NEWS & UPDATES ~ AUGUST 2006
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Westlife Face The Truth – Mark Interview - 31 August 2006 by Myles
Wearring WESTLIFE’S
OPENLY GAY MARK FEEHILY DISCUSSES COMING OUT, BEING IN A BOYBAND One year
ago this month, Mark Feehily, member of Irish boyband Westlife, publicly came
out of the closet. In the Speaking on
what was supposed to be the eve of the band’s first Australian tour – the
tour has just been postponed until 2007 – Feehily said he didn’t out himself
because the tabloids were threatening to do it for him (as was apparently the
case for Stephen Gately from Boyzone, who came out in 1999). He simply felt
it was finally time to do it. “I always
say I should’ve done it years ago,” Feehily told Sydney Star Observer
from his home in “The band
seemed to be going strong and in order for me to be happy and move forward I
just wanted to get it out of the way. And it was the best decision I’ve ever
made in my life by a mile, because it’s just made my life so much better.” Most
boybands don’t last long – “technically” they are only meant to last three or
four years, according to Feehily. Yet Westlife are still hot property seven
years after their first hit single, Swear It Again. They’ve sold more
than 35 million albums worldwide and their seventh record, Face To Face,
shot to number one on the Australian charts earlier this year. “Nobody
expected the band to last this long, and I kind of never knew whether or not
I was going to have to face up to it and come out publicly, if I was ever
going to be asked to do that,” he said. Because the
band’s four members regularly grace the pages of Britain’s celebrity-obsessed
tabloids, when Feehily became involved in his “first proper relationship”
with singer Kevin McDaid, who was in former British boyband V, he realised
the time was right to do it. “Obviously
when I started going out with Kevin I thought, I don’t want to sneak around,
to go for dinner and be scared someone’s going to see us and put two and two
together.” The
26-year-old’s friends, family and bandmates had known he was gay for years
and were all supportive. And, to his surprise, after he went public so were
his fans. “I didn’t
know what to expect from the fans because of the way boybands are designed to
appeal. I was bracing myself for any amount of reactions. But to this day, a
year later, I haven’t experienced even one word of negative response, which
is fantastic.” This is due
partly, he said, because he never tried to use sex appeal to attract female
fans like some boyband members. Instead he hoped they would just appreciate
him for his voice (Feehily is widely regarded as having the strongest voice
in the band). “I think
Westlife has always been more about the songs than about having six-packs,
because none of us do have six-packs anyway,” he laughed. Plus he
made a point of not lying about his sexuality. “Obviously being in a pop band
like this you’re always doing interviews with newspapers and magazines and it
was definitely kind of weird or awkward speaking about my love life. But I
just tried my best to remain as honest as possible without actually giving
away that side of me until I was ready to do it.” Since
Feehily came out last year, Lance Bass from NSYNC has followed suit, as has He and
McDaid are still together and going strong, he said, but rumours they were
planning a civil partnership aren’t true. Not yet anyway. “If I was,
the whole world would know because it’s something I’d be celebrating,” he
said. “I wouldn’t be keeping it quiet.” info Westlife's
Australian tour has been postponed. For more info see Ticketek. Credit/Source: www.ssonet.com.au |
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Westlife Tour To Touch
Down In By Daphne Su Special to
The Pop sensation Westlife are coming back
to The Irish group brought the world such hits as
"Flying Without Wings," "Swear It Again," "Seasons
in the Sun," "Uptown Girl" and now "You Raise Me
Up." Promoting their seventh and newest album, "Face
to Face," Westlife are touring Among the songs they will perform, their latest
single and cover version of a The band's musical influences include the Backstreet
Boys, Boyzone and Boyz II Men. Westlife is the only artist to win "Record of
the Year" four times in a row in the At their Credit/Source: www.chinapost.com.tw |
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Note & “Respectable” Starts Tonight - 30 August 2006 Hiya everyone! There are not any news
about the lads around as you can see… They finished their Summer Concerts and
have the Asian Tour next so hopefully there will be some news and pictures
soon J For now, Jodi’s new TV show
“Respectable” starts tonight at |
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From Five
To Four, Yet Fans Want More - 29 August 2006 HE was always the quiet one in
the background, leaving his more outspoken bandmates to face the limelight. But ever since Westlife heart-throb
Mark Feehily admitted to being gay, the spotlight has come to rest on him. When The New Paper spoke to him
over the phone from 'My fans have accepted me for
who I am, and I am still doing the one thing that I love the most, and that
is singing,' said the 26-year-old. Following Feehily's public
outing, Lance Bass of Does Feehily think he has
started a trend? The dark-haired crooner laughed
it off. He was more candid about how Westlife was getting on without former
member Brian McFadden. 'We've settled very comfortably
as a four-member band. This year marks the eighth
anniversary of the Irish band, who will perform in With their growing fan base,
Westlife seems set to remain on the scene for a few more years. Feehily said: 'We're not like
the Spice Girls with Geri (Halliwell) and Take That with Robbie (Williams) -
great bands that have met with internal disagreements and fallen apart.' 'The boys and I have been
friends since we were 10 and understand one another.' However, he already has a Plan B
should things go wrong. 'I'll sing my days away,' he
said. 'Be it in theatre, or just a regular pub, I know that I will always be
out there singing and performing.' Credit/Source: http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg |
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New Tour Review & Pictures - 28 August 2006 I added a new review from Westlife’s
concert at the Faenol Festival on 25 August 2006. There are also some pictures
from the show. You will find a link to them at the end of the review. |
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CD Piracy Weighs On Music Industry - 28 August 2006 LONDON (Reuters) - The music industry lost an
estimated 165 million pounds in 2005 due to CD piracy, the British
Phonographic Industry (BPI) said on Monday. The trade organisation said the losses amounted to
more than the combined legal sales of the top 13 albums in the country last
year, namely James Blunt, Coldplay, Robbie Williams, Kaiser Chiefs, Gorillaz,
Westlife, Now 62, KT Tunstall,
Kelly Clarkson, Eminem, Faithless, Katie Melua and Killers. The BPI estimates about 37 million pirate compact
discs are sold across "This amounts to 16.5 million lost sales, or
165 million pounds in lost revenue," it said in a statement. The survey was carried out in February and March
this year. The BPI urged the police to make intellectual
property crime more of a priority and called for regulation of car boot sales
and markets as well as making company directors liable when employees took
part in piracy. "Already the In April this year, the same group reported that
losses in 2005 from illegal filesharing on the Internet reached 414 million
pounds and 1.1 billion pounds in the three years to 2005. (c)
Reuters 2006 Credit/Source: www.scotsman.com
/ www.reuters.co.uk |
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If I Was Watching Me On TV I Would Probably Think, 'He's A Little
Bollix' - 27 August 2006 Louis Walsh Interview. Shortened
and only includes the bits he mentions Westlife. To read all the interview click
here LOUIS WALSH is the Truman Capote of his generation -
relentlessly observant, murderously witty and shamelessly catty. Often in
thesame sentence . . . … He is not a fan of Bob Geldof either. "I think
the 45 people who went to see him in … Dazzlingly scandalous, Louis casually reveals
conversations that were possibly never meant for public consumption. However,
since he does so with a wit worthy of Dorothy Parker or Tallulah Bankhead,
you have to adore him. When Louis said on Celebrity X Factor that contestant
Gillian McKeith "looks like she was hit by a bus", he was merely
saying what most of us were thinking. (Gillian later told the Sun that Walsh
needed "a super-charged enema".) Likewise the notorious comment
about rotund Green Party TD Dan Boyle on Celebrity You're a Star . . . "I couldn't understand the uproar when I said,
'Get rid of the fat one'," he smiles now. "I thought he would have
taken it in fun. It wasn't meant to be a personal thing. And the fat one took
it personally and threw a wobbler. Wobbly threw a wobbler! I was just trying
to be funny and he had absolutely no sense of humour. I think all politicians
are the same. I don't believe any of them. I don't trust any of them.
Generally Irish politicians are the oddest-looking shower of people I have
ever seen." Even Nicky
Byrne from Westlife's father-in-law?
"I think they are all awful," he
reiterates. "Absolutely no star quality, the lot of them." … Clearly, the Irish priesthood's loss is popular
music's gain. "I am just a man," he claims, "who understands
pop." This is something of an understatement. He has had more number one
records than any Irish manager in popular history. He created bands like
Boyzone, Westlife and Girls Aloud
and made them into global phenomena. He made Shayne Ward an international
star. … A firm believer in loyalty, Louis went to support
his old friend (and co-manager of Boyzone) John Reynolds at his Midlands
Festival recently in Co Meath. He delighted in how well Shane Lynch did on
the recent He hasn't lost touch with the ex-Westlife star, nor with himself.
Louis has the emotional intelligence to admit that he is more proud of his
friendship with Joan Rivers than of any other celebrity contacts he has. He
laughs. "She is 73 and she is brilliant. She is a great woman and a very
nice woman off camera and off stage. She is a one-off." … Unforgettably, Louis gained additional renown by
making up the odd story or two about his bands to keep them in the papers:
sensational falsehoods like Westlife
in near-fatal plane crashes and Stephen Gately getting engaged to Baby Spice
Emma Bunton. … Was Kerry
Katona the Yoko Ono influence of Westlife?
"No. I just think Kerry and Brian were
too young to get married. They wouldn't listen to anybody. They wouldn't
listen to me. They shouldn't have got married." There is a pause and
then a knowing wink. " . . . to each other". He laughs. "But
who am I to tell them? Brian is
really happy. We are best friends. We are probably closer and more honest
than we ever were. I don't know any band that gets on as well as me and Westlife and Brian." … Shedloads of money and gargantuan success haven't
blunted his ambition. "I do want to do one more boy band by the
way," he admits. "And I'm going to do it next year. It will be five
boys. That's allI know." Does that mean you are making the funeral
arrangements for Westlife?
"Oh no. Westlife have crossed
over. Their audience is not young kids any more. Westlife can go on as long as they want because their audience
are mammies and daddies now. "Westlife
are like the Bee Gees," he says. "And they are happier as a
four-piece, even though I am still really good friends with Brian McFadden. Honestly! Honestly!
Honestly!" he roars like his mum getting him up for altar boy duties at
mass. "There is absolutely no bullshit there. Westlife are even doing a duet with Delta," he says referring to Brian's chanteuse girlfriend Delta Goodrem. … His trusty Blackberry whirrs again. It is Simon
Cowell. And then Rebecca Loos. And then Shane
Filan from Westlife. Louis
blows the froth off yet another cappuccino and looks out the window of this
famously trendy Barry Egan Credit/Source: www.unison.ie |
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High Quality Jodi OK! Magazine Scans - 26 August 2006 OK! magazine came in my country
today so I made HQ scans from Jodi’s photoshoot:
Credit/Source: OK! Magazine |
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Tour News - 26 August
2006 I added an article “Westlife – Twickenham” at the Tour News/Reviews page. |
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Westlife’s Amazing
Eur2M Each To Tour - 25 August
2006
Credit/Source: www.mirror.co.uk
/ Mizzfit |
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Soapstar Sexpot - 25 August
2006 Jodi Albert goes from Hollyoaks to hooker in her new TV role She's best known for her role as Debbie
Dean in Hollyoaks and, of course, her famous boyfriend, Westlife's Kian Egan.
But Jodi Albert, 23, is back on our screens as prostitute Hayley in new five
sitcome Respectable. We caught up with the star to find out all about the
show and her plans for the future... You play a hooker in your new show Respectable. Is it a bit sleazy? "No it's not sleazy or tacky. It's
clever and quick-witted. The relationship between all the girls has a bit of
Sex and the city vibe. But it's unique and I think people will enjoy
it." Are there any naughty scenes in it? "No, it's all kind of suggestive. It's
more about the comedy timing and the situations. For the girls in the brothel
where my character works, it's just a job. You see them all just sitting
around in the kitchen reading magazines, filing their nails in between
clients and having coffee. It's fun." You weren't expected to do any research, though? "No, not really! The thing is that
the show is so light-hearted and tongue-in-cheek that there's nothing serious
about it. I didn't have to do anything rude." So you wouldn't worry about your family or boyfriend watching it? "No, no! I wouldn't mind them
watching it at all. I'd be quite proud of it." Your character Hayley dreams of making it as a reality TV star. What do
you think of reality TV? "I did take part of a type of
reality TV show before, called California Dreaming, but that was more like a
documentary. It was very much about my career - about acting lessons and
agents, stuff like that." Did anything come out of your time in LA? "Actually, when I was there, I went
for a film casting and I got the part. But then one of my best friends was in
a tragic car accident, so I turned down the film and flew home to be with my
parents. It was all bad timing, really." Would you ever consider taking part in a show like Love Island "No, I like watching celebrity
reality TV shows, but I don't want to take part in one." But we heard you were to take part in X Factor: "Yes, that's true. There were some
conversations about it, but it wasn't really right for me. It was fun to
watch, though." You were voted Sexiest Female at last year's British Soap Awards. Do you
ever wish you weren't so damn pretty? "I don't take it too seriously, you
know! I feel very flattered. I take it as a compliment, but generally I don't
get wrapped up in looks. I'm not one of those people who would spend two
hours getting ready. I'm not a dieting freak. I don't ever starve myself or
anything ridiculous." So, what's next for you career-wise? "I'd love Respectable to do really
well and do a second series. I think as long as I can keep doing something -
whether it be acting, singing or dancing - I'll be happy, because they're my
passion in life. As long as I'm doing one or the other, I don't mind." Would you ever consider joining a girlband again [Jodi was a member of
Girl Thing]? "I loved being part of a band, and I
loved singing and performing, so who knows what could happen? I wouldn't rule
it out." Do you see anyone from Hollyoaks? "I do. I got a lot of friends from
the show. I still keep in contact with Andy McNair who played my on-screen
boyfriend, Dan. He's a really nice guy. And one of my best friends, Carley
Stenson, played my sister Steph. I loved Hollyoaks. It was a good part of my
life. I'm proud of that." Catch Jodi in
Respectable on Wednesday at Credit/Source: Star Magazine |
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Tour News Added - 25 August
2006 Hiya everyone J I added some Tour News so check them out. Have fun everyone who sees Westlife in
concert tonight!! xxx Villy |
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Jodi Interview & Pictures In OK! Magazine - 25 August 2006 Thanx
Joanne for scanning the pictures and typing up the interview.
Taking a break from our glamorous shoot
in our secret East London location, Jodi Albert is quite happy chatting to OK
crew about how she and her other half, Westlife's Kian Egan, are always
spotted in public, particularly on the underground. "We can be wearing
baseball caps pulled down over our eyes," she says "but some girl
will always spot Kian - and on the Tube there’s no escape!" Credit/Source: OK! Magazine / Joanne |
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The Boys Are Back In Town - 24 August 2006 Thanx Rachie Westlife’s SHANE FILAN, 27, chats with Celine Tan about going back to
their syrupy, ballady roots, and yes, panty projectiles. 8 DAYS: People say the boyband is dead. What do you think? SHANE FILAN: I don’t think
so. We’re not dead! I think Westlife is just as successful as we were five
years ago. Face To Face [the seventh album, released last October] was huge
across Does the flak from being in a boyband bother you? I really don’t care about that. They
can say, boyband this, and boyband that. We’re a boyband, pop group, whatever
you want to call us. We have a very nice life. We’ve made a lot of money, and
we’ve got nicer cars than they do. (laughs) Things are very different for you now, though. You’re married and your
baby girl just had her first birthday. Oh yes, it was unbelievable. We did a
concert on her birthday, near Cool. Have your fans changed too? We have an older fan base now. The
girls who loved us when they were 14 or 15 are now 23, 24 years old. A lot of
them understand that we’re normal guys and that we have normal lives. I’m
happy that our personal lives are so normal. Do you still get under-wear flung at you? Oh yes! We always get the underwear! (Chuckles)
We might get two or three per concert. It still happens! Actually, we get
more now. The fans used to be younger – they were girls not women. They
didn’t dare to take off their underwear. But we don’t take it too seriously -
we make a joke of it. Aren’t you guys sick of singing ballads yet? The new album is full of
syrupy ballads. No, not really. I love singing
ballads. That’s what we’re good at – we’re good singers. We tried a different
sound on [our fifth album] Turnaround. It was deeper, darker and it didn’t
work as well. It wasn’t a brilliant album. Face To Face is typical Westlife.
We’ve gone back to those first albums. The next album, which we’re now
working on and will be out end of the year, is like that as well. It’s why
people love us, it’s been proven so many times. It’s music we love to make,
those big power ballads. Mark Feehily said he could see Face To Face’s first single “You Raise
Me Up” becoming a favourite at weddings and funerals like “Swear It Again”!
Isn’t that kind of morbid? Well if a song can reach out to two
completely different markets – the sad and the happy – then it’s a very
successful song. Westlife’s
Face To Face tour to the Credit/Source: 8 DAYS / Rachie |
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Delta Joins Up With Westlife - 24 August 2006 Eva Simpson & Caroline Hedley BRIAN McFadden
may have ditched Westlife, but his girlfriend Delta Goodrem has no qualms
about working with them. She sings All Out Of Love with them on their next
LP. Is she trying to tell Bri something? Credit/Source: www.mirror.co.uk |
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Cover Story: Facing Up To
Westlife - 24 August 2006
Westlife’s nicky fesses up to the boy band way of
life. After a four months break, one of the biggest groups
is back on the fast track to world –wide musical domination. How’s the
tour been so far?
Credit/Source: www.mmail.com.my |
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New Affiliates
Added - 23 August 2006 Visit my new Affiliates
I also added some Tour News a few hours ago so check them if you haven’t
already. |
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New Tour
Pictures From I added 19 lovely new Tour Fanpictures from Westlife’s concert at Also, I added 37 Official Tour Pictures from Credit/Source: Joanie for the fanpictures / www.wireimage.com
for the official ones |
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I Had PC
Problems - 22 August 2006 Hellooo everyone! I’m very sorry for not updating the site since 16
August… My pc got virus and I couldn’t even turn it on L I had to wait for my parents to be back from their holidays
to use their laptop until my pc will be fixed. I will add some affiliates tomorrow, thanx for your
emails J I’ll reply to you all tonight. Also, I added some Tour News. I will add some tour pictures too tomorrow. |
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New Jodi Interview - 22 August 2006 When Brian McFadden left his
wife, Kerry Katona, and found love with singer Delta Goodrem, Delta got a rough
ride from Kerry’s fans.
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Take That Were A Huge
Influence On All Of Us - 22 August 2006 |
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Westlife Goes On - 22 August 2006
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Kian’s Parachute Jump Verdict: ‘It’s Better Than Being On Stage’ - 16 August 2006 Westlife’s Kian Egan may be at ease at belting out
the ballads in front of 15,000 screaming fans, however, the Sligo star
certainly showed his nerves when he took part in a skydive from 15,000 feet
last Wednesday. By Maria Tracey Both Kian and his girlfriend, former Hollyoaks
actress, Jodi Albert took their parachutes and jumped at the Irish Parachute
Club in Clonbullogue, Co Offaly to raise funds for the Strandhill Indonesian
Relief Fund (SIRF). The charity was set up by three Strandhill surfers,
student Allan Mulrooney and brothers, Barry and David Mottershead, originally
from To date over €12,000 has been raised for the fund,
which will help rebuild the Indonesian The surfing trio also joined Kian and Jodi on the
parachute jump, which served as a platform to promote the charity on a
national scale. “I had been to “I wanted to do something for the cause and when the
parachute jump was mentioned, I thought, ‘excellent, let’s do it’.” Speaking to The Sligo Champion, Kian added
that the jump was a “fantastic feeling” and “even more exhilarating than
being on stage”. “I just wanted to go straight back up there,” he
said. Kian added that Jodi, who had not planned to
participate in the skydive until that morning, felt that it was “one of the
best things she had ever done in her life”. Organiser Allan Mulrooney said that the Westlife
star had come off the jump looking “wide eyed” and “10 times more ecstatic
than when he comes off stage”. “It was just a crazy experience and honestly the
best thing I’ve ever done,” said the 20 year-old. “When you think that 150 fans turned up and saw Kian
signing autographs for almost two hours wearing the SIRF t-shirt along with
the publicity from the press on it, it really got the charity’s name out
there, which was great.” Westlife members, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan and
Nicky Byrne all sponsored €1,000 each towards the jump, while Kian has also
put a similar sum forward. In addition, the Westlife star has supplied a personalised
framed platinum award of their seven albums to date signed by all four
Westlife members for the charity. The disc, which was put on E Bay last week, has made
Ł765 to date and will remain on the website until Sunday. Coupled with the disc, the surfboard of world
championship-winning Mark Richard donated by Matt Britton of Surfers Village,
will also go up for auction. It is hoped that these events will help increase
awareness of the plight in More information on the charity is available at www.sirf.org. Credit/Source: www.unison.ie/sligo_champion |
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Tony Grew
The picturesque Irish town of Credit/Source: www.pinknews.co.uk
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Westlife At Butlins - 16 August 2006 Westlife will be taking to the stage at Butlins in
Minehead this November – and tickets are on sale now. The special Westlife breaks take place from 17th-20th
November and start from just Ł88 per person. Prices include your seat at the
concert, accommodation and all the great entertainment and activities that
Butlins has on offer. Tickets and further information are available by clicking here. Credit/Source: www.westlife.com
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Sligo Gets Its
Credit/Source: www.sligoweekender.ie
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New Tour Article - 16 August
2006 I added a new tour article “Westlife
To Perform In Taiwan Again”. You can read it on the Tour News/Reviews page. Villy |
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Westlife And Status Quo Concerts Mean No Parking At Pendennis - 15 August 2006 Over 6000 fans are expected to descend
on the normally-sleepy Cornish town on on 26 and 27 August for two sold-out
concerts by Irish boy band Westlife and rock legends Status Quo. Parking for motorists and residents
will be banned on Pendennis Point for the duration of the bank holiday
weekend, which has worried some local businesses. But Police said the ban was needed for
safety. Emma Fox, of Devon and Cornwall
Police, said: “Having an extra 6,000 people on a bank holiday in “It can be very congested on the best
of days at the point and extra cars trying to park in the vicinity is just
unworkable. “The restrictions are necessary for
health and safety, and for park-and-ride schemes set up by concert organizers
to function effectively.” Richard Quick Credit/Source: www.thepasty.com
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Pictures Update - 15 August
2006 Kian and Jodi on Roxanne MacKee’s
Birthday Party: Kian
& Jodi (the first picture) Kian HIGH QUALITY Picture jumping from the plane:
Kian & Jodi (with Prince hehe) on the skydiving day:
Jodi picture for the Popcorn movie:
Shane And Gillian at the
Mark Fanpicture (older one):
Kevin with Aaron Buckingham(older one):
Westlife At
Credit/Source: Fla for scanning
the Shane & Gillian picture / The Irish
Star / Kerry for her Mark picture / Aaron Buckingham’s myspace for the Kevin picture / www.sintillate.co.uk / www.gettyimages.com / www.lfi.co.uk
/ www.xposurephotos.com / www.photoshot.com
/ The Kerry Katona Forum for getting the Kian
HIGH QUALITY / www.globephotos.com / www.capitalpictures.com
/ Connie for getting most of the Kian & Jodi pictures / www.popcorn-themovie.com |
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Run For Your (West) Lives! - 15 August 2006 EXCLUSIVE Are Louis Walsh's pop
acts in constant danger, or are these stories just clever publicity stunts? By Beth Neil RAMPAGING rhinos,
charging lions, freak tidal waves and death-defying stunts... It's all in a
day's work for Irish boyband Westlife. The pop
quartet are no strangers to being in peril. Their latest terrifying encounter
was with a two-ton rhinocerous while touring Only their
quick-thinking guide saved the four - currently on a They said:
"We had to beat a hasty retreat. The rhino was sweltering in the heat
and we got a bit too close." That ordeal
was the latest in a long line of near-fatal escapades for Shane, Kian, Mark
and Nicky. Just last year, Kian escaped being eaten alive by a lion during
another safari trip, this time in Bizarrely,
Westlife are not the only acts looked after by music biz veteran Louis Walsh
who have diced with death. Boyzone, Girls
Aloud, Samantha Mumba and flop girlband Bellefire have also suffered
near-misses. And they always seem to happen when the stars in question have
something to promote. So are Louis
Walsh's acts really lucky to be alive, or have we all (us included, from time
to time) fallen for a series of outrageous publicity stunts? Take a look at
the following evidence and decide... Cheryl Tweedy targeted by jewel gang -
July 2005 THE Girls
Aloud beauty is forced into hiding after learning that a gang of thugs are
hellbent on nicking her Ł50,000 engagement ring. Discovering that the robbers
are tracking her movements she flees Cheryl says:
"The whole thing has been pretty scary." Promoting: New
single Long Hot Summer. Girls Aloud caught in crossfire - May
2005 THE band cower
inside their rooms as armed police swarm over the exclusive Radisson SAS hotel
in Promoting:
British tour. Shane Filan swept out to sea - May 2005 THE Westlife
star almost drowns on holiday in Shane says:
"I thought I was going to die. I'm lucky to be alive. It was one of
those moments when your life flashes before your eyes." Promoting: The
single You Raise Me Up Kian Egan chased by lion - April 2005 FELLOW
Westlifer Kian is nearly savaged by a lion while on safari in Promoting:
Tour of Mark Feehily could lose his sight -
October 2004 MORE misery
for Westlife when Mark is warned he could go blind due to the band's flashy
lifestyle. Mark is told
by docs that he runs the risk of permanently damaging his peepers after
excessive exposure to camera bulb-popping. He says:
"Photographers complain and ask why I sometimes wear sunglasses but I
have no choice unless I want to ruin my eyesight for ever." Promoting:
Launch of album Allow Us To Be Frank. Girlband stalked by pervert - August 2002
TWO ex-SAS men
are drafted in to protect Bellefire from a sex beast while they perform at a Their
spokesperson says: "The girls were taken aback when they heard what had
happened. Luckily they had people on stand-by because of their trouble with
the stalker back in Promoting:
Tour of Kian Egan in death-stunt drama - April
2002 THE hapless
Westlife singer is left hanging 50ft in the air and moments from plunging to
his death when a stage stunt in Promoting:
World Of Our Own tour. Samantha Mumba shower stalker hell - June
2001 THE Irish
singer flees screaming from her LA hotel room after a crazed fan sneaks into
her shower. By the time security arrived the intruder had gone. She says:
"It was a very scary ordeal." Promoting: Her
movie Time Machine. Brian McFadden will go deaf if he flies
again - June 2001 AN ear
infection puts the Westlife singer's hearing in jeopardy. Brian is warned he
could go deaf if he gets on another plane. Promoting:
Tour of Girl band beauty in terror ride - May
2001 BELLEFIRE
singer Tara Lee is trapped in a limousine with a crazed driver. She is driven
around She says:
"He suddenly sped off and went crazy. He kept shouting to himself, 'I'm
going to kill that dog" stop barking at me. Everyone hates me.' I was
hiding behind the passenger seat." Promoting:
Debut single Perfect Bliss. Boyzone pair attacked by swarm of flies
July 1999 SHANE Lynch
and Keith Duffy are attacked by flies during a camping trip in Promoting:
Preparing for release of Live By Request Credit/Source:
www.mirror.co.uk |
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I’m Back!! - 14 August
2006 Helloooooo everyone!! J I’m finally back and I’m so happy for that!! I’ve missed you all and
the site so much! I’m trying to catch up on the Westlife things now so if you
know anything more than the news I posted email me J I will add some pictures of the last week later. Westlife.GR is Site Of The Month
August 2006 on Westlife
Belgium! J Thank you so much Jasna for picking my site
as SOTM! It means so much to me!! Also, I wasn’t here on Nicky & Gorgina’s 3rd Wedding
Anniversary on 9 August so I’ll wish them now to always be happy and together
J Villy |
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Westlife In Asia - 14 August 2006 Credit/Source: www.westlife.com
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Nothing
Too Serious - 14 August 2006 BOTH bands can be described as musical
megastars, but Shane Filan of Westlife says his group and fellow countrymen
U2 are really "just typical Irish lads who love music and like a
beer". Filan, whose band has sold 40 million albums
worldwide, says Irish musicians do not take themselves too seriously. "Anyone being pretentious or
big-headed is quickly brought down to earth.'' He says he admires the way U2 was still
"so grounded'', despite the band's success. "I was out at a bar in "He is so laidback, despite the fact
that those guys have been mega successful and now are very, very rich. "Larry, U2's drummer, contacted us
and asked for our autographs because his girlfriend is a big fan of ours. We
could not believe that, because we are such great fans of theirs.'' Renowned for big ballads and sweet soul
harmonies, Westlife was formed in Despite little radio support in
Australia, the band has a huge following here and its album Face To Face is nearing double
platinum status, thanks in part to an appearance on Dancing With the Stars earlier
this year on a packed promotional trip. "I am really happy to have broken
through in "My brother is a doctor in The singer, who wants it known the
Socceroos were "robbed'' at the World Cup, says he and his bandmates
have just started work on a new album. "We always release an album a year.
We just love what we do,'' he says. "I am proud of what we have achieved
along the way. "Having said that, it could all end
tomorrow, so you have to work hard while you can.'' During their career the members of
Westlife have met the stars of stage and screen, but one particular meeting
still stands out for them. "We got to meet the late Pope, the
one before this new guy, and that was just an amazing experience for a Roman
Catholic boy in Ireland,'' he says. "My mum was so proud of me, more so
than for most other things we have achieved.'' Despite conquering markets throughout the
world, Filan admits his act still struggles to gain a significant following
in the "I think a lot of it has to do with
politics in the American music scene,'' he says. "They love promoting their own acts
and artists from out-of-the-way places like "Look at Robbie Williams, he is a
massive performer everywhere except the "We are proud of our music and what
we do and that is all that matters, really.'' Filan regards his bandmates as survivors
after coping with the sudden departure of Bryan McFadden, who left Westlife
to pursue a solo career and is now dating Australian singer Delta Goodrem. They also feared that many young female
fans might abandon them after member Mark Feehily declared he was gay. Yet Westlife continues to enjoy huge
sales and sold-out concerts. A feature of any of the band's
performances is the number of cover songs. The current tour has included
versions of songs by Michael Jackson, Billy Joel, Justin Timberlake, Robert
Palmer and The Pussycat Dolls. "Look, a great song is a great song
no matter who wrote it,'' Filan says. "We really just love to sing those
kinds of songs.'' While the singer admits he has
contemplated a solo album, he says he would hate to leave Westlife. "I don't think it would be as much
fun doing it on your own,'' he says. "We are now a real gang and have
shared some great times together, plus we love each other's company and
honestly, I know I keep saying it, but we really just love to sing
together.'' Apart from their own recordings, the
Westlife lads have developed a reputation for working in tandem with some of
the great female vocalists. Past collaborations include sessions with Mariah
Carey, Diana Ross, Donna Summer and Lulu. Filan predicts big things for one
particular female vocalist. "I think Delta Goodrem is set to
become one of the world's major recording artists,'' he says. "We had never met and talked until
recently. We all went out and had a few drinks together for "She is gorgeous and a really nice
person as well. "I have had a chance to listen to
some of her new material and she is hot. "I think she is a much better singer
than Mariah Carey, for example, and we have worked with her.'' Westlife plays Rod Laver Arena September
20. Bookings: 132 849. Credit/Source: www.news.com.au |
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Boyband
To Get Off Their Butts - 14 August
2006 By Juliana June Rasul Has
Westlife really been around for eight years? You bet. Credit/Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
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Fireworks At Faenol - 14 August 2006 The Chronicle Opening this year's Faenol Festival will be the
superstar Irish band Westlife - who also happen to be playing at Chester
Racecourse next weekend. This band burst on the They have dominated the The new album features all the hallmarks of that
reign - a collection of classic songs and future standards. In brief, Face To
Face finds Westlife doing what they've always done best. Also appearing at
the Faenol Festival, near Bangor, this year will be Bryn Terfel and special
guests (Saturday, August 26), Shirley Bassey (Sunday, August 27), and Tan y
Ddraig (Monday, August 28). Joining Bryn Terfel on stage at this
year's opera gala will be soprano Angela Gheorghiu and tenor Rolando
Villazón. Since her international debut at Mexican-born Villazón, fresh from
debuts at the Metropolitan Opera, * Westlife kick off the Faenol
Festival on Friday, August 25, with gates opening at 5.30pm and the show
starting at 8pm. Each evening culminates in a firework display. Tickets for the opening night are Ł36
seated, Ł28 grass. A 10% discount is available for
bookings of 10 or more and a weekend festival promenade ticket is available
for just Ł80 (plus booking fee). Tickets from * Meanwhile, don't forget to book
tickets to see Westlife and Van Morrison at Chester Racecourse next weekend
by ringing 0870 145 1100. Credit/Source: http://iccheshireonline.icnetwork.co.uk
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Love Was In The Air As Kian And Jodi Jumped - 14 August 2006 WESTLIFE singer Kian Egan and girlfriend Jodi Albert
pledged their love for each other before their charity parachute jump last
week. And model Jodie, who had tried to talk her popstar boyfriend
out of the daredevil stunt, ended up jumping first. "I shouted to her 'I love you, babe' and she
looked back at me and said 'I love you too, babe' and that was it - she was
gone," said Kian. In his first full interview about the jump in Co Offaly,
Kian said that, even as they were driving to the airfield near Edenderry, Co
Offaly, Jodi was adamant she wouldn't join him in the flight without wings. "But Jodi is a spontaneous type of person and
when we got to the place and she saw all the experts there, people who knew
exactly what they were doing, she said 'OK, why not?' and she went up in the plane
with me," he told Ocean FM. The jump, also done by three friends who surf with
Kian near his home in Strandhill, Co Sligo, was to raise funds for earthquake
and tsunami victims on the Indonesian Anita Guidera Credit/Source: www.unison.ie |
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Flying
Without Wings - 14 August 2006 WESTLIFE'S Kian Egan and his actress girlfriend Jodi
Albert proved that not all celebs favour first-class air travel yesterday. |
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FLYING
WITHOUT WINGS - 14 August 2006 LOOK who's Flying Without Wings...it's
WESTLIFE star KIAN EGAN. |
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I’m Leaving For Holidays… - 4 August 2006 Hello
everyone! Today I’m
leaving for holidays for one or two weeks. I don’t know for sure if it will be
one or two so keep checking back from the first week and after. I’ll take
the updating program with me but I’m afraid I won’t be able to update because
I’ll have a laptop and internet through mobile phone and it is veeery slow… I’ll miss
you all these days!! And the site tooL
! I’ll be updating it everyday when
I’ll be back. Take care
and I hope you’ll have fun! J J J |
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I Made Some Avatars! - 4 August 2006 Well, yes this
is really surprising! For the FIRST time in my life I made some Avatars! You can see
them at the Avatars page
(and if you want use them on any forums). Don’t be too
strict with me lol as it’s my first effort J |
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Win A Night At The Faenol Festival - 4 August 2006 Daily Post AS always tickets are selling fast for
this year's Faenol Festival, which promises to be the biggest and best yet
with stars such as Westlife and Shirley Bassey. But if you want to avoid the
last-minute stampede, the Daily Post is giving away a pair of tickets to each
night of the festival, which takes place over the August Bank Holiday
weekend, August 25-28. The festival, now in its seventh year
since it was first dreamed up by international opera star Bryn Terfel, kicks
off at the Faenol Estate near Y Felinheli with a concert from Irish pop wizards
Westlife. Tickets are Ł36 seated, Ł28 grass. On Saturday, Bryn takes the stage for
the opera gala night, joined by Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu and Mexican
tenor Rolando Villazon. Tickets are
Ł36 seated, Ł25 grass. Sunday sees the world's favourite diva
Shirley Bassey giving her first performance in This year's festivities close on the
Monday with the traditional Tan y Ddraig, showcasing the best in local
talent. Tickets for Tan y Ddraig are Ł19.50 and Ł12.50. The show starts at
6pm, doors open at 4pm. The entertainment on all other nights
begins at 8pm, with doors opening at 5.30pm. For tickets call 01492 872000,
01248 351708 or 01286 672333, or visit www.brynfest.co.uk . For a chance to win a pair of
tickets to one of the four Faenol nights, simply answer this question: Which
Tiger Bay diva is among the star attractions at this year's festival? Send your
answer, including your name, address, daytime telephone number and on which
evening you would like to go, to Faenol competition, Daily Post features
desk, PO Box 202, Vale Road, Llandudno Junction, Conwy LL31 9ZD. Closing date
Thursday, August 10, usual terms and conditions apply. Credit/Source: http://icnorthwales.icnetwork.co.uk
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More Kian & Jodi Skydiving
Pictures - 4 August 2006 Kian & Jodi:
Kian:
Jodi:
Credit/Source: www.matrixphoto.com / Yaara at www.kianegan.org
/ The Kerry
Katona Forum |
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Westlife Signed And Framed Platinum
Award On Auction - 4 August
2006
As if
jumping out a plane wasn't enough for S.I.R.F., Kian has kindly arranged for
Westlife to donate this unique framed and signed award of their 7 albums to
date. You can bid
HERE Credit/Source: www.sirf.org |
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Sky's The Limit For Jodi & Kian - 4 August 2006 Thanx Angela for typing this up J IN the words of one of the
band's biggest hits, Westlife’s Kian Egan and actress girlfriend Jodi Albert
have been flying without wings for charity. Credit/Source: www.dailyrecord.co.uk / Angela The SIRF team also organised a Man
Auction and Angela found this picture of Kian:
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New Concert Review - 3 August
2006 I added a new review “Audience Go
Wild For Westlife” from Westlife’s concert at Audley End House in |
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No-one Tells Us
What To Do (Mark Interview) - 3 August 2006
MOST people assume being in a boyband means being
told what to do by record company execs while looking pretty for the fans. And while Westlife's Mark Feehily admits some people tried to take
them for a ride during their early days, he says after several years in the
business they are firmly in the driving seat. "I'm 26 now, I've been doing this job for eight years and no-one
tells us what to do," he insists. "Nobody would try to tell us what to do, but it's sensible for us
to work with our label and our management and make sure we see eye to eye. "We don't get told what to do, but we certainly do respect and
listen to the record company's opinion. It's in our interests to work with
them instead of getting stroppy and constantly challenging what they
say." During the early days the boys were just teenagers. They emerged from
their roots in Sligo, northwest "I've learned so much about the music business, but there's still
so much more to learn," says Mark. "I came from secondary school
straight into record contracts and lawyers and business deals talking about
thousands of pounds; it was a very scary thing for me at the time. So one
thing I've learned is to control myself and calmly make decisions about money
and other important things. "We've certainly had people in the past who took advantage of our
naiveté and the fact we didn't really have a clue, but on the other hand we
were very lucky we had people close to us who were very protective. "But although we were 18 or 19-year-olds we weren't brought up to
be walked all over and we dealt with it, basically by firing anyone near us
who was trying to." The one question Mark always dreaded from journalists was: "So
where's your girlfriend then?" It was inevitable for a singer in a band like Westlife, who are loved
by thousands of screaming female fans across But he dreaded what would happen if his secret relationship with
another man got out. While the rest of the group were courting glamorous girls - Kian is
dating former Hollyoaks babe Jodi Albert and Nicky is married to Irish PM
Bertie Ahern's daughter Georgina - Mark had found love with Kevin McDaid, a
singer in another boy band, V. In August last year he decided to come out in an article in The Sun.
The reaction he got gave him renewed faith in the band's fanbase. "I got so many letters off fans and also people weren't
necessarily Westlife fans, but had been touched in some way by what I did in
coming out," he says. "I really haven't had one negative comment
and I can say that with my hand on my heart. I think it speaks volumes about
the progression in modern society - it really doesn't affect anybody. Our
fans aren't like pop fans from the past; they don't want to marry us. It's
not like a few years ago, when fans didn't see the reality of a pop act. "At the moment we are all in long-term relationships and it
hasn't affected anything. It was no big deal. It might have been a bigger deal a few years ago, but
people just literally said: 'So what?'" The story did nothing to dent
the band's sales and their album Face to Facelater that year duly hit the top
spot in the charts. But, as well as the public reaction to his decision to come out, Mark
says it has also made a great difference to him personally. "It's a relief to be able to talk about it. It's just something
off my shoulders," he says. "I never spoke too much about my
private life and I still don't intend to, but it's definitely a relief I
don't have to fend off questions any more about where my girlfriend is. I can
just ignore those questions now, I can stand up and be proud and say,
'Actually I'm going out with a fella'. "It's been nothing but positive in terms of the reaction I've had
and the effect it's had on my life." Mark had become used to seeing his face in the newspapers since the
band first broke out of Much of the media speculation recently has centred around rumours of
the band splitting. Since they released a Greatest Hitsalbum in 2002 and Bryan McFadden
parted company with them in 2004 Westlife have been dogged by reports that
they quitting the music industry. "I think the nation's hearts have been broken twice before by two
of the biggest pop acts the "Robbie left, Geri left and it all kind of went down hill for
Take That and the Spice Girls, so of course when Bryan left our band they
just assumed we were going to go down the exact same route. But personally I
think we have got stronger since he left." At first the rumours were hurtful to the band members, especially
since their fanbase showed no signs of abating. But they soon learned to deal
with it and now it's a regular joke between the members whenever they get together.
In a way, says Mark, it's a compliment because it shows they are defying
people's expectations. "We are always going to get asked the question because once we
got past the greatest hits album we are in uncharted territory for a boyband,
so everybody is always wondering when we are going to split up. We could tell
people we were going to split up in five years and they would still ask us
every day of that five- year period if we were splitting up. It's just
something we've learned to deal with. "When people first started saying it, it freaked us out because
we were thinking, 'Seriously, why are you saying that? Where are you getting
this information from?' We thought the press must know what they're talking
about, maybe they're right but we're the ones who decide if we're going to
split up so no matter how many people suggest we might be, at the end of the
day it's up to us." Westlife are at Audley End on Sunday. To book tickets visit the
website at www.picnicconcerts.com Westlife will also be at Newmarket Nights in August 18. Credit/Source: www.cambridge-news.co.uk
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Face To Face With
Westlife - 3 August 2006
Something
very amusing happened the last time I saw Westlife at a press junket in Credit/Source: www.philstar.com
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Pictures Of Kian & Jodi’s Skydiving - 2 August 2006 Thanx so much Jasna from Westlife Belgium
for your pictures J You can see Jasna’s the pictures HERE Credit/Source: Jasna / Westlife
Belgium |
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Both Kian And Jodi Jumped - 2 August 2006 Kian’s jump went fine and Jodi jumped
with him aswell from the plane so congratulations to them both for doing
something so important for charity! I’m so proud of them both! Hopefully we’ll have some pictures of
their skydiving soon J |
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Westlife Fans Flock To
Offaly To See Kian Jump - 2 August 2006
Kian Egan will perform a tandem jump at the Irish
Parachute Club in Clonbullogue this lunchtime to raise money for the
Indonesian Relief Fund. Westlife singer Kian is fundraising for the
Strandhill Indonesian Relief Fund. The pop star is expected to attract a large number
of fans to watch him perform a tandem jump at the North Offaly clubs twenty
acre facility. The club, reportadly the longest established
parachute club worldwide is celebrating it's fiftieth anniversary this year. The jump is scheduled to take place at 1 o clock
today Credit/Source: www.midlandsradio.fm
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Westlife Private Gig At A Wedding - 2 August 2006 Thank you very much Claire for sharing your friend’s
pictures. On 15th July the Westlife lads before
they played at Blicking Hall in Apparently on the invite it said
entertainment provided and then they got there and the lads were on stage for
50 minutes and they told the bride and groom that they enjoyed it that much
that if they didn't have to go to Blickling Hall they would have stayed!
Please
don’t take the pictures as they are Claire’s mate’s pictures J Credit/Source: Claire |
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'Don't Go Flying Without Wings Kian!' - 1 August 2006
Credit/Source: Irish People / Thanx Mizzfit for finding |
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Official Tour Pictures Added - 1 August 2006 We have more pictures from Westlife’s concert at Audley End
House in Credit/Source: www.filmmagic.com / Thanx Connie for
getting them from Film Magic |
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Tickets For The Hong Kong Concert On Westlife Hit Hong Kong Credit/Source: www.hkticketing.com
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Pictures From Audley End House, Essex - 1 August 2006 I added 11 new Tour Fanpictures from Westlife’s concert at Audley End House in Thanx Anita for letting me use your pictures J Credit/Source: Anita |
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'I Almost Wet Myself Before I Went On
Stage' (Roxanne on Westlife) - 1 August 2006 Article shortened
and only includes the bit about Westlife. For the whole interview click HERE
You've already toured with Westlife. Pretty cool for a 14 year old.
What were they like? 'They're all really nice, kinda laid
back. I mean, when they come their girlfriends, kids and wives are there as
well so they all hang out in the garden. They're all really nice.' Were you a fan of them before this happened? 'Yeah, I did used to be one when I was
younger. I mean, like, when I was about 10, when I loved them and I used to
stick them on my wall. But you meet them and it's, like, oh my God.' Credit/Source: www.popworld.com
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