- 7 months ago
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00:00We've got it for Mark, Keehan, Chase, and Nicky!
00:03Boys, we've got two boys of Gantown!
00:06So, they're obviously very disappointed you're here, but you're so welcome.
00:31What's striking me about your reunion and the comeback and everything is the warmth of it.
00:38I was saying this a bit to you before the show, but there's a lovely, genuine warmth to it all.
00:43People saying they're back, you've got a great album together, the whole thing.
00:46So, I don't know whose idea it was, but you ended up in different houses along, Nicky, I know they ended up in your house meeting.
00:51Yeah, well, I think it actually started with Keehan and Shane on A Night Out.
00:55It was a Sligo Mafia.
00:56It was, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:58And they planned it well, and I think there'd been a call the year before to, I think, amongst us, test the water.
01:05And we were, different people were doing different things, you know.
01:08So, then the year later went, that went past, and then we arranged this big secret meeting.
01:13Like, the FBI couldn't have put it together any better.
01:15And I was on 2FM at the time, and I said, right, lads, I finish at one.
01:20Let's arrange to meet about half two at the house.
01:23And the lads drove up in Sligo separately, I might add.
01:25And they'd been in my house a billion times.
01:28Yeah.
01:28And obviously not in quite some time.
01:30Yeah.
01:30And I had the house spick and span, by the way.
01:32We ordered in a few.
01:34You know, Georgina was cleaning the house, and I helped, and we ordered food and stuff.
01:37Cupcakes.
01:37Cupcakes.
01:37Yeah.
01:37Did you help clean the house?
01:39Yes, yes.
01:40But I did, actually.
01:41Well, I was on radio, so.
01:42But next of all, the doorbell went, and Shane looked green.
01:47I was like, what's happening?
01:48The lads had called in.
01:49Green, when we say green.
01:50Well, the makeup was.
01:50But the lads had called in to the neighbor's house.
01:53And nobody was supposed, literally by accident, and the neighbor went, no, lads, I think you're
01:57going next door.
01:58So, that was it.
01:59Cover blown.
01:59It ruined the whole surprise.
02:01Worst kept secret ever.
02:03And we must congratulate you on becoming a dad, Mike.
02:04Thank you very much.
02:06Good job.
02:07Everyone's happy.
02:08Absolutely, yeah.
02:09Because, you know, down through the years,
02:12would have met you all.
02:13And there you go.
02:15The big day.
02:16And we would have talked about your kids and what they do to your family and to your head.
02:22But here you are now joining this beautiful club.
02:25How have you been since you became a dad?
02:27Been great, honestly.
02:28I mean, she's fantastic.
02:29She's really chilled.
02:30Apart from the occasional cry, occasional nappy chain.
02:33Child cries shock.
02:34Yeah, exactly.
02:35Basically, you know, leading up to it, everyone was like, oh, I hope you're ready now.
02:38No more holidays.
02:39No more nights out.
02:40No more nothing.
02:40I mean, I haven't gone on holidays or had a night out since.
02:43Yeah, they were right.
02:44It's not kind of, I think people got kind of quite dramatic about how hard it was going
02:49to be.
02:50Anything, any difficulty in it is just completely kind of eliminated by the complete joy of it
02:55as well, you know?
02:56Yeah.
02:57What's she like?
02:58Layla.
02:58She's just absolutely gorgeous.
03:00She's gorgeous.
03:01I mean, I don't know.
03:01People say she's a really chilled out baby, you know?
03:05Is she?
03:05Mark's lips.
03:06Yeah.
03:07She's not Mark's lips.
03:08She's a beautiful child, obviously.
03:10She's gorgeous.
03:10You know, you were talking before about how, you know, in terms of your own narrative,
03:15your story, coming out wasn't easy.
03:17And then having a child was another story that you didn't probably think was going to happen.
03:23And here we are, 2019, changed country, changed times.
03:27Absolutely, yeah.
03:28I mean, honestly, the audience's reacting just now is exactly how the whole country has
03:31been reacting to me.
03:32But, yeah, nothing but love, you know, which is fantastic.
03:36I think I can't wait to bring her up in this country.
03:39It's a fantastic country.
03:41And it's like hurtling down the road at such a great speed in the right direction, you know?
03:45And, yeah, I love, like I've been back in Ireland, living here for quite some time.
03:51And she's definitely going to have an Irish accent growing up anyway.
03:54Good.
03:55That's a good moment.
03:56Because Christmas for people down through the years, you weren't a Christmas head, were you?
03:59Well, yeah, there was a point in time where, you know, I think Christmas, and it's easy
04:03to forget everybody that doesn't have the family or the kids or the boyfriend or girlfriend
04:07or whatever.
04:08And I think it's quite important to always think of them and remember them.
04:11And maybe I was never quite sort of bah humbug levels, but there was definitely times where
04:16I was a bit like, okay, Christmas is going to come and it's going to go and I'm not going
04:19to be mad that it's over.
04:20Because, you know, it sort of holds a magnifying glass up if you don't have a family or if you
04:24don't have a boyfriend or girlfriend.
04:26And so, yeah, it's, I mean, do you want to see the amount of, like, baby outfits I've
04:33bought online?
04:34Little Santa clothes, little elf outfits.
04:37Yeah, we're going full-blown the opposite direction.
04:39You're elf.
04:40You're going full elf.
04:40Honestly, it's literally winter wonderland at my house.
04:42It's you next Friday.
04:44There can only be one toy man.
04:46What about West Boys?
04:47Who are they?
04:48This new up-and-coming band that we may or may not know of.
04:50Is that the current name?
04:51Yeah, that's the current name.
04:52Who are West Boys?
04:53Well, you know, when we went on tour this year, Shane's two older boys who were over
04:58here, Shaney and Patrick, and my little fella, Koa, decided to go off into a little room and
05:03put a little band together, overlooked by Nicole, Shane's oldest little girl.
05:08Manager.
05:08She was the manager.
05:09She was the manager.
05:10Yeah, good on her.
05:10And Nikki's little girl, Gia, was security.
05:13Security.
05:13She was.
05:14Now, she was four at the time, or five at the time.
05:16It's all changed now, by the way.
05:17She told me she wants to be a singer now, and I said, okay, well, I'd rather you be,
05:21you know, a lawyer or an accountant or whatever you want to be, but she said, no, a singer.
05:25And I said, well, you should learn how to play piano or guitar.
05:27She said, well, you don't.
05:29I don't know.
05:30You should be a lawyer.
05:32She genuinely is a very, very good singer.
05:35As are the lads boys as well, and girls.
05:38You know, the talent has come through with the kids.
05:40The gene has traveled.
05:41But they formed a kind of a band.
05:43They formed a little band, and they went off and wrote a little song.
05:46It was incredible.
05:47So, you know, after, I think it was the first or second show in Belfast of the reunion tour,
05:51we were up in the dressing room, and, you know, there was these little whispers going on,
05:55and we were summonsed to a performance in the corridor.
05:58And at the time, Gia, Nikki's little girl, was.
06:00She was security.
06:02All the phones.
06:03So we didn't fill them in.
06:04So we're now fill them in.
06:05She's a good north side of mine.
06:08She sold them on eBay after.
06:09But they did a little performance of a song that they wrote along with Nicole, I think.
06:14Am I right?
06:14Yeah.
06:15And it was incredible.
06:16We were actually like, oh, my God.
06:17I love the show in my real life.
06:19Honestly.
06:20Forget about Westlife.
06:21We didn't like to get them right in for us.
06:23The West boys, Westlife.
06:24So let's go into young Westlife.
06:27Here's a photo of each of the boys when they were young.
06:30Let's guess who's who.
06:32So let's bring up the first photograph.
06:34And this is Baby.
06:35Who do you think that is?
06:36Harley.
06:37Harley.
06:38Harley.
06:39My mother used to cut my hair with a blunt knife.
06:42Did she?
06:43I think most Irish mothers did that during that.
06:45A ruler.
06:46A ruler.
06:46Who did not use a ruler?
06:48Shit, no, just a blunt knife.
06:49Okay.
06:49Child number two, please.
06:51Westchild.
06:52Who's that?
06:54Kean.
06:55Yeah.
06:55Kean.
06:56What are you hugging there?
06:57A tree.
06:58A tree.
06:58Oh.
06:59The original Greta Thunberg.
07:01Bless my dad.
07:02We had three trees.
07:04Three trees.
07:05We tree trees.
07:06And it was the place for the photographs, you know, it was the family photograph.
07:10Go to the tree, we're doing a photo.
07:11That's cute.
07:12I love that.
07:13West child number three, please.
07:15Shame.
07:16Now, in fairness, if you put a wig on that, that's the same fella.
07:22Spike it up.
07:22And who could the last one possibly be?
07:25By the process of elimination.
07:28Look at my dad there, he looks like a, I always thought my dad might have Mexican jeans in
07:33him or something.
07:33Ah, that's a nice one.
07:34As we realized when we got nearly 20,000 people looking for 200 tickets to see us tonight,
07:42when I say by us, I mean you, we realized obviously how popular and who you probably
07:48remain to be.
07:49What's the story with your fans?
07:50You have a close affinity with them?
07:52They're loyal.
07:53Yeah.
07:53They're loyal as hell.
07:54Absolutely.
07:56Unbelievable.
07:56I think the last year, we've been talking about it earlier, but we feel like the last
08:01year was probably the best year of Westlife, full stop.
08:03You know, I think that was because of the reaction from the fans and from everybody.
08:07Just honestly, the tickets, Crow Park, the album going number one today, by the way.
08:12Thank you very much, everybody.
08:16It's all good.
08:16It's just, it's been an incredible year.
08:18And, you know, if you get to play Wembley Stadium, Parky Queeb next year, it's just,
08:22it's just getting better and better.
08:24It's amazing.
08:24You know, Ron, 20 years has been, you know, of Westlife a long time.
08:27I think we did 14 great years with all these guys.
08:30And I think during the tours this year, I think when we, especially in Crow Park, we relived
08:34our youth.
08:35And I think everybody, I think that was the night there.
08:37And a lot of lads that came along.
08:38I think most of the girls that, you know, support us now are married or, you know, have
08:42husbands or boyfriends or whatever, or girlfriends.
08:44And everyone came along to the show.
08:46It was a real party atmosphere.
08:48And for us two.
08:48No, it's great.
08:49Because there's one girl there with the placard saying, Nikki, please be my uptown girl.
08:52I know, but what part of Georgina do you not understand?
08:58But I admire your ambition.
09:00Where's Lucy Kirkwood?
09:02Lucy, who did you propose to exactly?
09:04Well, I didn't actually get to propose to Mark.
09:05What happened?
09:06I can't even feed an eye.
09:09I just couldn't stop crying.
09:10I was so excited when I got told.
09:12Was this in Belfast?
09:13Yes.
09:14And you wore a wedding dress.
09:15That's you.
09:16That's you.
09:17Wait, wait, wait.
09:17What happened?
09:18Oh, there's me.
09:19That picture haunts me.
09:20Take your breath.
09:21What the hell happened?
09:24Well, I had the dress for a Halloween costume.
09:26And then like a week later, Westlife announced they were coming to Belfast.
09:29Do a signing.
09:30And there was like thousands of people.
09:31So I said, right, I need to do something to get noticed.
09:34So stuck the wedding dress on, camped out overnight.
09:37And the guys heard that.
09:39Well, Lucy, that story has been told by us a million times.
09:42That's a great idea.
09:42And everybody took me a lot of food.
09:44We have Mark.
09:45She's here.
09:45Before she sees where Lucy was, proposing to Mark, she was barking up the wrong tree.
09:50She went.
09:52It's true.
09:52You have to get the wedding dress back.
09:53But you got a photo with Mark anyway.
09:55Well, it's a terrible photo.
09:56I would love to get another photo because I've met the guys a couple times and I've never
09:59thought of these and picture with them.
10:01Okay.
10:01Where's Edmund Ryan?
10:02Yes, sir.
10:03Edmund, you've got a slow set story for me?
10:06I do, Ryan.
10:07Yeah.
10:08Tell me everything.
10:09Ryan, you're putting me in an awkward position here now.
10:12Even better.
10:12Yeah.
10:13Brilliant.
10:14Yeah, I guess I was 14 years of age and I was at my first Underage Disco and all the
10:20boys were on one side of the hall and the girls were on the other side of the hall.
10:22Yeah.
10:23And it was kind of an awkward moment because there was a girl there from school that had
10:25a massive crush on.
10:26And I was like, will I, won't I?
10:28And the next thing, like flying without wings come on and the boys gave me a little bit
10:31of oomph I needed.
10:33Off I went.
10:34You flew across.
10:35Yeah.
10:36It felt like it anyway.
10:37Yeah.
10:38And you went off and did you get the slow set?
10:40I got the slow set.
10:41Did you get the shift?
10:42Yeah, yeah, yeah.
10:43I got the shift.
10:44You got the shift.
10:45You got the shift.
10:46Yeah.
10:51He didn't marry you at all, no?
10:53Thanks, Ryan.
10:53Thanks.
10:53Sorry, who's that beside you?
10:55This is my beautiful girlfriend.
10:56You want to use that to shift from 18, 19, 19, 27?
10:59No, thanks.
10:59Thanks, Ryan.
11:00Hence the awkward position at the start.
11:02Are you, are you, are you?
11:04Anyway, let's just keep going.
11:05I'm just going to kill him later on.
11:08I'll just take a first dance, you know, flying without wings.
11:10Sinead Doyle is here and where is she?
11:13I don't see.
11:14There you are.
11:14Hi, Sinead.
11:14Hi.
11:15These boys and their music is very important to you for reasons of the heart.
11:20Isn't that right?
11:21Can you tell us why?
11:22Yeah, I have a favorite song, I'll See You Again.
11:25Oh, yeah.
11:26And why do you pick that song, Sinead?
11:27Well, I heard it a few years ago.
11:29It didn't really play much.
11:30Like, it was a nice song.
11:32And I'm a huge fan, like, years and years.
11:34But our son died four years ago.
11:37Oh, God.
11:38What was his name?
11:39Connor.
11:40And how old?
11:40He was born sleeping at 38 weeks.
11:41He was born asleep.
11:42Okay.
11:43Yeah, 10 pounder.
11:44Okay.
11:44So, that was four years ago.
11:46But about kind of a year ago, I was out walking, risk walking.
11:49And I have the playlist, all the albums.
11:52And it came on.
11:54And people used to say to me, oh, there's a feather.
11:56That must be Connor.
11:57And, you know, when you lose someone, you kind of get angry and you go, yeah, whatever.
12:00Yeah, sure.
12:01I heard the song again, and I hadn't heard it in a long time.
12:04And it just gave me peace.
12:06Yeah.
12:06And I'm not being dramatic.
12:08Come up and say hello to the boys.
12:09Come up and say hello to the boys.
12:13That's a nice song.
12:15That is a beautiful story.
12:20I'm not kidding.
12:20That was a lovely story.
12:21I have a brave thing to do.
12:22Say hello.
12:23You know, it's amazing the power of music, isn't it?
12:26That it can do that.
12:26That it can do that.
12:27That it can do that.
12:27That it can do that.
12:27That it can do that.
12:28That it can do that.
12:28That it can do that.
12:29I love your face.
12:30I love your face.
12:30I love your face.
12:31I love your face.
12:31That was a cardboard cutout.
12:32That's right.
12:32Yeah, yeah.
12:32That was 10 years ago.
12:33Oh, okay.
12:34Next year, I want to create this.
12:35Sorry.
12:36Don't leave me out there.
12:37Do you have a cardboard cutout?
12:38Do you have a cardboard cutout?
12:39Of shame.
12:40Of shame.
12:41It looks like this.
12:46You can relive the cardboard.
12:47Thanks.
12:48Before you go, tell me.
12:51Come over this side.
12:52Do you have children?
12:53I do.
12:54I have a five-year-old.
12:55Connor would have been four in August.
12:56I have a two-year-old and a one-year-old.
12:58Give me their names.
12:59I have Liam.
13:00Yeah.
13:00Connor, Maria, and Megan.
13:01And Connor's memory lives long.
13:03Yes.
13:04Well, listen.
13:04Thanks for coming and sharing your story.
13:06I'm 40 next year.
13:07I'd like a free ticket to cook.
13:08Yeah.
13:10Never missing a trip.
13:11Never missing a trip.
13:13Absolutely.
13:14Absolutely.
13:15Nice to go.
13:15Okay.
13:16Did we mention we're playing in court next year?
13:18Are you playing in court next year?
13:19You're giving free tickets to Sinead?
13:20That's wonderful.
13:21That'd be good.
13:22Do you know what, Ryan?
13:23We're playing court for two nights,
13:24but we want to say that it's our only stadium show in Ireland.
13:27In Ireland.
13:28On this tour next year.
13:29Okay.
13:29So people are saying that why aren't we doing other cities and stuff like that.
13:31We just picked, because we did Crowe Park, we said, you know what?
13:34We're going to go to court this year.
13:35No, you're going to court, lads.
13:35Absolutely.
13:36It's going to be a great weekend.
13:38It's been great to have you on the show tonight.
13:40Don't be strangers, you know,
13:42and happy Christmas to you and all your families.
13:44I have a feeling that things are just going to keep getting better and better.
13:47Will you give us one last song before you go?
13:49Why don't you head over to the...
13:50Cheers, guys.
13:52Take the microphone.
13:54I'll go back over here.
13:55Yeah, I'll go back over here.
13:55Okay.
13:56Let's live, prepare to sing for us once more.
13:58And what I want to say is thank you to all our fans for talking,
14:05but particularly Sinead for your lovely story.
14:07Thank you very much for that.
14:08It was really thoughtful.
14:09We appreciate that.
14:10Okay.
14:12Okay.
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