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New! Magazine Interview & Picture – March 2007

There’s No Room In Westlife For Brian

The boys set the record straight on former bandmate Brian Mcfadden and update us on babies, wedding plans and flying fancies!

For eight years now, Westlife have enjoyed their status as the UK's biggest boyband. With 14 UK No.1s singles under their belts, Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Nicky Byrne and Kian Egan can apparently do no wrong, and the fact that Take That are back on the scene and Boyzone are said to be uniting doesn’t seem to be worrying the band in the slightest. After all they’ve overcome worse. When Brian McFadden dramatically left the group to go solo in 2004, many thought it signalled the end for the boys from Ireland. Three years later, however, the band is going from strength, which is more than can be said for Brian's solo career.

And the boys aren’t doing too bad in their personal lives, either. Since coming out as gay in 2005, Mark, 26, has been dating former V member Kevin McDaid for two years. Nicky, 28, is expecting twins with his wife Georgina, Shane, 27,is happily married to Gillian and dad to 19 month old Nicole, and Kian 26, is loved up with actress Jodi Albert, who he’s been with for four years now, So when new! caught up with the lads before they embarked on their latest tour, we chatted between photos and their joys of family life and whether they’d ever let Brian into Westlife....

Shane, you’ve said Brian was silly to leave Westlife when he did, Do you stand by that?
S:: It was his decision to leave the band and we respect that 100% but I was saying you’d be made to leave Westlife purely on a financial basis. But if you’re not happy in you personal life, then money doesn’t matter.
N:: When you see how happy we are, you do feel "Jesus, why would you want to leave like that?" we live amazing f***ing lives, we see the world over, we perform constantly.
M:: Brian needed to leave at that point. It was something he needed to do…

Would you take him back?
S:: We would never have him back. We definitely wouldn’t rule out singing with him again but we’re so used to being a four piece. He's got a different life now.
N:: Lets put the record straight - There’s no room for Brian in Westlife now. I haven’t had this conversation with Brian but there’s no reason for him to want to be in Westlife now anyway. When he left we totally changed the dynamics and we’ve built up a whole new career as four, so we’re kind of a different band. If we keep going for as long as we intend then Brian will become a distant memory eventually.

Do you still see Brian’s' ex Kerry Katona?
M:: Yeah I still see her but not very often. I’ll text her occasionally and she will text me, but sometimes peoples lives just change and go in different directions. The way I look at the Kerry thing is that I have millions of really fond memories and we had really good fun with her, It’s a shame that we don’t see each other as much as we used to, but she’s moved on now and I think that’s great.
N:: For me, she’s an acquaintenance. We say hello for five minutes but I’ve not spoken to her for three years and don’t have any contact with her. Neither does Georgina, my wife.

Shane, how is life with your daughter Nicole in it?
She’s a proper little girl now. She knows what she wants and likes to get it! She’s starting to talk alot and she likes to climb the stairs on her own, so we have gates everywhere.

Do you and Gillian want more kids eventually?
Oh definitely yes, Wed love to but not right now. I’d like to have three or four kids but with nice age gaps in between. It would be perfect in two years to try and have another baby

Have you been given Nicky your tips on fatherhood?
It’s very hard to advise somebody on how to bring up their child but I tell him different things that have happened with Nicole over the past year. I think he and Georgina are very broody and very excited. It’ll be a complete change to their lifestyles.

Nicky how is Georgina's pregnancy going?
She’s great thanks; The twins have just grown up so quickly. She’s over most of the sickness now but whoever called it morning sickness was having a joke. It’s all day sickness. She was really ill for a long time buts she's so much better now and we’re just so excited. To have two in one is just the icing on the cake.

Is there a history of twins in your families?
Yeah, on both sides, I was getting all the blame in the beginning but I was speaking to one of Georgina’s aunts over Christmas and they were saying it’s on their side too.

Willy you find out the sexes?
N:: Were still debating that.
M:: You need to know for their rooms surely?
N:: No! We can do it cream or whatever. We had a conversation with the midwife recently and said the difference when you hand someone a new baby who doesn’t know and tell them it’s a boy or a girl is amazing. I said to Georgina "Why don’t we find out what one of them is, then we will still have a surprise. She told me off and said “We can’t do that!”

Have you chosen baby names yet?
We’ve thought about names but I’m not giving anything away.

Mark, how is your relationship with Kevin going at the moment?
Fantastic, It’s been two years now and the best two years of my life to be honest. It’s the final piece of my jigsaw.

Was it difficult hiding your sexuality for so long?
Being in love with someone and in a relationship was something I craved and really wanted. I’ve had that for the past two years and it’s been the most positive change I’ve ever experienced. He’s absolutely wonderful. He lives with me in my apartment and I love him very much.

Any plans to marry Kevin?
We’re not at that stage yet. It’s definitely not something I’d rule out but it’s just not something we’ve talked about. We’re extremely comfortable with each other in our relationship. Believe me, if we ever do decide to get married I’ll be shouting it from the roof tops.

What about you Kian, are you going to propose to Jodi anytime soon?
Mine and Jodi's relationship is all goes. Without a doubt I’d like to get married in the future and obviously I think Jodi is the person I’m going to marry but whether its next year or the year after I don’t know.

What kind of wedding bash would you have?
M:: I’d have a big fabulous party.
K:: If Jodi and I talk about it, we always talk about something a bit different. We’d probably prefer a tropical-style wedding. Id like to get married have a year off and go travelling. When we travel with the band we go first class and stay in fancy hotels. I’d like to rough it a bit and backpack. Jodi would probably insist on first class though.

Credit/Source: New! Magazine / Joanne