nu westlife is gestopt - wie van WL blijf jij volgen
westlife forever
17-11-2013
Louis Walsh & Kian Egans next big thing
The second and last part of Louis Walsh & Kian Egan next big thing Wonderland was broadcast last night on ITV2! Enjoy Kian as a manager and all the Westlife lads talking about Wonderland.
2011 The part-Irish, part English quintet Sharon Condon, Corrina Durran, Jodi Albert, Kasey Smith and Leigh Learmont were hand-picked by Louis Walsh at a 2008 audition in Dublin. Managed by Kian Egan from Westlife, they released debut single Not A Love Song in March on Mercury Records and it peaked at number seven on iTunes. Next single Starlight is out on June 6 along with their eponymous album. Wonderland have already supported Westlife and Boyzone on tour and made an appearance at the 2010 Isle of Wight Festival. They also had their own ITV2 show Louis Walsh & Kian Egan's Next Big Thing: Wonderland that aired last autumn. About their 32-date Olly Murs tour they say: The past year's been such a dream come true for us all writing and recording our album, and then having so much fun touring with Westlife and Boyzone. We feel really lucky. Jodi Albert feels under pressure to succeed Wednesday 1 June 2011 Kian Egan's wife Jodi Albert has admitted that she feels a lot of pressure for her band 'Wonderland' to succeed. Jodi and her bandmates hosted a launch party for their album, which is out here this week and in the UK next, titled 'Wonderland'. The band, which is managed by X Factor's Louis Walsh and Westlife's Kian Egan, are finally being launched, three years after auditions for the band began. Speaking to The Star, Jodi said: "You feel a little bit of pressure because Louis Walsh is obviously such a big name and Kian has been extremely successful with 12 years in Westlife." "All they have been able to do for us is create this opportunity." "Once we get on stage it is up to us to do our thing and show people we are worthy of being here." More than 1,500 girls battled it out for a spot in the band in the Dublin auditions in 2008. By Melanie Finn Friday September 09 2011
Girlband Wonderland have been sensationally dropped by their record label. However, co-manager Louis Walsh (below) has said they should feel "very proud" for trying their best to make the group a success. Speaking from his holiday home in Miami, he confirmed the news to the Herald -- and said the girls shouldn't feel too devastated about what happened. "They had some great songs, they could all sing and they worked really hard. They tried to do something different and it's just a shame it didn't work out. But people haven't heard the last of them," he said of the Irish group. News that Mercury Records had decided to drop them after just one album was greeted with shock by their fans, who inundated them with messages of support. Members Kasey Smith, Leigh Learmont, Sharon Condon, Corrina Durran and Jodi Albert were put together after a series of nationwide auditions held by Louis and Westlife's Kian Egan. However, there was huge speculation about the future of the band after former Hollyoaks babe Jodi got pregnant with her first baby in July. She always insisted that her impending motherhood wouldn't get in the way of the band's future -- and performed on stage with her band-mates last month. They have been busy promoting their self-titled debut album and performed a string of dates over the summer. Lucky She said in interviews how she had been "really lucky" with her pregnancy and that she hadn't experienced much nausea at all. She and Kian are expecting their first baby on January 1, 2012. The happy couple met while she was touring with her previous group, Girl Thing. They married in a spectacular ceremony on Turtle Beach in the Caribbean in May 2009, after five years together. Last night Wonderland was still listed on Mercury Records website, but on their own site, it stated how they had no forthcoming gigs. They were formed in July 2008 and were unveiled on the Late Late Show shortly before they nabbed a record deal. Their co-managers spent years making sure they were polished performers before they released their debut single Not a Love Song. mfinn@herald.ie
Monday September 19 2011 WONDERLAND singer Sharon Condon is going solo even though music boss Louis Walsh is desperately trying to keep the band together. The 25-year-old has admitted that the band's days are numbered because they haven't got the dancers or the production to succeed. In recent weeks Wonderland were dropped by their record label and Jodi Albert announced her pregnancy. So while their managers, Louis Walsh and Jodi's other-half Kian Egan, want to give it another try, Sharon says the gig is up. Speaking about Jodi's pregnancy, she explained that it would have made things even more difficult in the coming months. "If you look at Una Healy now from The Saturdays, she's fine because they are an established band, but we weren't. "At the end of the day, I don't really know the reason we were dropped, maybe our music just wasn't good enough, but I think there was more to it than that. "But I don't think Jodi was one reason in particular. Wonderland weren't what people were looking for," she said. Sharon revealed to the Diary that talks are taking place behind the scenes about redesigning the band, but it might be too late. "Personally, I felt this coming. Wonderland tried to be something very different, it was country rather than pop. More people are into dance now but we were more of a vocal group," she said. "Those days are gone. People want to see a performance. We were up against Beyonce and Lady Gaga. There was no way we could compete against that." According to Sharon, the five piece had "an amazing journey" but she now wants to go solo. "Maybe it just wasn't meant to be with Wonderland. But I've made so many contacts and it was an amazing three years, I learned so much and I just want to get up and go again. "We have hundreds of fans behind us and it will be great to launch my own career from that platform," she said.
Wednesday September 28 2011
It seems all was not wonderful in Wonderland prior to the group's split. With Jodi Albert sailing off into the sunset to face impending motherhood, the four other members of the group are attempting to pick up the pieces of their failed music careers. Lead singer Sharon Condon has revealed to the Diary she has no contact with Kian Egan or his wife Jodi since hearing of the group's break-up through the internet. together Sharon is still smarting after she found out about the band's demise after her mother read it on Facebook. And the talented artist says it was becoming evident that there was a break occurring in the group when pregnant Jodi stopped spending time in the band's spacious apartment and started spending nights in Kian's London home. Sharon says she and bandmates Corrina Durran, Leigh Learmont and Kasey Smith are sticking together during these tough times. "I haven't spoken to Kian or Jodi about this so I don't know how they are feeling, but I suppose they were just as devastated as we were. I haven't really been speaking to Kian, him and Jodi have their own things going on. "I know from mine and the girls' perspective that we want to stay positive and use everything we have done to move forward with music. I'm not really going to see Kian and Jodi now. So I want to do my own thing and look out for my own life. "But Kasey, Leigh and Corrina are all really supportive of me, they are lovely girls. Casey will continue writing but I think Leigh and Karena would be great at TV presenting," she said. Last night Wonderland's official band page was flooded with upset comments from fans after they posted a message confirming they were over for good and would no longer be producing music together as a band. "As some of you may know already we have parted ways with Mercury Records. We have taken the past few weeks to consider our future as a band. After a lot of thinking and talking we have decided that we will no longer continue as Wonderland. "We feel we have given it all we have and we could not take it any further. We want to say a massive thank you to all our fans for the love and support they have shown us over the three years we have been together. We really feel we had an amazing time and it will be something we remember for the rest of our lives," they wrote. mutual But Sharon (25) told the Diary that she was unaware the band had officially made the decision to split, and had to find out through her mother who saw the girls' message on their Facebook page. "We all knew it was coming but I didn't know the band were officially announcing the split. My mum rang me and told me that the girls had posted it on their Facebook page. "I had spoken to the girls before and said that I didn't want to continue with Wonderland. So in the end it was a mutual decision because other members felt the same, " she said.
