It may have been eight years since their first number one, but Westlife have still most definitely got it going on.

Admitting you like Westlife is as embarrassing as being caught with the entire Celine Dion back catalogue (God knows they've had as many cheesy number ones as she has), but when we hear Flying Without Wings we can't resist belting out the chorus - no matter how badly. And we can't be the only ones.

Since they released Swear It Again in 1999, Westlife have sold 36 million records, scored 14 UK number ones, and racked up eight multi-platinum albums. So will the ninth album be any exception? We meant to ask when we caught up with the lads in plush London hotel Claridge's, but were so stunned by how fit they are (frankly, we'd shag them all, including Mark, the gay one! ) we clean forgot.

Wow, you've been at this pop lark for such a long time now. Is it all just as exciting as ever?
Nicky: 'We were starting to feel a bit too old for it but when we heard TT were making a comeback, it made us feel like spring chinkens.'
Mark: 'And there's always a different chart battle going on. Last year it was against Oasis and this year it's the Spice Girls.'
Shane: 'We're probably more excited about our new album than any of our others because other than the Michael Buble song we covered, it's all our own material.'

You've had 14 number ones. Do you kick yourselves when a record doesn't make the top spot?
Shane: 'We've become victims of our own success because we put pressure on ourselves to get to the top. If a song in at number three, we're not happy, which is ridiculous. We'd like at least 20 number ones before we call it quits.'
Kian: 'If anything, getting a number one is more satisfying now because rather than releasing seven singles a year we're only releasing one. And we're proud to be here after so long. The market's tougher now, because when we started pop music was more popular. These days, many radio stations don't want to play our stuff.'

Are your knees starting to creak during your performances now you're older?
Mark: 'We're probably all healthier and fitter than ever, which makes it easier.'
Nicky: 'Unlike when we did our first tour. We were in our early 20s and after every show it was like being let out of a cage. We'd have wrestling matches with security because we were tanked and thought we could take them on. They'd have to control us without doing too much damage.'
Shane: 'We definitly used to burn the candle at both ends. But now we're better behaved and focused on making the band last as long as possible.
Nicky:[Laughs] So we only go out three nights a week now!'
Kian: 'And we've worked out how to cure hangovers.'

This we need to hear!
Kian: 'It's easy. When you wake up dying, you knock back a couple of Nurofen with a pint of water, then go back to sleep. When you wake up again, your hangover's gone.'
Shane: 'My hangovers aren't so bad since I gave up vodka. I haven't touched it since a run-in with it a few years ago.'

Really? What happened?
Shane: 'We went out on the beers but I hadn't eaten much so I got drunk quickly. Halfway through the night I switched to vodka and don't remember anything else until the following morning, when I woke up feeling worse than I ever have in my life.'
Kian: 'He was so bad we practically had him on suicide watch in case the pain got too much and he decided to end it.'
Shane: 'Now I can't even look at a bottle of vodka without feeling sick. I definitely think I had alcohol poisoning.'

You've been off the radar for most of this year. Does that mean you can go out without being spotted now?
Shane: 'We get recognised more than ever now - and it's worse if you disguise yourself. It's best to go about your business like everyone else..'
Kian: 'If you're looking to get recognised you will. I was on the Tube the other day with my girlfriend Jodi [Albert, of Hollyoaks fame] and no one batted an eyelid because we kept our selves to ourselves.'
Shane: 'You must've been lucky - if I go shopping in London at least 20 or 30 people will try and take a photo on their phone. I'd much rather they just asked.'
Kian: 'Camera phones are the worst invention ever. You can't away with anything any more because there's always a camera in your face.'

So, do hordes of screaming fans still mob you?
Mark: 'We get followed more than mobbed, which is a bit awkward. I'll be out shopping when I'll notice someone who I've seen in every shop.'
Shane: 'And we still get women on hen night who are all pissed and pulling their tops up while we're performing - one of the perks of the job!'
Nicky: 'I was in HMV last week when a girl came up and said "you're my daybreak." I didn't know what she was on about, but apparently it's when you and your partner agree to have one person yoo're allowed to sleep with if you had a day off from the relationship.'

That must be hard for your wife to hear. How do your partners handle all the attention you get?
Mark: 'We respect them for coping with it because it's not something most people have to deal with in relationships.'
Shane: 'But they're used to it.'
Mark: 'Everyone has baggage. If they dated a fishmonger he'd come home smelling of fish.'
Shane: 'We just come home smelling of success.'

Now Nicky and Shane are both married and Kian and Mark, you're both settled with your partners, do you miss being single?
Nicky: 'Not at all. At the start Mark, Bryan and Kian were all single and they had plenty of fun. Me and Shane have always been in relationships, so we left them to it and got our kicks listening to their stories!'
Kian: 'It was fun, but it's only a period of waiting to find the one you'll spend your life with.'

That's so sweet. Is there any relationship advice you'd give your 20-year-old self?
Kian: 'Idon't know any more about women than I did then. They're so different. Jodi was in a foul mood yesterday and there was no reason for it.'
Shane: 'That's not just women, that's everyone.'
Kian: 'But women are so much worse for it than us.'

Is there anything that still confuses you about women?
Kian: 'The way they think they can have close male friends and believe the friend doesn't want to sleep with them. When I first met Jodi, she had a male friend who was always popping round and I was like, "Are you having a laugh?"'
Shane: 'Yeah, he probably planned to pop round with a weepy film when you were on tour and say, "Don't worry Jodi, I'll look after you."'
Kian: 'I'm in trouble when she reads this. [Doing impression of Jodi's cockney accent] "I can't believe you said that!"'

Your reputation has always been clean cut. Do you ever feel like becoming bad boys?
Shane: 'Nah, we're just normal blokes and none of us wants to get in trouble and disrespect our mums.'
Nicky: 'We're all afraid of that feeling when you wake up the next day and think "****. What have I done?"'
Shane: 'We were careful in the early days and luckily we liked spending time together, so we didn't fall into bad company.'

You've been at it almost a decade. Do you intend to still be banging out the hits when you're in your 60s?
Kian: 'Yes, if people are still buying our records.'
Shane: 'And we're so proud of our latest album - but we still like singing our old stuff. I'll never get tired of singing Flying Without Wings.'
Mark: 'Every time the intro plays you feel yourself gearing up, as it's not an easy song. We'll never forget our roots.'

Credit/Source: Thanx Jane for typing it up / New Woman Magazine

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