Westlife star Kian Egan opens up on bandmate's brutal exit after 'years of tension'

Westlife prima Kian Egan opened up astir the 'hard feelings' helium had aft bandmate Brian McFadden discontinue successful 2011 which is being revisited successful a caller boyband based documentary

Westlife's Kian Egan has antecedently spoken astir the hostility that arose erstwhile Brian McFadden near the set owed to his dislike of their music. Despite this, helium continues to execute these songs with his caller group. In 2004, astatine the tallness of Westlife's fame and conscionable weeks earlier different world tour, Brian's departure came arsenic a shock. This is being revisited successful the Boybands Forever documentary, which continues connected Saturday (23 November).

Fans whitethorn callback an affectional property league wherever a tearful Kian work retired a heartfelt connection from the set to Brian, expressing their distress. Despite erstwhile denials of immoderate rift, Kian admitted 3 years agone to the Irish Mirror that determination were hard feelings.

In 2021, helium elaborated connected the group's concerns, saying, "I mean helium near america astatine a clip erstwhile we were conscionable astir to measurement retired connected circuit and we benignant of felt similar 'is this the end? ' You know. 'Is it each implicit now? " He besides reflected connected however different bands' experiences made them fearfulness the worst: "We looked astatine bands similar Take That and Spice Girls and it seemed to beryllium the lawsuit that erstwhile 1 subordinate of the set near it was over. So we decidedly felt similar our vocation was dangling and we were precise nervous", according to the Irish Mirror.

Westlife's travel arsenic a quartet has been triumphant, arsenic they embarked connected their circuit without their 5th subordinate and "showed our fans we were conscionable arsenic bully arsenic a four-piece."

Almost 2 decades later, the set – consisting of Kian, Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne, and Mark Feehily – are hailed arsenic Ireland and the UK's top-selling radical of the 21st century. Dublin-born Brian pursued a solo vocation aft his Westlife departure, aboriginal joining forces with Boyzone's Keith Duffy to make Boyzlife successful 2016, wherever they execute chart-topping hits from their clip successful the legendary Irish bands.

Kian voiced disorder implicit Brian's post-Westlife decisions, stating: "As the years rolled connected we didn't person immoderate interaction with Brian. He near Westlife, helium said helium didn't similar the music, helium said helium didn't privation to sing the songs, and you know, helium didn't privation to beryllium going connected signifier singing the songs we were singing, and helium said he's done. And helium told america helium wanted to spell location to beryllium with his household but past a fewer months aboriginal helium had a solo album. He said helium didn't privation to bash music, they were his words to us. He sings the Westlife songs present connected Boyzlife I believe."

Despite erstwhile rifts, Kian has precocious opened up astir the heavy "family" transportation wrong Westlife, referring to his bandmates arsenic "brothers". Despite the occasional squabble and getting connected each other's nerves, their enslaved remains solid, particularly with the merchandise of their 2021 album, Wild Dreams – a peculiar variation deluxe medium that includes unrecorded versions of their classical hits.

The erstwhile I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! champ discussed the group's dynamics, describing it arsenic a "family relationship" wherever contempt "arguments", they conscionable "get connected with it". He besides touched connected the reasons down the band's hiatus successful 2012, attributing it to "fatigue" aft being unneurotic for truthful long, needing antithetic things, and wanting to walk clip with their families and children.

Don't miss the last occurrence of Boybands Forever airing connected Saturday 23 November, astatine 9.25pm connected BBC Two