stage – but When You're Looking Like That who can blame them?
Westlife honoured with bar stools during farewell tour
2012 Entertainment Westlife SECC One of Scotland's most famous venues has paid a tongue-in-cheek tribute to Westlife as they played there for the last time.
Glasgow's SECC unveiled four bar stools engraved with the names of Shane, Mark, Kian and Nicky ahead of their final concert there.
The band gained a reputation for sitting on bar stools while signing ballads during their 14-year career.
The tribute stools will have a permanent home outside the main entrance of the SECC in recognition of their popularity in Scotland.
The band played at the venue 49 times in their career Entertained more than 380,000 fans Sold more tickets than any other act As they unveiled the silver coloured stools, the band said:
“It's a wonderful gesture from the SECC and we have always loved playing in Scotland. It's fitting way for us to say goodbye and we hope that the seats will be a permanent reminder for our fans of all the great nights we have had here.
Westlife, currently on a farewell tour, have scored 14 number one singles in the UK and more than two dozen top 10 hits.
In 2010, the group were estimated to have amassed a #31 million fortune after shifting more than 44 million copies of their records around the world.
“Over the years, Westlife have sold the biggest number of tickets of any act to take place at the SECC and we could not let their farewell gig here pass without marking this amazing feat. The seats outside which are synonymous with the band's live acts will be lasting testimony to the enjoyment Westlife has given to thousands of fans here.
When Westlife’s Mark Feehily came out in the press, he cited his new boyfriend Kevin McDaid as one of his main motivations. Now, two years later, they’ve decided to talk openly about their relationship for the first time
On the other hand, the sweet tale of Mark Feehily and Kevin McDaid is just the story of two young men in love. On quite the other it is both an apocryphal story for the state of British pop music and a right hook to the celebrity age of relationship sales. Despite the requests, they haven’t laundered their three-year love through the gossip weeklies for cold, hard cash. They have invited nobody but their friends into their ‘lovely new home’. They sometimes go to launches and premieres together, but they don’t make a song and dance out of it
Mark Feehily you will know of. Mark is a quarter of the most successful British pop act of their age, Westlife. Critically they have few garlands to spare but for Westlife, a boyband that has always dealt in simple emotion, simple suits, rousing choruses and that inevitable middle 8 key change when they used to rise from their bar-stools, the path to righteousness is above criticism. They connect at a direct level with great swathes of the British public and phenomenal amounts of success is the sweet revenge against any snippiness directed at their winning, slightly bygone age formula of singing lovely songs harmoniously well and putting on the kind of entertainment that was once called ‘family’
Entirely democratic and rammed to the rafters with cheery Irish bonhomie, there’s a stag night element to Westlife as a foursome. They have never indulged in the traditional homo-eroticism of the well-trodden boyband model. They don’t do topless calendars. There is a rugby anthem element to their best songs. They are the boys that mothers would like their daughters to bring home as prospective sons-in-law. They are the least pretentious people in the entire world. All of which served to make Mark Feehily a deep curiosity when he eventually came out two years ago, to little fanfare, in The Sun newspaper. “People forget that I was in Westlife at 18 years old,’ he says now, of his own awakenings, ‘and had to go through the process of coming to terms with my sexuality over time in the public eye. Being stubborn I was very adamant that I would do it in my own time and at my own pace. I think that’s very important. If anybody tried to push any buttons or suggest anything to me then I’d just fucking retreat.”
Mark is ‘the sensible one’ in the Kevin and Mark show. That’s sensible as in level-headed, as opposed to boring.
“People should be neither pushed into (coming out) or held back. You need to be able to do these things for yourself. People always ask me what advice I’d give to X up and coming pop star who’s gay. There’s no advice I can give to anybody apart from to do it their own way and how it feels right for them. I could tell them 50 things I’d been through but their experience will be there own and it’s all totally unique. We all come from somewhere different and we’re all going somewhere different. The only thing I will say, and I think Kevin will back me up on this, is that it changed my life so much for the better in every conceivable way coming out to everyone around me.”
Kevin McDaid you may be less aware of. Kevin was one fifth of the ill-fated boyband V. His pop tale is almost the exact antithesis of Mark’s. After the two years hard graft and off-the-scale finances it costs to launch a new pop act, V were unceremoniously dropped by their record label when their debut album failed to ignite anywhere beyond its number ‘80something’ debut. When Kevin met Mark in January 2005, V were coming to the end of their short road. All those personal investments, promises of stardom and breakfast television opportunities were about to disappear in a puff of pop smoke. It’s testament to the strength of their own relationship that Mark and Kevin seem operational at a high level because of and not in spite of their wildly oppositional experiences at the sometimes merciless hands of showbusiness. Kevin is absolutely delighted for Mark at the successful level Westlife operate at and Mark is quick to defend the talents of his boyfriend’s old band and implicitly seems to understand that success for a British pop act can turn on a sixpence. There is not so much a note of ‘there but for the grace of god’ about Mark when he talks of Kevin’s finger-burning experiences with the pop market, but there is a distinct level of gratitude for the incredible opportunities he’s been afforded due to his own group’s commercial appeal.
In many way’s Kevin is the starrier of the twosome. He looks more traditionally popstar and has a voluble energy level that lends itself to centre stage. He is ‘the impulsive one’
in the Mark and Kevin show. As a duo they are astonishingly un-cynical, totally infectious company and wear their love very well. Mark and Kevin met at a party for Childline in Dublin. They have recently given up smoking together.
Which one of you decided to give up smoking? Mark: We’d been putting getting healthy on the backburner for a long time. Not that we were going nuts or anything. How old are you both? Kevin: I’m 23 and Mark’s 27. We basically got very lazy in the summer, in Ireland, no-one around, just us… Mark: Watching the TV and playing Playstation. Kevin: Late Nights, Late mornings.... Mark: Friends we hadn't seen for ages Kevin: It was just bad. We both smoked in that way that as soon as one of us had put one out the other would light one up. We’d literally get to the stage where we’d have one in the car, get out to go to the shop, have one when you came out of the shop and then light up again in the car. Mark: It got to the point of stupidity. But I’ve smoked a long time. We were smoking before we met each other and it literally got to the point where we were just disgusted with it. There was always an excuse and Kevin just hammered on to me about it, are you a man or are you a mouse? So I thought ‘let’s just do it.’ I just thought I can do it without these sticks of crap.
How long have you been together for? Mark: At the end of January it’ll be three years.
Well Done Mark: It’s been very natural. You ask how long and I have to think about it because it definitely doesn’t feel that long. We’re quite laidback in that sense. We’re not the counting the days types. Do you know the exact date? Mark: Yep, 28th of January, 2005. Kevin: I was in my band at the time, V,and we were both doing a charity concert for Childline that happens every year in Dublin. Mark: It’s a good old Irish party. Kevin: And we both got boozed up and basically just met. We had a nice conversation and it just went from there really.
Who else was playing there? Mark: It’s one of those gigs where all the pop people go to so it was Girls Aloud, McFly, the usual. Kevin: That was when pop was alive. It was a great party.
What’s the camaraderie like between all the bands? Kevin: We were speaking about this afterwards and people do tend to keep themselves to themselves. It’s not because people are being rude, they do want to have conversations with other people who have that thing in common but… Mark: It can be a bit silly. Two people will be walking towards each other in the corridor and you get that thing where you don’t know whether to say hello or they might think they’re too cool or whatever. There can be a weird – neither act wants it but there can be tension. I always used to look at the music industry and think that everyone got on backstage and it must be so much fun and then you’re walking down a corridor and people have their heads down. Kevin: We were with the same management company as Busted and McFly and we lived in the same complex as Girls Aloud so we all kind of knew each other.
My god, you had Sarah Harding in your complex? That sounds quite full on. Kevin: It was quite a few years ago. We were all a lot younger Did you swap numbers the first night? Both: yeah we did Kevin: I can’t remember who asked, can you? Mark: I think we just said ‘we should swap numbers, shouldn’t we?’ I actually can’t remember either because both of us were extremely drunk. Kevin: You texted me first. Mark: Did I? Kevin: Yeah. Then I started texting. I was texting him taking the piss. Westlife were rehearsing for a tour and one of the costumes was like workmen. Mark: The Kwik Fit Fitters. Kevin: So I was asking him if he was wearing his jumpsuit. Mark: He was taking the piss out of me for my dodgy outfit but he’d dressed up as an ice cream man for one of his performances. I quite like the Kwik Fit Fitter outfit, actually. Kevin: What secured it was our love for our divas. Mark has his diva, Mariah Carey and I have mine, Christina Aguilera. (laughing) He was the first person that understood how I felt.
Are you obsessed with Mariah Mark? M: I wouldn’t say obsessed. As a young person I wanted her to be my big sister. I didn’t have a sister and she was the epitome of beauty for me. She always looked so sad when she was singing and then you learn the story of how she’s like the princess locked away in the mansion and… the voice? She seemed to totally understand gospel music, which I love so much. I saw her performing when I was about ten. She was performing live on some American TV show and my dad called me down ‘come here, Mark, look at this one, you’ll like her’ and I literally just stood and froze for a while at her performance of Without You. She is amazing.
Tell me about your love for Christina, Kevin. K: I loved Genie In A Bottle and Come On Over just as songs. But with Dirrty it just went somewhere else. By Beautiful I just knew she was doing something really special. I bought the album on mini-disc and listened to it non-stop. I love someone who sings about their trials in life. I could relate.
What did it feel like to work with Mariah, Mark? K: I would wet myself. M: I imagined her to have this huge, imaginary, fabulous, lavish lifestyle. There was a time when I was in Thailand with Westlife. I’d always ask the porters when we were away who’d stayed at the hotel and I asked this guy and he said Mariah Carey and it seemed impossible to me. I had this silly illusion that she was so far removed from reality she couldn’t possibly have stayed in that hotel. Luckily by the time I got to meet her I’d come to terms a bit more with what celebrity was and what being a fan of somebody was because we had our own fans. The really annoying thing was that the first time I met her Westlife had just been nominated for an MTV award and we had a press conference day. I didn’t even know she was going to be there until I got there. K: Tell him about the phone call. That must’ve been the maddest point… M: … I’ll get to that in a minute. They put me in front of an entire press conference to meet her. And I’d waited ten years for this. For fuck’s sake, they couldn’t have made me look like more of a twat and she was in full bloom on a chaise longue. K: With a fan, blowing her. M: I just said ‘Hi Mariah, it’s really nice to meet you’ and she said ‘I heard you’re a big fan of mine.’ I’d got over meeting her when we worked with her.
Did you actually work in the studio together? M: Absolutely. It wasn’t phoned in. We worked out the BV’s together. She did the main vocal in New York but we did BV’s and additional stuff together. It was in her house in Capri.
You did the famous video where Bryan McFadden’s starring at her breasts for the entire song at the same time? M: Yeah. The maddest thing was when I was sitting in my living room in my house in Galway – the same living room my dad had called me down to see her in all those years earlier – and the phone rung and my mum said ‘Mark! It’s Mariah Carey on the phone.’ Fuck me. It was before we performed Hero with her in Manchester and she was calling to go through what we were going to do with the BV’s. I was just thinking all the way through the conversation ‘fucking hell, I wish I was taking this phone call on my computer so I could record it.’ Mariah singing down the phone to me in my mum’s living room. I put the phone down and didn’t remember one fucking thing that she said. For me, things like that are the things that make this job the best one in the world. K: Those things don’t happen very often and no-one can take them away because they’re special to you. M: And I’ll say this as well, we’ve worked with a lot of people who are not nearly as big as her who’ve been very difficult to get stuff out of. K: She always asks after Mark.
Have you ever met Christina? K: No. And I don’t think I’d cope nearly as well as he did if I did.
Is this both of your first long-term relationship? M: Kevin’s my first boyfriend. K: I’d not had anything serious. Nothing like this. M: Not that anything could come close to this, eh? [laughing] K: Of course not.
When you first met did you know that each other was gay? M: You couldn’t have known, could you? K: I never knew. But I was suspected. M: Oh, I’m sure you were all gossiping about me. It wasn’t public then. It wasn’t even known for a fact in the industry. I trusted him from the moment I met him though. Some people you just make a connection with. I didn’t know for a fact that Kevin was gay but when I seen him dancing with Girls Aloud on the dancefloor at that party I thought ‘hmmm, he might be.’ K: [laughing] Fuck off! Sarah wasn’t there at the party so I said to Cheryl ‘I’ll be Sarah tonight’. We did the whole lot of Wake Me Up.
Are you still friendly with them? K: We see each other around but we’re not really in the same circles. M: I was quite matey with Nadine. We had the Irish connection. We’re still really good friends when we see one another. But we don’t really cross paths. K: We saw them all at Nicola’s birthday party. M: Nicola is a really, really nice girl. She looks fabulous, as well.
Where did you first go on holiday together? M: We went in dribs and drabs to America a bit and had the most amazing experiences. That was the first time we had proper time together and after that summer stories started appearing in the papers. Then the whole coming out thing happened.
Where you worried about it? M: No I wasn’t. I’ve always said this but meeting Kevin was the thing that made me go ‘do you know what? I don’t give a fuck anymore.’ Meeting him was the final thing for me to think the whole fucking world can know my business if it wants to. I’m not creeping around because I’m not that sort of a person.
When did you tell the rest of the band that you’d met Kevin? M: Oh, straight away. The night I met him I said ‘I’ve met this really cool guy.’
Were all the other boys in relationships? M: Yep. Shane and Nicky were married, Kian was with Jodi.
What about you Kevin, who did you tell first? K: Aaron, who I was in the band with. We have a really strange relationship. We used to hate each other in the early days of the band. I was openly gay and had no issues with it whatsoever. And Aaron was really struggling with his sexuality. Because I was so open about it it freaked him out a bit, which it would, you know? I remember when I was at college and there was one guy called Danny who was a total queen and I was shit scared of him because I thought that he’d out me. Me and Aaron ended up as best friends, though. M: Aaron’s a really nice guy.
Did you have a flat in London at the time, Mark? M: No, I was in hotel land. I was on the verge of buying and I had intended to look for a place. I had a place in Ireland but now I’ve got one in both.
Did you pick the London place together? K: Yeah, we rented for a little bit and then started looking. We chose it together and decorated it together. M: We’re still fucking decorating it together.
Any decorating arguments you’d care to share with the more domesticated aspect of the relationship? K: God, we’re both really stubborn. He’s more stubborn than me. M: Whatever. K: You are! It took us two years t decide on a sofa. We’ll see something that we both love and then a year later we’ll get round to buying it. I’m like ‘why has it taken us ten times to see something that we know we want?’
But you got it eventually? M: Yeah, it was so expensive. In fact, it’s so expensive that I’m afraid to sit on it.
Oh my god, you’re like one of those suburban mums that keeps plastic on? M: Get away with you. No, the dog’s been at it already. When the dog starts scratching it I’m like ‘oh there goes another grand’. K: But it’s fabulous. M: Yeah, but we didn’t spend that much money on a fucking sofa for the dog to wreck it. We should’ve gone to Ikea.
When did you get the dog? K: Last Christmas. I went to Harrods to buy a Christmas tree. I’d been talking about getting a dog for ever with Mark and he’d always say oh it’s not possible because of how much we travel. But then Kian and Jodi got a dog and I saw how able they were to cope with it. Me and Jodi had been to Harrods the week before because he’d heard that they had some pugs in the pet shop there. Mark thinks that it was a plan but it wasn’t.
Who picked the name? K: She’s called Saffron Cleopatra. M: Saffy. After Saffy in Ab Fab. We nearly called her Sacha but I thought it was too butch. K: She slept on our bed last night, which doesn’t happen very often. M: Cleopatra was her name in Harrods.
She’s not named after the band, then? K: No. But she’s totally comin’ atcha. Honestly, I could talk about her for the next hour. She goes everywhere with us. M: I know we’re bound to say this but I really genuinely believe she’s the best pug in the world. K: Here let me show you a picture [entire mobile phone slide show ensues and, yes, Saffy is absolutely adorable]. M: It’s good to have a female presence around the house as well. And as small as she is, she makes her presence felt.
Given the sofa and the Saffy situations it’s not difficult to deduce that Mark’s the sensible one in your relationship? K: Absolutely. Mark thinks of the negative things which is good. I’m just all positive, totally ‘let’s just do it’. M: To be honest, if it wasn’t for Kevin I’d be the one thinking up the positive stuff, but because Kevin only thinks of the positive stuff we need to think the other way sometimes. K: I am very impulsive.
How did it feel when V finished, Kevin? K: It was really, really hard. M: I felt it too, because it wasn’t long after we’d met. K: What was hard was that V were a fucking great boyband and I think we could have been credible enough to do something. I’m not stupid. I know what pop is and I’m happy to be part of that but I could slowly start seeing these wrong decisions being made. We didn’t end it. The label didn’t want to pursue us and that would have tarnished us trying to stay together. It took me a couple of years to get over it. I really find it hard to talk about. M: The thing is this job is the furthest thing imaginable away from a bar job or something like that. You can’t switch off and put it behind you at the end of your shift. K: It’s not a job basically. M: It’s a lifestyle. K: There were a lot of people telling us at the start that we were going to be huge and it’s hard, even though the management have told you not to, to not buy into the hype. I got a bit bitter and jaded by the music industry. For pop music it was like an ending. I started seeing all the magazines closing down and the TV shows being axed and there was nowhere for pop music to live anymore. M: I think when CD:UK went that was the last nail in the coffin. The thing about V is, and I can say this from not being directly involved with them, that people outside of the band messed things up. I’ve heard the other 100 or so songs that didn’t make the album and they’re fucking amazing.
I like Hip To Hip. K: Hmmm. Now, I see a boyband on X Factor and instantly think ‘nah!’ I think it’s going to be a while before one breaks again. I think it’s a couple of years off but when it happens it’ll be fantastic. M: I think everyone should start a campaign to get V back together. K: There’s a couple of people hanging around the internet doing it.
Did your album ever come out? K: It did. It made it to the dizzy heights of 80-odd I think.
Were you put together from auditions? K: yeah, all our paths had crossed at some point before the band were put together.
Did you have nerves about living in Ireland as well as London, Kevin? K: Yeah. We spend the summer there, but all Mark’s friends and family have been sooo lovely to me. I was nervous about meeting them all but within 30 seconds we’d bonded. It’s so different from London. M: It’s the same for me. But we’re similar like this. We both come from very strong family backgrounds. K: Being in my family can be like being in an episode of Shameless sometimes. In a really nice way.
Where you nervous about telling your mum about meeting Kevin? M: No, not at all. K: I was so nervous about meeting her. M: Likewise, I was really nervous about meeting yours. We both held those meetings in very high esteem. It was a big deal for both of us. K: His mum makes the best, best, best vegetable soup. M: And yours makes an amazing lasagna.
Do they know one another? M: Yep, everyone’s met in Ireland. My parents have yet to go to Newcastle but that’ll happen.
It’s quite unusual for the parents to get involved with gay couples. M: I think it’s a different day and age now. The differences between a gay couple and straight couple, though not in everyone’s case obviously, isn’t so much now. K: We’re just a couple. We’re not ‘a gay couple’.
Brilliant. M: It feels right to hear that. We’re just two normal lads in a relationship and we happen to be two guys rather than a guy and a girl. There’s no difference between me and Kevin that there is between…
Kian and Jodi? M: Exactly. Within Westlife, at home, within our families, everywhere we don’t get special treatment because of it. Times are very different now.
Give yourself and your family some credit here, I think this is down to how individual couples wear their relationships and if they wear them without any shame they won’t be treated shamefully. M: Where I grew up is a far cry from New York City or London but I have to give the place full credit. I swear to god, I haven’t had one look or comment made to me in Sligo. It’s not like London is more tolerant or advanced. In my personal experience I haven’t experienced negativity in either.
How long ago did you come out to your parents? M: I’m trying to think when it came out in The Sun. Two years ago since August. I told my parents about three, four years before that.
Did coming out take complications out of your life? M: I’m quite an honest, straightforward person. I’m not sneaky and I think anyone’s sexuality is a big part of them. To not be able to be free and open about it felt very unnatural.
Do you have brothers and sisters? M: I’ve two younger brothers. No sisters.
Apart from Mariah Carey? M: She’s my soul sista.
What about you Kevin? K: I’ve an older brother and a younger sister.
How do you get on with them? K: Great. My sister’s just been down to stay with us for the weekend and my brother lives in Thailand.
Do they like Mark? K: Yeah they do. Paul’s only met Mark once but he really liked him. There’s more to come here. We’re both getting way more comfortable being around each other’s families.
Do you see this as being forever? Both: Absolutely. M: I don’t want to grow old, particularly, but I want to do it with Kevin.
What do you think you’ll be like as old men? K: Grumpy. M: We’ll be sitting there bickering all day long. I won’t be able to get up out of my chair and I’m going to have to rely on people wheeling me around. K: You know those old couples walking down the street together or in a restaurant, pulling out a chair for his partner? I want to be like that.
Have you talked about civil partnership? M: I get asked this at every interview. Is it true you’re going to get married, when are you getting married? I was going to say this was a gay thing but I’m wrong in that because Kian gets it in every interview, too. At the start I used to think it was a topical issue because of civil partnership, which I think by the way sounds like a fucking operation or something. It sounds like a lung transplant. ‘I’m going in tomorrow to have a civil partnership.’ It’s a marriage, you know? K: I think we’ll look into it in the future. At some point in our relationship we’re going to want to basically celebrate being together. And it is a good excuse for a good old shindig isn’t it? M: First of all, I am the type of person that would be telling everyone if it was happening.
Have either of you ever been to one? M: Kevin has. K: I went to a friend of mine’s in Newcastle in the summer. It was unusual. M: It’s a new thing whatever way you look at it. But it’s fantastic, you know? It couldn’t have come any sooner.
What music do you listen to in the flat? K: I like musicals. A bit of Rent or Wicked. M: I love my soul music. I’ve always loved pop and Kevin does have a massive collection of it but because Westlife satisfies that for me I look to fulfil the other bits of my love for music. I love women with amazing voices, Jill Scott. Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Angie Stone. Louis [Walsh] tells me that we might be getting to do a duet with her at some point, which would be major.
Didn’t Blue get her for something? M: I’ll tell you a funny story about that. Stevie Wonder actually asked me and Bryan [McFadden] to sing with him when we met him in a nightclub in LA once. He gave me his telephone number. Stevie fucking Wonder. Me and Bryan were pissed out of our minds on these shots we’d just been taking out of test-tubes so I took the wrong fucking number down. We were talking about it the next day, like did that really fucking happen? I said ‘oh he was probably just being nice’ and the next thing fucking two months later along comes Blue with Stevie Wonder. He told me that night that he’d been looking for a male group to do a duet with. I don’t think I remember any single night of that entire trip to LA. I was pissed for the entire time. But it was great to meet him anyway. That’s the stuff that I progressed to after finding Mariah Carey when I was ten. Vocally she has a side to her that people don’t credit her with. She can really sing. I love big voices. K: I’ve got Robyn on in the car at the minute. That’s a great album.
Do you like the same TV? K: No. I like total trash. I loved Janice Dickinson on I’m A Celebrity… Just brilliant. M: There’s certain elements of trashy TV that I’ve come to like through Kevin. I love America’s Next Top Model. K: And you like the E! True Hollywood Stories. M: I love the ludicrousness of it all.
Are you both watching X Factor? M: Look, I couldn’t have more connection with X Factor if I tried. Both my bosses are on it. Louis and Simon.
Tell me something I don’t know about Simon Cowell and please make it ‘he’s gay’. M: [laughing] I’ll tell you something. He’s got the littlest fit in the universe. I don’t know what size they are but they look like they’re about size 5. Of course I have major, major amounts of respect for Simon and he’s been an amazing guide of our career. Actually, I haven’t looked at his feet for a while.
Do you like Westlife, Kevin? K: Yes I do. When they first came out I loved them, but as time went on and I grew up my taste changed. But recently I like them a lot again. I like this album loads.
What’s your favourite Westlife song? K: Probably one from the first album. Swear It Again or Flying Without Wings. I used to sing it at auditions, which is quite funny when you think about it now.
What’s your favourite V song, Mark? M: That the public would know? Probably You Stood Up. It’s just a classic pop song. Breakaway was a great song on the album.
Do you sing for pleasure? M: Oh yeah, I’ll be singing for the rest of my life even if it’s not my career. I didn’t get into Westlife because I dreamt of being a pop star or being famous. I never aspired to being the thing I ended up as. I enjoy it and I embrace it but I never aspired to be it. I aspired to being a singer. I’d be happy as a backing singer. I just took an opportunity that came my way. It has gone phenomenally well but if none of that had happened then it would’ve been fine.
Did you always dream of having a big relationship? M: I think I’m a prime example of how doing your best to deal with your sexuality, if you’re struggling at all with the unknowns of it, then there’s nothing to really be afraid of out there. Your life is out there.
How soon did you fall in love with one another? And how do you know what love is? K: Obviously it was quite fast. I can’t think of the exact date or time and I can’t say that I do know 100% what love is but it just feels right and I know I’d do anything for Mark. M: There’s so many things attached to the idea of being in love. But I think you know when you love someone when it feels right, inside, to tell them it. We always tell each other we love each other but we’re quite laid back and natural about it. I don’t analyse it, I just live it. All I know is that I’m happy when I go to sleep at night with Kevin and I’m happy when I wake up in the morning. K: And likewise, of course.
Another Westlife wedding?
Thursday June 26 2008
Westlife star Mark Feehily (28) has signalled he will eventually tie the knot with his long-term boyfriend Kevin McDaid.
And given that after this week, he'll be enjoying a 12-month-long holiday from the music industry, the singer plans to devote more of his time to Kevin.
"I get asked about this all the time and I'm sure I will eventually get married," he told the Herald. "The fact is, I'm as happy as Larry with Kevin. Thing's are going fantastically well between us. We're together now more than three years and the relationship is brilliant.
"I have been talking about the issue a lot in our new Westlife book and I said a bit out about the whole 'coming out' issue and I meant it when I said it was the best thing I ever did."
He added how it's not something he thinks about "right now" but could see it happening in the future.
However, Mark may have to wait a few years yet before getting married in Ireland.
Justice Minister Dermot Ahern ruled out a referendum on gay marriage in the lifetime of the current government.
Speaking on Newstalk today, Mr Ahern said he "couldn't go any further" in providing equal rights for gay people in Ireland.
"The government has gone as far as is legally and constitutionally possible. If we were to go any further we would have to put a referendum to the people, but I couldn't see it happening in the lifetime of this government," Mr Ahern said.
honest
Mark first met fellow performer Kevin, a former member of boyband V, at the Childline concert in Dublin in January 2005 and just a few months later, came out of the closet.
Since then, he said he has received nothing but messages of support from fans around the world, who have commended him for his honesty.
One of the strongest couples on the showbiz scene, the pair have been inseparable since meeting more than three years ago and friends say they are definitely in it for the long haul.
And given that Mark and the rest of the band are taking a year-long break from music, he has ample time to devote to his personal life.
"Technically, it's a year off but it's more that we're not releasing an album this year. We have done nine albums in nine years and it does take its toll. We wanted to get away from it all. We want to be able to go home, scratch our ar**s and do nothing," he explained.
"I want to be around for my dad's birthday and my friend's wedding and all the thing's that I've missed throughout the years, the things that you bite your lip for and say you don't mind missing."
plans
He continued: "You do have to make sacrifices if you want to be a success but we feel it's a good time to take a year off. Me and Kian are going to travel while Shane and Nicky have kids so they want to be home to wake up in the morning and be there for them."
The Irish band will finish their sell-out tour of UK and Ireland by performing at the Liverpool Pops event this Sunday -- which will mark their last performance for a year.
But Mark admitted that it was "unfortunate" that the weather affected their performance in Galway last Saturday, after scores of fans were forced to leave Pearse Stadium early due to the torrential rainfall.
"I heard someone say that three weeks worth of rain fell in about two hours on the evening but what can you do? You just have to get on with it. Before the show, I thought the whole thing might be cancelled but in the end, they went along with it and the decision was taken out of our hands," he explained. "By the end of the night, 70 or 75pc of the crowd were still there and that was good to see."
COLLECTING THEIR FRENCH BULLDOG PUPPY (AUGUST 2009)
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Hi guys,ITS TRUE!!! Myself & Kevin are engaged!! We are so happy!
FASHION KICKS IN MANCHESTER 2010
Westlife singer Mark Feehily has spoken about the impact that partner Kevin McDaid has had on his life and has described coming out as "the best thing I have ever done".
In an interview with the Sligo Champion Feehily, who came out in 2005, said: "The thing that finally set me free was falling in love with Kevin.
"It's like the penny dropped. I suddenly realised I didn't care who knows about this. This is me. This is who I am."
He continued: "All I know is that coming out for me was the best thing I have ever done. It changed my life, allowed me to be happy with who I was.
"I believe everybody should feel free to express who they are as a person. It's not about sex, but about being honest with yourself and others, and being happy."
Feehily said before he came out he had locked away his sexuality and "got on with life".
"But I was often unhappy, because I suppose I knew I wasn't being true to myself," he said.
"The idea out there at the time was that all these young girls loved us and all that, and that made it even more crazy."
2011 Westlife's Mark Feehily to marry Kevin McDaid next year
WESTLIFE’S Mark Feehily has sensationally revealed he plans to marry next year – once the band finally split.
The 31-year-old pop star has been engaged to Kevin McDaid, 27, for nearly two years after popping the question on their fifth anniversary as a couple.
And now that the chart-topping group is calling it a day following more than a decade at the top, the singer said he is finally ready to tie the knot.
Advertisement >> He told the Irish Daily Mirror: “We plan to get married as soon as possible but it’s about finding a gap to do it.
“It will definitely be next year. We want to do it as soon as we possibly can, but we want it to be right as well.”
The loved-up star admitted it is going to take a mammoth effort to organise everything for the couple’s big day.
And Mark insisted he wants to ensure absolutely every single detail of the day is perfect – something he has never had time to do as a member of Westlife.
He said: “It’s finding the time and doing it right. We’ve no reason to rush it or say, ‘Let’s just f**king pick any church or hotel or venue in the country’.
“We’ve been so committed to Westlife that while we’ve had big gaps when we’re not working, you have to plan so far in advance for a wedding.
“But even our time off it comes about extremely unexpectedly. We might have three weeks off, but we might have only found out we have those three weeks off four weeks ago.
“So you really don’t have time to plan. We’ve pretty much got the time to be getting on with the wedding now.
“But people are maybe a little bit too fast to assume we’re not going to do anything once Westlife finishes.
“I think I could potentially be even more busy than ever.”
The couple first set eyes on each other backstage at the Cheerios Childline Concert in 2005 when Westlife and V, which Kevin used to be a member of, both performed at the event.
And when their wedding takes place, it will be the most high-profile gay marriage to ever take place in Ireland.
The couple will follow in the footsteps of Ireland AM’s Alan Hughes and Karl Broderick who married in September.
WestLife's Mark Feehily split for partner he was set to wed 1/01/2012
WESTLIFE singer Mark Feehily has sensationally split from the partner he was due to marry next year.
The heartbroken star announced last night that he had parted from his fiance Kevin McDaid after seven years together.
However, the Sunday Mirror can reveal that the relationship has been on the rocks for some time and that Kevin dumped Mark TWO months ago.
The bombshell news comes just weeks after Mark had revealed that he and Kevin would marry next year now that Westlife were splitting up.
But instead singer Mark has been left to deal with another major shake-up in his life which will send shockwaves through the pop world.
Last night, Mark announced on his Twitter page: “Sadly, Kevin & I are no longer together. We’ve had an amazing 7 year & are both so thankful for the love&support u have shown us from the start.
“We won’t be answering any questions about this as its a very private matter. Thanks in advance for understanding that. Lots of love, Mx.”
The news will shock fans of the singer, who appeared to be very much in love.
In an interview with our sister paper the Irish Daily Mirror in November, Mark spoke of his plans to marry his long-time boyfriend.
He said: “We plan to get married as soon as possible but it’s about finding a gap to do it.
“It will definitely be next year. We want to do it as soon as we possibly can, but we want it to be right as well. It’s finding the time and doing it right. We’ve no reason to rush it or say, ‘let’s just f**king pick any church or hotel or venue in the country’.
“We’ve been so committed to Westlife that while we’ve had big gaps when we’re not working, you have to plan so far in advance for a wedding. So you really don’t have time to plan. We’ve pretty much got the time to be getting on with the wedding now.”
But sources have revealed to the Sunday Mirror that the relationship was already in trouble.
A source said: “The reality is that Mark and Kevin have been going their separate ways for a while.
“In fact Kevin decided to break it off with Mark up to two months ago, but it is only now that they are making it official.
“This must be a very tough time for Mark. With the band also set to go their own way he now faces into a year of uncertainty, it cannot be easy for him.”
The couple announced that they were engaged in January 2010, with Feehily also confirming that news through his Twitter page.
Feehily met photographer McDaid, 27, at a charity concert in Dublin in 2005.
They went public with the relationship in 2007 when the Irish star came out in a newspaper interview in 2007.
Newcastle man McDaid was part of boyband V until 2005, before becoming a photographer.
Westlife star Mark Feehily: I'm lost without my ex Kevin McDaid
Heartbroken Westlife star Mark Feehily has admitted he’s “totally lost” without his ex-fiance Kevin McDaid.
The singer revealed the pair had split at Christmas in a dramatic Twitter announcement to his fans.
And last night Mark finally spoke out about his break-up, confessing to a pal: “I couldn’t even stand the thought of being with anyone else. There’s no chance. I’m totally lost without Kevin.
His friend said: “Mark really misses Kevin in his life. He’s finding it really hard. He is still incredibly upset and raw about the split. He wants time to get over his split and doesn’t want any other guys on the scene.
“He’s trying to keep his chin up but he has good days and bad days. He’s not at all over Kevin yet. Mark’s family have been rallying around and he has some great friends too.
“But he’s also spending a lot of time on his own just trying to come to terms with it all. He’s very emotional.”
Mark, 31, stunned fans when he announced the break-up on Twitter. He told his followers: “Sadly, Kevin and I are no longer together. We’ve had an amazing seven years. We won’t be answering any questions about this as it’s a very private matter.”
Mark is believed to be spending his time in the North London apartment he used to share with Kevin. His ex has moved out and is living at the home of a friend.
The couple were due to marry this year and were planning their dream wedding day. But their relationship hit the skids two months ago after a series of rows. They managed to keep the break-up a secret for a number of weeks.
The friend added: “Kevin and Mark still text the odd time to keep in touch. There is no feud or bad feeling between them. But obviously they are both trying to start over again and adjust to life on their own after spending the past seven years together.
“Mark just isn’t ready to speak about it publicly yet. He’s too upset about the whole thing but in time he’ll talk.”
Mark met photographer Kevin, 27, at a charity concert in Dublin in 2005. They went public with the relationship in 2007 when the Irish star came out in an interview that year.
Kevin, from Newcastle in England, was part of boyband V until 2005.
Duets Westlife have performed duets with some of the biggest names of the music industry, including Mariah Carey, Donny Osmond, Lulu, Donna Summer, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Christian Castro, Ronan Keating and more recently Delta Goodrem. Claudia Schiffer and Vinnie Jones have also starred in their music videos. Westlife also collaborated with Asian-music sensation BoA with the song 'Flying Without Wings', which would appear on her mini-album, "Shine We Are!". remix
Almost 80,000 fans will descend on Croke Park this Friday - and the same again on Saturday - for Westlife?s farewell tour.
Stage is set for Westlife finale
Laura Butler at Croke Park
Thursday June 21 2012
WESTLIFE fans can expect all their favourite hits during a three-hour spectacular at Croke Park this weekend.
The boys will perform their final two concerts as a group and are determined to put on a blinding show.
There will be a second stage added to their already enormous set to make sure they can mingle with crowd.
Hundreds of staff have been working all hours this week to make sure the hotly anticipated shows hit the spot.
A production insider revealed that the stars requested additional staging for Croke Park, the last leg of their farewell tour, as they wanted it to look different to the rest of the gigs.
"The boys are adding their own stage to the existing structure with lots of effects in it. It's going to be extra special."
While it's due to be a wet and windy affair, nothing will deter the 160,000 revellers set to descend upon the stadium for the quartet's finale.
Anoraks
After ruling out the admittance of umbrellas into Croker's grounds, staff are recommending anoraks and wellies for the festivities, as showers are forecast for the next few days.
Of course, it's going to be all about the music, with Nicky Byrne, Shane Filan, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily belting out some of their biggest hits after taking to the stage at 8pm.
The lads are planning to kick off the emotional shows with What About Now, followed by classic tunes Uptown Girl, My Love and Ain't That A Kick In The Head, with Home, Flying Without Wings and their debut single Swear It Again in the second half.
The set list also includes a medley of favourite and well-known pop songs and the famous foursome will provide their renditions of Sex On Fire, Don't Cha, Let Me Entertain You and Bohemian Rhapsody.
In an interview on 2FM yesterday, member Kian Egan admitted that he never dreamt of playing to such a huge crowd at Croker: "It's been quite a surreal moment and quite an emotional big moment for us all."
Sligo man Shane added: "Saturday is going to be really difficult."
Concert goers will be allowed to queue outside Croke Park from 4pm, with gates opening at 4.30pm for the hordes to secure their spot on the transformed pitch.
Roads in the area will be closed off before the events kick off and gardai are recommending the use of public transport as much as possible.
While no extra security measures have been put in place for the two nights, 700 stewards and 100 gardai will be on hand to make sure no one's enjoyment is spoiled.
The band's wives, children and relatives will be watching from their own private boxes for the special occasion.
labutler@herald.ie
The Westlife boys will say an emotional goodbye to fans around the world tonight when they play their final concert at Dublin's Croke Park in front 80,000 fans.
The sun came out last night over Croke Park as 85,000 fans came out to wish a fond farewell to Westlife after 14 years in the music business. Suzanne Byrne reports 1 of 1 Westlife Westlife kicked off that they called "the biggest weekend of our lives" last night with the first of two farewell shows in Croke Park in spectacular fashion.
Four effigies of band members, Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily, appeared on stage and suddenly burst into flames before the real Westlife ascended the stage to sing their opening number What About Love.
Dressed in leather jackets and casual trousers the foursome were in fine voice as was every single fan in the audience - male, female, young or old, they could all be seen singing along.
An overwhelmed Shane Filan choked back the tears after their second song, What Makes A Man. The 32-year-old Sligo native could clearly be seen taking in what a momentous occasion it was for the four lads who have 14 number one singles under their belt as well as racking up 45 million album sales during their 14-year career.
Up next was Coast to Coast which led to the first of many arm-swaying moments of the night.
Kian Egan then welcomed the crowd and said "This is the weekend we have been waiting for. Ireland you have made us feel very special. Tonight we want to give you the best memories of Westlife ever. We don't want anyone to walk out sad. 14 years is more than anyone expected."
With that, the crowd joined them in rousing rendition of Safe from the 2010 album Gravity.
Hundreds of flags - including some from Germany, Czech Republic and Spain - and banners were held aloft throughout the crowd. As Nicky spent some time reading them he said: "I will miss reading the banners at the concerts. You know, they got dirtier and filthier the older our fans become."
After a quick change of clothes the boys took the stage in fetching blue jackets for a rocked-up version of Uptown Girl and gave us a glimpse at some of those infamous Westlife moves. Ok so they're wasn't many of them during their 14 years - they seemed to prefer the safety of a stool until the obligatory stand-up at the key change moment - but they are masters of microphone dipping and toe crossovers which they showed off in abundance last night.
As we waited for Westlife to be joined by their family on stage Nicky quipped: "So what are all the men going to buy for their girlfriends and wives at Christmas now that there will be no more Westlife gigs. Tickets to One Direction!"
With everyone in place, Shane, Nicky, Kian and Mark, dedicated Queen of my Heart, to their families both present and those who have passed during their careers. Both Kian and Nicky lost their dads during their success and Nicky said: "Even though our dads may not be with us tonight, we know they are here in spirit and are proudly looking down on us".
Then, in possibly the cutest moment of the night, Kian's 6-month-old son Koa decided he could do a better job than daddy and took the mic from him.
They finished this section with a nod to their 2004 swing album, Allow Us To Be Frank, with Ain't That A Kick In The Head.
Another costume changes saw the lads don some pretty interesting shirts with tight fitting jeans. Bounding back onto the stage the crowd went wild as they belted out the Black Eyed Peas number Tonight's Gonna Be A Good Night. Cue fireworks a whole lot of dodgy-daddy-dancing and as the music changed to the LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem there was some interesting attempts at shuffling.
The medley of covers continued with some fancy fire effects for the Kings of Leon's Sex on Fire which was followed by The Pussy Cats Doll's Don't Cha.tight jeans, big screens and plenty of hip thrusting sent the already excited fans into a frenzy.
A version of Robbie William's Let Me Entertain You brought on the chicken dance and then they finished this segment with Bohemian Rhapsody - during which Kian played the guitar.
After yet another outfit change - white and grey trousers, vests and jackets - the boys continued the party with When Your Looking Like That.
Shane, Nicky, Kian and Mark then made their way through the crowd - high fiving fans along the way - to a smaller second stage in the middle of the standing section and where they immediately started a Mexican Wave around the stadium.
Before they sang Mandy, Mark said: "I can't even explain what it feels like to be home tonight."
Next up was Swear It Again which Mark described as, "a very special song that started our careers." The track was Westlife's very first number one from their debut multi-million selling album Westlife.
As the sun went down on Croke Park each member of Westlife took their turn to say goodbye to their fans.
Kian said: "We haven't used the word farewell until this weekend. When we started in the band when we were 15 or 16 we never dreamed we would play Croke Park, then we met Louis Walsh and he is the man that made all our dreams come true. He brought us to Simon Cowell and they made Westlife a worldwide hit. And now we are here saying goodbye, and it's not easy, it's not easy at all."
Nicky followed with: "I want each and every one of you to know you have played a vital role in making Westlife what we are today. We will never forget you. You have given us a million memories".
A teary eyed Mark was up next: "This goodbye is too difficult to put into words. We've dreamt about this night. This is our heartfelt thank you to you. Not only supporting us in our music but in different parts of our lives. You are like friends."
Last to speak was Shane and he said: "We've come from playing infront of 240 people to 85,000, it's very hard to walk away from this. But everything has to come to an end."
And with that, the strains of You Raise Me Up could be heard, mobile phones lit up and were swayed in the air as the stadium sang in unison.
A bow and wave goodbye and the boys then left the stage, building anticipation for their final encore.
After five minutes of stomping, screaming and chants of 'we want more', Westlife appeared one last time dressed in jeans, shirts, bow-ties and suit jackets. The crowd roared appreciatively and jump up and down through World Of Our Own.
After an emotional version of Flying Without Wings it was time for the lads to take their final bow, and with one last look around the stadium in amazement they were gone.
For anyone going to tonight's gig, this is definitely a party for the fans - you will leave with a smile, no voice and sore hands from clapping. Enjoy!
WOMAN from Grays who supported Westlife on their farewell tour has called the experience “unreal”.
Rianna Morris, 22, has been performing in arenas to sell-out crowds with girlband Vanquish.
It may be the end for Westlife, but for Rianna and Vanquish, the tour marks the start of their careers.
Rianna, who went to Little Thurrock Primary School and then Torrels before studying performing arts at Palmers, said: “It has gone so fast. We have had an amazing time meeting new fans and, of course, Westlife, who are so lovely.
“To tour with a band who have sold millions of albums has been a huge honour and we will keep the various bits of advice they have given the four of us forever.”
The girls are now set to start shooting a new video and concentrate on their new album.
Rianna said: “Getting to perform on a huge stage in front of thousands of people has been unreal. The Westlife crowd have been so lovely and we really appreciate all the kind messages.
Westlife Stage Final Concert In DublinMega-successful boyband say farewell to thousands of fans... Sunday, 24 June 2012 Westlife have played their final concert together in front of a massive crowd at Croke Park in Dublin.
The four-man boyband played to an audience of around 80,000 people at the sports stadium in the Irish capital, belting out all their hits over the course of a set that lasted more than two hours.
According to Digital Spy, Kian Egan told the crowd: "As this is the very last Westlife concert, the whole idea was to be able to get out here and see our fans one last time and celebrate 14 years."
And Mark Feehily added: "For 14 years, Westlife fans have made our dreams come true. This show is dedicated to each and every one of you. Our fans mean so much. You have never stopped supporting us.
"Thanks so much. You're not just our fans, you are our friends and have been with us each step of the way."
The band announced their decision to split up last year, after 14 years together. As well as the huge crowd in Dublin, many more fans were watching the farewell show live in cinemas around the world.
The Sun newspaper quoted Shane Filan as saying: "Last night was loud but this is unbelievable. Tonight is the loudest, best crowd we have ever had.
"We will always be member[s] of Westlife but we won't be a band anymore. Thank you. I'll never forget this. These are times that will live in our lives forever."
And Nicky Byrne went on: "To all of you, you didn't just make the dreams of four lads come true. Much more - only for all of you none of this is possible."
The foursome were introduced by their former manager Louis Walsh, who said: "I have never known a band like this in all my time in the business.
"I didn't want them to break up yet - but they all wanted to go out on a high. And I'll definitely be managing Shane in his solo career
Speaking to the crowd Kian Egan said: "As this is the very last Westlife concert, the whole idea was to be able to get out here and see our fans one last time and celebrate 14 years."
Mark Feehily pitched in: "For 14 years, Westlife fans have made our dreams come true. This show is dedicated to each and every one of you. Our fans mean so much. You have never stopped supporting us.
Westlife performed a two-hour set in front of 85,000 fans at the city's Croke Park stadium
"Thanks so much. You're not just our fans, you are our friends and have been with us each step of the way."
Shane Filan said:"Last night was loud but this is unbelievable. Tonight is the loudest, best crowd we have ever had.
"We will always be member[s] of Westlife but we won't be a band anymore.
He added: "Thank you. I'll never forget this. These are times that will live in our lives forever."
Westlife bids farewell Images Nicky Byrne, Mark Feehily Shane Filan and Kian Egan of Westlife arrive for the 'Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women Of The Year Awards 2010' at Banqueting House on November 2, 2010 in London, England. (Gareth Cattermole, Getty Images) Print Story Published: 6/24 10:47 am Share Updated: 6/24 10:50 amIrish boyband Westlife bowed out in style as they played their last concert for 80,000 fans in Dublin. The group announced earlier this year that they had decided to call it quits after 14 years together, and they embarked on one final tour of Europe.
They returned home on Friday and Saturday to play a two huge shows at Dublin's Croke Park to bid an emotional farewell to their loyal devotees.
The show kickstarted with burning effigies of the quartet as they performed hits including What About Now, What Makes A Man, Swear It Again and their biggest hit, Flying Without Wings.
The stars fought back tears as they thanked fans for their support, with a visibly moved Kian Egan telling the crowd, "As this is the very last Westlife concert, the whole idea was to be able to get out here and see our fans one last time and celebrate 14 years. It has finally arrived."
Bandmate Mark Feehily added, "We are really glad you have shared this all with us. To look out there and see you guys is crazy.
"For 14 years the Westlife fans have made our dreams come true, this show is dedicated to each and every one of you. Our fans mean so much. You have never stopped supporting us."
The massively popular Irish boyband Westlife thanked their legions of fans during their final concert at Croke Park in Dublin on Saturday night.
RTE reports that 85,000 fans flocked to the famous park in Ireland’s capital for the group’s final performance. During the two-hour set, members of the group took time to thank fans for their dedication and support.
Group member Kian Egan said to the crowd, "As this is the very last Westlife concert, the whole idea was to be able to get out here and see our fans one last time and celebrate 14 years."
Mark Feehily added that "For 14 years, Westlife fans have made our dreams come true. This show is dedicated to each and every one of you. Our fans mean so much. You have never stopped supporting us.”
“Thanks so much. You're not just our fans, you are our friends and have been with us each step of the way."
Shane Filan said during Saturday’s show, "Last night was loud but this is unbelievable. Tonight is the loudest, best crowd we have ever had.”
"We will always be member[s] of Westlife but we won't be a band anymore.
"Thank you. I'll never forget this. These are times that will live in our lives forever
Westlife singer Shane Filan offered his support. Earlier in the competition he helped mentor JLS as Louis Walsh's co-judge Boyband city: JLS were joined by Westlife for a take on Flying Without Wings ........ JLS,Take That and Westlife To Appear On X Factor November 2010 The X Factor will stage a kind of boyband Woodstock in two weeks time when they will have three massive performances from JLS, Westlife and Take That during the Sunday results show. All three bands are promoting new singles and will be on the show to perform their respective tracks. Take That will play 'The Flood', Westlife will do 'Safe' and former X Factor contestants JLS will be doing their Children In Need track 'Love You More'. Simon Cowell let news of the performances (which will take place on Sunday Nov. 14) on the ITV2 show 'The Xtra Factor'. ...... What battle? Boy bands JLS and Westlife celebrate their X Factor performances together at Whisky Mist nightclub in London There were whispers of backstage rivalry and diva behaviour as three of the country's biggest ever boy bands took to the X Factor stage. But two of the acts put the much-hyped 'battle' behind them hours later as they celebrated their performances with a night on the tiles. Members of JLS and Westlife arrived at London nightclub Whisky Mist after leaving the Fountain Studios where they thrilled the audience with performance of their new singles. Aston, Marvin, Ortise and JB are regulars at the Mayfair haunt, and appeared to be showing their Irish guests the favourite celebrity hot spot. Nicky, Shane and Kian were surrounded by fans as they arrived from their X Factor performance with their respective wives . Westlife members Nicky Byrne and Shane Filan joined their younger counterparts for drinks at Whisky Mist nightclub in London Boy band mania: Westlife posed with One Direction outside the studios Take That did not join the other bands for drinks after their performance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEuqoZ0V1TY
2011 Speaking exclusively to Yahoo! omg! Shane told us: "Janet reminds me of Dolores O'Riordan from The Cranberries. "She's unique and different and of everybody she has the voice to sell records." Speaking to us on the last ever day of UK press for the band - who recently announced they are retiring from the music scene - Shane added that he wasn't that impressed with this year's talent. He said: "The contestants aren't as good as last year. There's no 1 Direction, no Matt Cardle. There needs to be one of two massive stars but this year people are watching more for the judges' banter." Speaking about what makes an X Factor star successful after the show Shane told us he reckoned it was all about the song choices. "With Janet it will all come down to the songs. Leona Lewis had a proper worldwide single."
X Factor 2011: Westlifes Shane Filan didnt enjoy Marcus Collins second performance December 4th, 2011 by Lisa McGarry. Shane Filan has admitted that while he is a big Marcus Collins fan, he didnt particularly enjoy his final performance on last nights X Factor semi final. The former hairdresser got great feedback from the judges after his first performance of the classic track My Girl but after his rendition of Can You Feel It they werent quite so positive and said that something was missing. Wesylife star Shane agrees and on last nights Xtra Factor explained: I enjoyed his first performance and I thought the second one, the vocals were a bit low for him. I think hes very good but the second song could have been better. When he was singing high in My Girl, some of the falsetto stuff he was doing was incredible. I think he started off so low on the second one that he looked uncomfortable. However Daybreak presenter Adrian Chiles was more positive and thinks Marcus has what it takes to become a big star. He said: When he first appeared I thought this lad is like Little Richard and a young Prince rolled into one. He added: Hes lived a bit, hes been a hairdresser, he knows what its like to work and he seems to be made of the right stuff to really make a go of it, if he does win the whole thing.
X Factor 2011: Westlifes Shane Filan thinks Amelia Lily is a great talent December 4th, 2011 by Lisa McGarry. Shane Filan has admitted that he is a big fan of Amelia Lilys on The X Factor. The Westlife star was in Londons Fountain Studios last night, watching all the final four perform on the semi-final show and speaking afterwards on The X Factor, he admitted that the 17 year old blew him away. Amelia started her performances with an upbeat rendition of Aint No Mountain High Enough and finished with an emotional version of Im With You and afterwards, Shane commented: Shes a great talent and both of her songs tonight were amazing. Both of her vocals were very powerful, she looks like she loves being on the stage, she really enjoys it .you can see it. ........ X Factors Louis Walsh is devastated that Westlife are splitting! December 1st, 2011 by Lisa McGarry. Louis Walsh was said to be devastated when he found out that Westlife were breaking up. The Irish star put the band together more than a decade ago and has managed them ever since, but as they plan their final goodbye tour, Shane Filan from the group admitted that their mentor was less than happy when they broke the news. He told The Suns TV Buzz: For Louis, Westlife are the success story of his life; his pride and joy. Hes very protective of us. Hes devastated that Westlife are ending, but he knows were right to leave while were still at the top. X Factor boss Simon Cowell has also had a huge impact on the success of Westlife and the singer added: We wouldnt be sat here today without Simon. If Westlife ever get back together, the first person we should do it with is Simon Cowell. He picked every hit we had for 14 years. The boys also admitted that they considered asking Brian McFadden to return to the group for their farewell tour, but decided against it in the end. Kian Egan explained why they couldnt have their big Take That moment, saying: We might bring Brian back if he was a big as Robbie Williams but hes not. A part of me does think it would be a great moment for him to walk back on stage. I just dont think thats now maybe in the reunion in 20 years time. Weve had to make such a big decision to bring the biggest thing in our lives to an end, and its the four of us who have kept it together. Being a member of one the most famous boy bands in the UK, Kian explained the boys did get up a bit of mischief in their years. He laughed: We made a real error with a drinking session in Dublin. It was a Friday and we were supposed to fly to the UK the next morning. We cancelled the show and got battered by Louis. On the subject of The X Factor, Kian admitted that he doesnt see a star in any of this years bunch and thinks boyband The Wanted have a better chance of success. The Wanted have a better chance than any of them contestants, because theyve come up the ranks slowly and gone into music the normal way. Im not sure Id want to be part of a boy band via The X Factor, he mused. So what does the future hold for the Westlife boys? Kian will be a dad in 2012 and Shane admitted: Id love to keep singing after Westlife. I have absolutely zero plans, as youve got to get a record deal first, but itll be sorted out over the next nine months. Deep down, we all know that we still have to work. None of us wants to retire at 32 years old. Mark is going to be busy planning his wedding and went on: My wedding will be next year at some point when we can do it properly. Weve got nothing to prove to anyone, so well get married in our own time, but we do want it to be as soon as possible. The Westlife lads will be sure to celebrate their last night together as Shane explained: No partners, no managers, no anybody. Just us four. Sounds like they could get up to mischief again.
(UKPA) 5 days ago Westlife's Nicky Byrne has hinted he'd love a job on The X Factor. The Flying Without Wings stars have announced they are splitting next year and 33-year-old singer Nicky told the Daily Star he has been thinking about what it would be like to host or be a judge on the show. He said: "It's funny with The X Factor because in the past we'd be looking at the bands and how they perform, but this year I'm looking more at Louis and Dermot to see what they do. "I'm keen to do more TV presenting and I can see myself getting into a Dermot O'Leary kind of role. Presenting a show like that is something I would like to do." Westlife were once signed to Simon Cowell's record label, so Nicky thinks he has a good chance. He said: "I've a good relationship with Simon, despite everything. I texted him when we left the label and it's all amicable now. "Maybe down the road, me doing X Factor would be a very interesting conversation to have with him." Nicky's former bandmate Brian McFadden is now a judge on Australia's Got Talent and Boyzone's Ronan Keating, who briefly managed Westlife, is a judge on the Australian X Factor.
Westlife added to star studded X Factor final line up By Anthony Lund on 08/12/2011 The Irish band will make their last X Factor appearance on Sunday's results show. Westlife Irish boyband Westlife will be making their final appearance on the X Factor as part of Sunday night’s results show, ruling out the possibility they will be duetting with one of the finalists. The foursome have previously sang in the live final but for the last time before they split up, the group will be performing on the results show instead. The group tweeted, “We are excited to announce that Westlife will be performing at the X Factor Final on Sunday 11th December. Westlife are the sixth act to be announced for the shows this weekend, with Leona Lewis and Michael Buble confirmed to be performing with Amelia Lily and Marcus Collings respectively , while One Direction, .... The mighty Westlife took to the X Factor stage at Wembley Arena during tonight’s live final to perform for the last time on the show. The boys, who announced earlier this year that they were splitting up, sang their new single What About Now, showing just why they have become one of the biggest boy bands on the planet. Dressed in smart black outfits, Kian Egan, Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne and Mark Feehily belted out the soulful track amid screams from the girls in the crowd. The boys, who have been together for 14 years, are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one in the charts. Westlife have sold over 44 million records worldwide and have accumulated 14 number one singles in the UK, the third highest in UK history. They have also broken numerous records and have been credited as the second biggest-selling artist and biggest-selling band of the decade by The Official Charts Company. The band performed their classic hit Flying Without Wings on The X Factor in 2008 alongside JLS and returned in 2010 to perform new single Safe in 2010. Kian was also a guest judge on the show when he joined Louis Walsh at the Judges Houses stage of the competition in 2007. The group have recently released a Greatest Hits album and will disband in 2012. ...... Westlife wowed the crowds at the X Factor final on Sunday night, when the band delivered their last ever live TV performance on the show. Earlier this year, the Irish singers announced they will be splitting after their 2012 tour, making the X final performance particularly poignant. Westlife have enjoyed a close relationship with the show, performing Flying Without Wings on the X stage back in 2008, with JLS, and single Safe in 2010. Kian Egan was a guest judge on X Factor when he joined Louis Walsh at the Judges Houses stage of the competition in 2007. Backstage on Sunday night, Kian said: “I think every performance this year has been quite emotional and it’s mad because it makes you realise what you’ve got. “For us it’s bittersweet cause we feel really lucky to be here at the X Factor final as our last TV performance and we’re grateful that we’ve had 14 years.” Speaking of Westlife’s former manager, judge Louis, Nicky Byrne said: “Louis actually had tears in his eyes at the end of the performance. We went over to him and he filled up and he said “I’m really, really, really going to miss you.” “He said that he’s never enjoyed working with anybody as much as us and I think that it goes both ways; we’ve had a great relationship with Louis, he’s been brilliant down the years. Its going to be sad but things have to happen.” After 14 years together, the boys also had words of wisdom for winner’s Little Mix, insisting friendship and hard work is key to any group’s success.
Past their bedtime Westlife's youngest fans caught napping
December 28 2007
THEY have sold millions of albums and sold out concert venues worldwide, but the boys from Westlife had difficulty keeping two of their youngest fans entertained during the filming of their 'Late Late' special tribute show.
Nicky Byrne's children, Rocco and Jay, (pictured right) seemed oblivious to the commotion in RTE studio four and fell asleep in the arms of their grandmother, Miriam, instead of listening to their dad and his band mates talk about the group's success over the last 10 years.
The show, which was recorded last Friday but airs tonight, will see the pop supergroup perform a selection of their hits.
They follow in the footsteps of other Irish music giants like Christy Moore and the Dubliners, who also got 'The Late Late Show' tribute treatment in previous years.
Duet
Among the songs the boys from Dublin and Sligo will be performing is a duet with Irish singer Mary Black on the Christmas favourite, 'Walking in the Air'.
And Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, whose daughter Georgina is married to Nicky Byrne, also makes an appearance on the programme, which was recorded hours after his attendance at the Mahon Tribunal last Friday. He is pictured far right with Nicky Byrne.
Mr Ahern's interview with Pat Kenny also deals with the band's career.
"It is a tribute to the band to coincide with the tenth anniversary of their first appearance on the Late Late," an RTE spokesman said yesterday.
"It is one of the special seasonal Late Lates we have each Christmas, and we've had many."
Joining band members Shane Filan, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily and Nicky Byrne in studio will be guests who helped them through their career, including Louis Walsh and Ronan Keating.
Other friends, including Sharon Osbourne, the Sugababes, Shane Ward, the Backstreet Boys, Paul O'Grady, Michael Flatley and Simon Cowell, will send their best wishes to the boys in recorded video messages.
The show has been planned for months by the 'Late Late' team and boasts a live studio choir.
Holiday Habits 2007-12-28 von
Westlife
The chart-topping Irish lads cast their minds back to reveal some of their travelling tales
MARK: The first time I went abroad was on a ferry to the Isle of Man. I was five and kicked up an absolute stink because I seen a stopwatch, you know the ones you wear round your neck? I cried, kicked and screamed until I got it.
SHANE: My first flight was to Manchester, on Ryanair from Knock airport. I would have been 10 or 11. The flight was an absolute novelty but I wanted a pair of Reebok pumps which were about £70. Back then, that was like buying a car for your child. I had to have them, I got them and I was cool for a week!
NICKY: I remember going to Spain on holiday. I dived into our hotel pool and my armbands fell off. I was only about six. Out of nowhere these arms lifted me up and it was my dad. He been keeping an eye on us.
KIAN: My first foreign holiday was to Mauritius after I joined the band. Now I turned into a bit of a surfer so I go to places like Hawaii all the time.
NICKY: Back in the early days of the band we didn,t have time for holidays
SHANE: Yeah it was probably a couple of years before we could have more than a Christmas holiday.
MARK: Still we travelled with the band
NICKY: When we tried to break America the first time around we do a few cities in a day.
MARK: We start off in one city, do our promotional stuff and a gig, then go straight to the airport, fly to another city, do the same and then get going on to another city.
SHANE: We recorded some of this latest album, Back Home, in Stockholm, which I think is the nicest city in the world, after Sydney.
NICKY: I think I prefer Sweden its so fresh, the air, the water
SHANE: Its like it has come out of an Evian bottle.
MARK: Vodka is very expensive.
SHANE: Yeah you wouldn go over there for a weekend with the lads, but if you want to find some good looking women there are handfuls of them on every street corner.
NICKY: Even the average looking women are absolutely amazing
SHANE: Even the men are I,m not gay but Mark is obviously, but
MARK: Obviously? (laughs)
SHANE:...But all the men are models. You know Freddie Ljungberg is from there. Honestly its embarrassing, those cheek bones
MARK: Freddie Lungberg,s cheek bones are so sharp they could be used as a weapon. You can,t take him on the plane.
SHANE: Hmm that,s kinda funny.
Westlife promise to return after a taking a year out
WESTLIFE singer Kian Egan has promised the band legion of fans that they are not splitting up and they will be back after taking a year out.
Westlife announced last Friday that they are going to take a break for a year after they finish their upcoming world tour with new album Back Home.
But Kian Egan promised fans that this did not mean the end for the chart-topping group.
He said: The minute people hear we taking a break, they are going to say we are splitting up for good - which is not true.
Myself and Jodi are going to go and do some travelling and I'm sure the other guys have plans as well.
It will be the first time in years that there hasn,t been a Westlife album vying for the Christmas number one, which will be a bit weird, but I think we have earned the time off.
Kian said he and Jodi plan to hire a camper van and tour Australia, while Nicky and Shane will use the break to spend more time with their families.
Fellow Sligo man Shane Filan has a one-year-old daughter, Nicole, with wife Gillian and lives in Carraroe. While Nicky Bryne,s wife Georgina Ahern gave birth to twin boys earlier this year.
The band has had 14 number one singles and have been at the top of the charts for nine years now.
Westlife formed in 1998 and have sold more than 36 million albums worldwide, as well as winning numerous awards including Record of the Year four times, added Kian.
The band will release their new single Home, a cover of the Michael Buble hit, on Friday, October 26.
Mark Feehily: Coming out felt fantastic Friday, November 9 2007,
Westlife's Mark Feehily has claimed that coming out about his sexuality "felt fantastic".
The popstar revealed that he has had no negative comments since he announced he was gay during an interview in 2005.
Talking about his experience, he told The Sun: "Life is a million times better since I came out.
"Since the last time I spoke to you my life has changed so much. I,m still the same person, I still do the same job, yet it feels like a lot has changed. It was just a relief to finally say what I said.
um a very honest person so for people to not know about one of the biggest parts of me, my sexuality, felt strange. Once I come out, people knew the real me and it felt fantastic."
On the response of his fans, Feehily added: "They were amazing. Fans, family, friends - no one made a negative comment. I think there still a long way to go until society accepts people,s sexuality but it has come a long way already."
MARK FEEHILY
What the worst thing you done while drunk? I came back to my apartment in London recently after a party having forgotten my keys. I woke up at about 11am lying outside the front door wondering how many people had taken pictures!
What was your last random act of kindness? I met an old lady on the train to Newcastle and she said her grandchildren were Westlife's biggest fans. She called them to come and meet us at the station where we had pictures taken.
Have you ever broken anyone's heart? Not directly, although fans have said in letters that I have
When did you last say I love you? Earlier today to Kevin on the phone
Have you ever cheated on anyone? Never, no way. You're either in a relationship or you're not.
What do you dislike about yourself? I hate seeing photos of myself. I think I really stand out compared to the rest of the band
What's the most extravagant thing you ever bought? I like property and have a few houses
When was the last time you cried? A long time ago-my tear ducts have sealed up! Being in this business toughens you up very quickly.
What's the worst lie you ever told? When I was 15 I took my parents car and hit a pillar, wrecking the front. I said it wasn,t me, even insinuating it might have been one of my cousins!
Which celeb do you secretly fancy? I wouldn't say I fancy them, but I love Joanna Lumley and Russell Brand because they make me laugh. I'm very lucky because Kevin is beautiful, makes me laugh and has an amazing personality too
What's the biggest thing you ever blagged? We all get free phone bills as were sponsored by O2 in Ireland.
Who are the most famous celebrities on your mobile? The lads - obviously - and Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell.
When did you last take public transport? Kevin and I take the tube in London sometimes as I despise traffic
WESTLIFE INTERVIEW - 2007
"We would rather have knocked the whole fucking thing on the head than record that album." Proof that there is a bit more to Westlife than stools and suits...
Westlife eh? A load of old men singing boring ballads, right? Well, sort of, but at the same time perhaps not. We interviewed Mark and Nicky very recently and they were both very funny and very aware of exactly what people think of them. Here is what they had to tell us about their new album, the dreadful 'Westlife Go To The Movies' record Simon Cowell was pushing them to record and the terror of a chart face-off with the Spice Girls...
Hello Westlife. What do you think people think about you? Mark: People think stools, suits and cover versions. Nicky: From the outside in - actually from the inside out as well I can see why people think some of the things they do about Westlife. The black suits and everything, it's as exciting as watching paint dry, but when you get into Westlife, when you know us personally, when you come to see our live shows it's the complete opposite.
What is left for Westlife to achieve? Mark: There are definitely things that we want to achieve personally and as a band - the main thing is to win over the Popjustice viewers but I don't think we're ever going to achieve that. Nicky: We felt recently that we haven,t been at our best. Songs like 'Flying Without Wings' and 'World Of Our Own' really enabled us to become a long serving pop band and this year we put our foot down with the label and said that we wanted to get back to where we were, making great pop songs and that's what we did this album.
Why were you releasing music that wasn't your best? Nicky: We've got a formula with Westlife and we've got Simon Cowell behind us. He knows what the public wants to a certain extent, but what we've learned to do with Simon is to force a compromise and we've done that on this album. Simon didn't want us to make an original pop album, Simon and Sony/BMG wanted us to make a 'Westlife Go To The Movies' album which would have been cover songs like 'Take My Breath Away' from Top Gun but that really wasn't up our street. We would rather have knocked the whole fucking thing on the head than record that album. I hope we get three or four singles off this album too, I hope we don't just stick with one or two before Christmas. This is a good album.
Is the album going to win over non-Westlife fans? Mark: It's made for Westlife fans. It's not made for people who already hate Westlife and we're not making albums to try and convince fans of trendy pop music that we're cool. We make pop music for our fans. Nicky: It's safe to say there are people we are never going to win over. Mark: It's not electro pop, it's not trendy pop, it is commercial Westlife pop music.
So this is not Westlife's 'Rudebox'? Mark: We definitely went down a certain road for a while but this album and we're not saying the new album is going to be credible or critically acclaimed, we never ever will be, but it's definitely going back to pop music. Nicky: We've got a good thing going here. We're four lads in our twenties, we sing well together so let's make pop music. Mark is right, we've made one too many cover versions, last year's 'Love' album probably sold more off the title than it did from the quality of the songs, even though we'll stand up for our vocals 100%. People will always expect us to do a love album and that's why this year we had to change things a little bit, because otherwise there'd be no point in us continuing. It was time for us to make a really fucking great pop album.
Would the only way for you to become more famous be for you to split and then announce a comeback tour six months later? Nicky: There's nothing like a bit of nostalgia and a reunion, Take That were in a win-win situation, they had no idea how big or small it was going to be but hats off to those boys, they have come back and they have brought back something that has been missing for years. Mark: When we made our swing album a few years ago we took two years between pop albums but the feeling coming back to pop music and the reaction from the fans was so obvious that it was good for us not to do a pop album that year. That's another thing that works against us is that we release an album every single year if we didn't release so close together then maybe people wouldn't see it is the same old thing over and over. The whole comeback thing has become a bit of a trend... When Take That did it it was a new thing and now it's just cliché to come back.
What's going on with this ridiculous Westlife and Spice Girls chart battle? Mark: We were fans of the Spice Girls at the start but this thing could get really out of hand and I hope it doesn't. Things like this can be fun, a bit tongue in cheek and a bit of a laugh but for some reason I don't think those five girls one of them in particular are going to see the fun side to it. I hope that we can contain ourselves and not lash out because I heard something recently that really wound me up and I've been biting my tongue since then. Nicky: It would be great to have a normal chart battle with the girls, we were fans of them back in the day when we were young and they were massive. Mark: They need to come back with a 'Patience' and if they do then it will be huge. Nicky: I don't know any girl that has patience...
It would take a brave four men to go up against those five. Nicky: Ah, but we'll have our stools for back up...
Thank you very much Nicky and Mark Westlife.
WESTLIFE singer MARK FEEHILY missed their album launch at Harrods yesterday when fog delayed his flight to London from Dublin. The result was an empty seat in this horse-drawn carriage bringing the band,s other members to the store.
NICKY BYRNE, SHANE FILAN and KIAN EGAN, performed without Mark for thousands of fans who had queued for TWO DAYS to get into the gig.
The tracks included You Raise Me Up and World Of Our Own, as well as two songs from new album Back Home, which was released yesterday.
Nicky, Shane and Kian then signed copies of their record and Mark turned up in time for fans got a full set of autographs.
Published: 01 Nov 2007
WESTLIFE'S KIAN EGAN'S a demanding chap. Asked whether he would ever pose naked, the singer said he would, but only if someone coughed up a cool £1million.
He said: it was a million pounds in cash just there I would definitely pose completely naked. Who would turn down money like that?
Shane said:I think Kian must have a lot of confidence in his meat and two veg to do that. I know I certainly wouldn.
Kian, who's engaged to former Hollyoaks star JODIE ALBERT, also debated boob jobs with other bandmates NICKY BYRNE and MARK FEEHILY.
Nicky said: If a woman has a boob job it has to be in proportion.
Kian claims Victoria Beckham, the Spice Girl wife of soccer star David, is the perfect example of someone with a bad boob job.
He said: Victoria,s stick thin but her boobs are up on top of her chest like two footballs. It doesn,t look natural.
Mark added: Look at Kate Moss. She doesn't have the biggest boobs in the world, but she's still gorgeous and sexy."
Not too fussy then, are you lads?
Westlife Album Signing Dublin HMV 2nd November 2007 Nick Kian Mark Shane
WOMAN MAGAZINE SCAN 2007 Talk about "old" boybands that refuse to give up. Westlife returns with their latest studio album, Back Home, and a dignified Nicky Byrne tells us that the Irish fab four are survivors. How special is your new album as compared to your last one? This is going to be a comeback album for Westlife, the real follow-up to our best record, World Of Our Own. It has the kind of music that we've always wanted to do -- a good combination of slow and fast numbers. But as usual, you're doing covers.. Not as many as we used to, We put our feet down this time around. We've told our record company that we only want to cover songs that we really like and that are meaningful to us. With all the new pop acts, how do you plan to survive the stiff competition? There will always be people who like simple pop music, people who don't like complicated music. They just want to turn on the radio and hear something catchy, with nice melodies and good harmonies. Westlife is designed to cater to those people and we're happy with it. Honestly, how long do you guys think you can go on? Who knows? We love what we do and we'll stop when we don't enjoy it anymore. Besides, how many good new pop acts do we have today? I mean I grew up listening to good pop acts like Take That, Mariah Carey and Wet, Wet, Wet who have lasted till today. How many of our new talents can be like them? Today's pop music is just about who's the biggest pop star in the world at the moment. What do you say to critics who consider you over the hill? There are cynical people out there who don't want Wetslife to continue. Well, I agree that when we did the swing album (Allow Us To Be Frank), we took a dip and we seemed to be on our way out. But we bounced back with You Raise Me Up (The single from their following album Face To Face) and became the biggest selling pop act in the UK. So as far as the four of us in Westlife are concerned, and our millions of fans out there who have been supporting us all these years, we don't give a s*** about what these people think. ..... ....... MARK FEEHILY has slammed the British media WESTLIFE star MARK FEEHILY has slammed the British media for constantly criticising singer AMY WINEHOUSE and deliberately focusing on her personal life. The Irish singer accuses the media of not recognising the Rehab hitmaker's talent and only reporting on her recent troubles. He says, "I've been a big Amy Winehouse fan for years - way before anyone had really heard of her. It's sad because I've met her and she's a lovely, intelligent, nice person, but the person you read about is the bleeding, drunk, drugged-up Amy Winehouse. There's a lot more to her." Winehouse recently hit the headlines after husband Blake Fielder-Civil was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and perverting the course of justice. 14/11/2007 ......... Westlife and Myleene Klass Variety Club Showbiz Awards, London Hilton Hotel.. London, England - 18.11.07 ......... Westlife visit the Waterfront restaurant Westlife visit the Waterfront restaurant, and insist that fans were not allowed in. The band enjoyed an Italian meal and ordered several bottles of champagne and vodka spending over 4 hours in the upmarket eatery. Leeds, England - 08.12.07 ........ Westlife's Mark Feehily: 'We're Not Splitting Up.' 29-10-2007 Westlife's Mark Feehily is determined that the band will not split after their next tour as predicted by recent reports.We know we're not splitting up," he told Female First last week after fans began to panic over news the guys are taking a year long break after their upcoming tour."The fans are all not sure because that's what Boyzone said and whatever but we're just going to take a lot longer to make this 10th album," he confirmed. Comment on this Article "This is a big tour coming up and then we're actually taking a year off after that. It's a big one for us and a big one for the fans. So it's not like we're taking a year off- we're taking a year away from releasing an album in November because we've done the 9 albums in 9 years.Westlife are also planning some big celebration for their 10 year anniversary: " We're in talks about doing some mega mega gigs in Ireland and possibly in the UK too just to sort of seal off the 10 years with a bang. But we're not sure about them yet. Some are more likely than others," said Mark.Mark also confirmed that ex-member Brian will definitely not be joining them on stage next year: Brian is well and truly gone from Westlife, he said."There's no plans what so ever to have Brain playing any gigs with us because he's not in our band any more.Brian decided to leave and therefore we don't feel bad saying that. We had to get over the fact that he left and get used to it and now we are used to it. We're a 4 piece now and that's that," he added. Brian's decision to leave the band just 2 weeks before Westlife embarked on a world tour in 2004 was perhaps one of the lowest points for Mark and the rest of the band: There was a lot of different emotions. There was fear- fear of the unknown because we didn't know what would happen next, he explains. There was sadness. We all asked him 'don't go, please don't go' and tried to see if there was some other way around this but he was adamant he wanted to leave. When you go through a mental kind of ride that we went through for the 4 or 5 years we went through when he was in the band and then all of a sudden one is just gone it's definitely a weird kind of situation to be in. But there was a very very small element of release. We knew that things weren't happy for the band at that time and that maybe this is what the unhappy thing was and that now that it's gone we could move on and get our act together again. We had a world tour to put out in two weeks and we had to prove more than ever on the first night that we were just as good without Brian so we had to get down to business and get on with it. But despite the initial shock the band managed to battle on through and came out stronger than ever: I'm not cocky or arrogant or anything but I think we totally proved it and I actually think that Brian leaving kicked us into being tighter than ever and more professional than ever.
mark - AT THE PINK ICE BALL 2007 
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performs with Irish band Westlife during the final act of the Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo December 11, 2009
