Get ready for possibly the most exciting boy band news in a long time – Brian McFadden has admitted that he would “definitely” consider reuniting with Westlife in the future, if the opportunity arose.

The singer quit the band 11 years ago and launched a successful career as a solo singer.

But speaking to stv.tv’s Gill Harvey recently, Brian admitted that he loved his time with the chart-topping Irish group, and would jump at the chance of reunion.

“Westlife only broke up six months ago, so give them a few years to chill out and rest,” Brian joked, before adding: “We never discussed [a reunion] ourselves. I’m sure if the band got back together they’d probably want to do it as a four-piece, but if they did want to get back together as a five I would definitely do something with them. It’s been a huge part of my career and a huge part of my life, they were great times.”

In the meantime though Brian is happy to let some of the younger crowd, aka One Direction and The Wanted, take on the reigns in the boy band stakes.

Speaking about 1D, who are being tipped the ‘new Beatles’ because of their current global domination of the pop market, Brian said: “I think they’re great. They remind me of what Westlife were like, but they’re making these amazing radio records that are getting played in America, all over the world.

“They’re not just a boy band selling albums any more, they’re getting played on radio which is a nice change. “

Brian continued: “Boy bands will be round forever. People said the day of the boy band was gone but as long as there are teenage girls these always going to be this demand for a boy band.”

Check out the video in the player above to hear more of what Brian has to say about Westlife, One Direction and his own solo career.

Brian wraps up his current tour alongside Ronan Keating on February 12, and will release his next solo album,

 

 

 

 

He's lost out on millions and has been singing in pubs, not stadiums, but Brian McFadden insists he is happy he walked away from Westlife.



‘I probably had financial regrets. We didn’t even know what we used to earn in Westlife. The accountants just kept adding up. I’m glad I’m not that millionaire any more. This way, you work harder and enjoy it more.
‘The pleasure I have had since leaving keeps me alive, though it’s been a rollercoaster. One minute I’ll have a number one single, then I’ll have a single that doesn’t even make the Top 40, then I’ll think I’m finished and then I come back a couple of years later. In Westlife, we went through a stage where we thought we were invincible. We didn’t realise how lucky we were.’


The rest of the band split up last June after two 82,300 capacity concerts in Croke Park, Dublin, having notched up record sales of more than 44 million.
McFadden’s solo career got off to the best possible start when his single Real To Me went straight to number one in 2004.
‘I was thinking, OK, for the rest of my life it’ll just be the same as Westlife has been for the last six years. And then you realise how quickly that can all change.’
His second single Irish Son reached number six, but the album of the same name failed to make the top 20. By this time his marriage to Katona — who won I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here in 2004 — had ended.


McFadden felt he needed a change and headed for Australia. ‘No one knew who I was because Westlife had never been successful there. I could walk the streets, go into a pub, go shopping, just be normal again. I liked the idea of starting from scratch.’
He’d earned a reputation as the bad boy of Westlife. I remember being with the band — the other members were Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne, Mark Feehily and Kian Egan — on tour in Singapore.

I accompanied Mark Feehily to the official Manchester United shop out there where he bought his brother a football shirt. Later McFadden showed off his own purchase: a £1,800 camera with telescopic lenses. ‘My dad has that now,’ he says a bit sheepishly. Since then he’s been through a few Ferraris too.
‘I left because I didn’t have a life,’ he says. ‘We’d achieved things we could never have dreamed of but we never had one second to enjoy it. It was like going out with the most beautiful girl in the world and never being able to sleep with her.’
Couldn’t he have aired his grievances with the rest of the band and manager Louis Walsh? ‘We could never discuss those things. The problem with having five people in the band is that each of us would go through a period where we felt a bit jaded and needed time off. But when one person wants to do it, the other four don’t.
‘When I announced I was leaving it was put on the table: do we all break up or does just Brian go? They thought it was too early to break up. I realise I could have been responsible for that happening but I’m glad for everybody they had another seven years of fantastic success.



 



Back in the days: 'We didn't realise how lucky we were,' says Brian about his time in Westlife

 

Brian McFadden: I’d love to get back with Westlife boys again



@TheSun_Showbiz
Brian McFadden: I’d love to get back with Westlife boys again
March 2013

IT has been nine years since BRIAN McFADDEN stunned fans by walking out on WESTLIFE.
The boy band were at the peak of their powers.

They’d secured 12 No1 singles and sold 40million albums. The lads went on as a four-piece while Brian forged a TV career in Australia.

Now he’s back with a new album, The Irish Connection, and a support slot on Ronan Keating’s world tour.

Here Brian discusses his old band, his comeback, his new wife Vogue Williams... and the mother of his two kids, ex-wife Kerry Katona.





HOW is your relationship with Kerry?

I don’t have a relationship with Kerry. For the kids’ sake, we make sure that runs smoothly.

Was it hard to keep quiet while she made public digs at you?

It looks like there’s a war but I’m happy to take everything said on the chin. I just don’t want the kids reading it. I want them to know everything is fine. They have a great nanny and have done for a long time. It’s not ideal that she lives her life through the papers but it’s her choice. She’s the mother of my children and I’ve got nothing bad to say about her.





How about The Big Reunion, with Kerry back with Atomic Kitten?

I know all them! It’s like the Smash Hits Road Show. All us of were on the same bill. It looks like fun but I’m glad I’m not part of it.

What did you miss most when living in Australia?

You know the banter you have on a Saturday afternoon when you sit around with the boys and watch a football match, jump into the bookies next door and put on a bet? There’s none of that in Australia.



Comeback ... Brian's album
Do you and Vogue plan to settle down here?

We would like to stay in London. But it’s all down to work. I spent so much time in Australia because that’s where I was getting work.

Is it weird being back?

Yes! The music industry is completely different. There are no bands I know. Your Olly Murs, Rita Oras and One Directions — it’s hard to get my head round these people. I don’t know anybody in the labels. The journalists are new. Even the TV companies, from the runners to producers. But it’s nice to be back.

Are you still in contact with your old bandmates?

It’s like the people you went to college with. There are no bad vibes. I spoke to Mark (Feehily) the other day on the phone and Nicky (Byrne) a year ago. When the boys were in Los Angeles shooting their last video, when I lived there, we all went for dinner and Kian (Egan) and Mark came back and sat in my swimming pool to 6am drinking beers.

Did you mind not being invited on the band’s Farewell Tour last year?

There was never even a conversation. I spoke to Kian around the time and neither of us brought it up. I was in Westlife for six years and the Westlife that was together for the next seven was a different band. It wasn’t the Westlife that I was in that was retiring. Maybe some of the fans would have liked it — but for me and them it wouldn’t make any sense.

Would you ever rule out getting back together in the future?

I’d love to do something with the boys again and probably one day we will. But if they get back together in five years to celebrate 20 years of getting together and they don’t invite me, then I will be p***** off!

 

 

Westlife - Brian Mcfadden Received Death Threats Over One Direction Comments



Former Westlife star Brian Mcfadden was bombarded with death threats from One Direction fans after suggesting Niall Horan would be the first to quit the group.


The Irish singer was asked about the boyband in a recent interview with Britain's Real Radio Yorkshire and MCFadden singled out Horan when the host urged him to pick which singer he thought would be the first to launch a solo career.

MCFadden now reveals the comment sparked a backlash from the group's fans and he received a slew of threatening messages via Twitter.com.

He says, "I wouldn't wanna (sic) f**k with their fans. I was asked who I thought would be the first to leave One Direction on the radio - I didn't know (who to choose), but they (the hosts) said to pick one, so I said Niall because I'm Irish, he's Irish, and he has that glint in his eye. Then I get these Twitter comments from nut jobs (sic) like, 'Go f**king kill yourself'. I'm like, 'Calm down.' They're f**king nuts... It's different now because of Twitter - you can see how crazy people are."

 

Brian McFadden has revealed that he would love to join the X Factor judging panel, if Gary Barlow steps down this year.

Most stars wait for Simon Cowell to come knocking on their door, but the former Westlife star has put his name out there personally and admitted that working on the ITV singing show would be his dream job.



The Irish singer and Kerry Katona’s baby daddy (is that reason enough NOT to hire him?) has already worked with Cowell, as part of his former boyband and then again when he joined the judging panel of Australia’s Got Talent, so he thinks he knows what the music mogul wants from his judges and stars.

Brian is moving back to the UK, to pursue a reignited music career and told The Daily Mail that he would love to kick start it, by taking a place on the hit entertainment series.



‘I’m going to give Simon a call and ask him to put me on that list,’ he revealed.

‘We worked together for six years when I was in Westlife. I’ve gone through enough in my own career to be able to offer some advice.’

Brian recently supported Boyzone star Ronan Keating in his nationwide tour and it seems the concerts were a great experience for the singer. After his final gig this week he tweeted:

“just got off stage for the last night of the #fires tour with @ronanofficial what a great tour with a great bunch of people!!!!”



He will soon kick off his own UK tour and the shows will kick off in Glasgow on 19th March.

However, he may have some competition for the X Factor role, as insiders have claimed that Simon is considering adding Robbie Williams to the lineup. He wants a new female also, but the choice is said to be between Mel B and Sharon Osbourne. Olly Murs revealed last night that he is backing Mrs O for the job.