--------------------NEWS--------------------

26.10
Here is a list of singles, which will be given into the same day (17 November 2003) what new Westlife - Mandy :

Blink 182 - Feeling This
Bon Jovi - Wanted Dead Or Alive 2003
Breed - La Ultima Hora
Broken Social Scene - Cause=Time
Chemical Brothers - Get Yourself High
Evan Dando - It Looks Like You
Flip & Fill - Irish Blue
Enrique Iglesias - Addicted
Wyclef Jean & Missy Elliot - Party To Damascus
John The White Boy Rapper - Put Your Hands Up
Klonhertz - Three Girl Rhumba
Lemar - 50/50
Limp Bizkit - Behind Blue Eyes
Linkin Park - From The Inside
Linus Loves featuring Sam Obernik - Stand Back
Ludacris - Stand Up
Lumidee - Crashing The Party
John Mayer - Bigger Than My Body
Meat Loaf - Man Of Steel
Mis-Teeq - Style
Alanis Morrisette - Eight Easy Steps
Alex Parks - Maybe That's What It Takes/Beautiful
Pet Shop Boys - Miracles
Liz Phair - Why Can't I
Radiohead - 2+2=5
The Rapture - Sister Saviour
Busta Rhymes & Pharrell - Light Your Ass On Fire
Room 5 featuring Oliver Cheatham - Music And You
Starsailor - Born Again
Shania Twain - When You Kiss Me/Up
Solex - Close To The Edge
CJ Stone - Don't Look Back
The Original - I Luv U Baby
The White Stripes - The Hardest Button To Button

And list of albums, which will be given into the same day (24 November 2003) what Westlife - Turnaround :

Alex Parks - Introduction To Me
Enrique Iglesias - Seven
Javine - Surrender
Lemar - Dedicated
Nelly Furtado - Folklore
Pet Shop Boys - PopArt (1985-2003)

25.10
Soccer star Wayne Rooney is handing a £100,000 18th birthday present to a children's hospital where he was once treated.

OK magazine is paying out the cash for exclusive rights to the Everton and England player's party next weekend.

But instead of pocketing the money £18,000-a-week Wayne is donating it to Alder Hey hospital in Liverpool, where he is the first celebrity patron.

Westlife, Blue, girl band Atomic Kitten, big name footballers and soap stars will be among the guests at Wayne's party at Aintree racecourse.

25.10
Irish boyband Westlife have been ordered to return to their former ballad-style of music after attempts to rock up their music failed.

The singers had tried to cultivate a rockier sound with up tempo number "Hey, Whatever", but the single only made number five in the UK chart.

In response, manager Simon Cowell has insisted they return to the studio to rectify the problem - they have now recorded a cover of slushy Barry Manilow track "Mandy" as their new single.

A source tells British tabloid The Daily Star, "Westlife were determined to move away from being ballad merchants. But they're desperate for a number one and this is their best option."

However, a spokesperson for the band insisted, "Mandy was recorded at the same time as the rest of the album. Everyone thought it became the natural choice of next single."

11.10
Westlife's next single will be yet another cover. According to The Irish Star it's Barry Manilow's song Mandy that have been recorded by the band and they are hoping it will bring them to the top of the single chart again.

"It's a big ballad that will be a big hit again for Westlife," says manager Louis Walsh. "It's just a romantic song that appeals to every age group."

11.10
Irish popsters Westlife release a new DVD on October 6 called Westlife - The Greatest Hits Tour 2003. It's a record of the concert in June at Manchester's MEN Arena when the group performed their extensive collection of hits.

Added bonuses on the disc are four music videos that have never appeared on DVD, including their top 10 hit Hey Whatever. There's also a different cut of their Prince pastiche When You're Looking Like That alongside some hidden extras that include a game and a backstage tour.

11.10
Celebrity newly weds Nicky and Georgina Byrne attended their first public event last night and upstaged the whole show with their just-married glow!

Westlife's Nicky Byrne and the Taoiseach's daughter Georgina Ahern have always been the cutest couple on the block and since they exchanged vows in an over-hyped ceremony in France the Byrnes are even more cute than ever.

The handsome couple showed up at the Autumn/Winter fashion Showcase in The Design Centre last night where numerous VIPs had turned out to view the models.

Top models on the night included Ronan Keating's wife Yvonne, the current Miss Ireland and daughter of Chris De Burgh Rosanna Davidson, and Dana's daughter Ruth Scallon.

Other guests included Fair City's Orla Rafter and Victoria Smurfit.

13.08
DUBLIN - Guests will jet out this week for Ireland's wedding of the year in the fairytale setting of a French chateau where Georgina Ahern and Nicky Byrne are due to marry - or at least celebrate their wedding next Saturday.

Leading figures from the worlds of show business and politics will mingle with family and friends at the 16th century Chateau d'Esclimont to celebrate the country's equivalent of a royal wedding.

The fact that Georgina is the daughter of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and the sister of a millionaire unpublished novelist Cecilia and Nicky is a member of Westlife, currently one of the world's most successful groups, makes the party big news.

Westlife have had 11 No. 1 singles in Britain - more than the Rolling Stones or Madonna.

Celebrity magazine Hello! have bought up the rights for the extravaganza, reputedly for the best part of a million euros.

With the August silly season setting in and the news agenda looking increasing anemic, the wedding of the 24-year-olds is a boon for newspapers who are trying hard to get around the news blackout.

Speculation is centering on the estimated 400-strong guest list. There are numerous articles about whether the couple will actually marry in France or beforehand in Ireland in a civil ceremony with a blessing in the church near the chateau.

To hold both the civil and church ceremonies simultaneously in the St. Peter and Paul church, it seems the couple must have been resident in the locality 37 miles south west of Paris for 40 days.

The Evening Herald said the childhood sweethearts will marry in Dublin this week and the Sunday World suggested they were already Mr. and Mrs. Byrne. But it's also been hinted that they've gotten a waiver to allow them circumvent the French legal requirement and the wedding will indeed take place on Saturday.

It's all shrouded in secrecy.

At the chateau nothing is being said either, where the official view that it's simply private wedding booking and that the couple's confidentially should be respected.

Because of the Hello! contract, little is being revealed by the family and government spokesmen are also being very discreet - as they have been for weeks about the apparent split between the taoiseach and his long-term girlfriend Celia Larkin.

13.08
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern spoke from the heart when he confessed at his daughter's wedding that he was probably not the best person in the world to give advice on marriage.

Mr Ahern was like any emotional father of the bride during his speech on Saturday night at the wedding of Georgina (24) to Westlife singer Nicky Byrne (24).

Just weeks after his break-up with Celia Larkin, the Taoiseach spoke warmly about the wonderful job his estranged wife Miriam had done in raising their daughters. Guests at the reception at Chateau l'Esclimont in France said he spoke not as a politician but as father of the bride. "It was clearly very emotional for him and what he was talking about meant a lot to him," one said, adding the speech had nonetheless been upbeat.

Wedding organiser Joanne Byrne said the groom had also made a speech, but the bride had not. "It was just like any other wedding taking place in Dublin the same day - the bride was nervous, the groom made a wonderful speech - it was a private time for the Taoiseach, his daughters, for the wedding party and all their closest friends and family," she said.

That night, the newly-weds had to peruse the exclusive snaps taken for Hello! magazine and pick those they liked. The pictures were whisked to Madrid by private jet. Hello! fans will find out today what all the fuss was about when the magazine goes on sale.

But the couple hasn't seen the last of Hello! yet. The magazine, which paid an estimated €850,000 for the rights, is also understood to be accompanying the pair on their Seychelles honeymoon. But the photographers won't be staying long - they're expected to do one shoot before leaving the couple in peace.

Nicky was very upset by the jeering of locals in Gallardon as he arrived at the L'eglise St Pierre et St Paul church for the wedding, Ms Byrne said. He was anxious Georgina would not hear the villagers' reaction to the closely-guarded nuptials.

As a member of a boy band he was "used to people booing him" when they did not like his music, but Georgina was not accustomed to such treatment. Describing Georgina as very private and shy, Ms Byrne said neither she nor her father were aware of the reaction outside upon their arrival at the church.

Initially, Nicky had thought the jeering was from members of the Irish media. Producer Bill Hughes, a guest at the wedding, claimed members of the press had jeered when speaking on RTE radio yesterday.

However, those not inside the church could see it was locals - whose village had been disrupted for the day - who were expressing their displeasure.

Locals said they were annoyed at what they saw as a "spoilsport" attitude preventing them from catching even a glimpse of the bride and the wedding party.

The wedding organiser defended the secrecy, claiming the villagers had clearly not understood the agreement reached with Hello!

When told how most of the locals had not even known who Westlife or Bertie Ahern was, she said it was wrong for them to boo for the sake of booing.

13.08
The Hello! money paid to Georgina Ahern and her husband Westlife's Nicky Byrne may well come back to haunt the bride's father, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

Although the deal struck with the magazine for exclusive coverage of the French wedding has nothing to do with Mr Ahern, the spin-offs from the various contributions to the day may well end up in the Republic's Register of Members' Interests in the Dail.

Under the terms of the Ethics in Public Office Acts of 1995 and 2001, the Taoiseach has to declare benefits he receives and gifts over 635 euro.

The Act also covers the spouses and children of politicians and tells them what to do if they are offered a service free of charge or a property or service which is less than the commercial price.

In his last returns on the Register, Mr Ahern disclosed he had been given return flights on a private aircraft to Cardiff for the European Rugby Cup final, and he had refunded the donor 1,480 euro in accordance with guidelines.

Gifts from family and friends are exempt under the act, so the gifts from the 400 who attended the ceremony in Gallardon will not be on the Taoiseach's list.

13.08
Celia Larkin sent a defiant message to her former partner, Bertie Ahern, yesterday, as he and his wife, Miriam, were greeted by boos and jeers in France at the controversial wedding of their daughter Georgina to Westlife singer Nicky Byrne.

Ms Larkin was happy to allow herself be photographed by the Sunday Independent on arrival at her beauty salon.

Dressed in black, she met a steady stream of clients throughout yesterday. She even found time for a little DIY, cleaning paintwork outside her shop early in the morning.

Later, she talked animatedly on her mobile telephone outside her salon, and gave a cheery wave to our photographer. But she had no official comment to make on the wedding.

Ms Larkin had been keeping a low profile following the break-up of her relationship with Mr Ahern. However, the Sunday Independent was made aware of her presence in Drumcondra.

It was the kind of adept PR initiative which, unhappily, has not characterised proceedings in Gallardon, outside Paris.

It was effectively confirmed yesterday that Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is part of the €850,000 Hello! magazine deal covering his daughter's wedding to Westlife star Nicky Byrne.

The Taoiseach already endured criticism early in the week when, according to the manager of the Chateau d'Esclimont, he personally intervened in order to get two Irish journalists, who had booked into the hotel, removed, threatening to move the wedding location.

Wedding organisers had been evasive all week when asked about the possibility of a photo opportunity for the media with the Taoiseach.

However, the PR executive overseeing the event, Joanne Byrne, finally conceded yesterday that the Taoiseach was part of the bridal party and therefore was not available to the Irish media.

Mr Ahern arrived at the church in a blacked-out limousine, continuing his policy of complete non-availability to the Irish media in order to protect the Hello! deal.

It was a policy that was enforced all week by armed guards and a motley collection of security men and bouncers, culminating in Friday's scenes of indiscriminate and unprovoked violence.

The Taoiseach has so far refused to condemn the treatment of Irish journalists, kicked and pushed by French police as they attempted to report on the event.

Throughout his time at Chateau d'Esclimont, Mr Ahern hid behind blacked-out windows to safeguard his daughter's €850,000 dowry from Hello! magazine.

And in a final indignity, the Taoiseach and other guests were booed and jeered by the citizens of Gallardon, clearly upset at the aggressive takeover of their village by a celebrity magazine intent on protecting its investment.

In the 16th century chateau, the two families, their very closest family friends, including Ronan and Yvonne Keating, Ian Galvin and Karen Millen, and two Irish priests were ensconced in a wing of more than 30 elegant drawing rooms and bed chambers.

The prenuptial evening consisted of a very pleasant dinner as Miriam and Bertie relaxed with their family on the eve of the wedding.

Bouquets of lilacs and roses and candles bedecked the church as hundreds of friends and relatives gathered. However, the marquee blocking the entrance to the church wasn't the only shadow passed over the wedding by the massively publicised Hello! deal.

The bridal party arrived at the Church of St Peter and St Paul in the pretty village of Gallardon to a rousing chorus of booing and jeering from the small crowd of mostly locals who had gathered there.

The reaction, which must have been very upsetting for Georgina and Nicky, was a culmination of a day of bad feeling in the sleepy village near Paris.

After a week of high-handed behaviour by police, security and wedding organisers, locals had clearly had enough of being herded around the streets of their own town.

The final straw seemed to be when the wedding party began arriving in blacked-out Mercs and people-carriers to drive into the canopy that covered the entrance to the church.

Disappointed locals booed and jeered, with one local woman shouting personal abuse at Georgina.

Guests began arriving at the church at around 2pm in a fleet of coaches. As well as Ronan Keating and his wife Yvonne, guests included a predicted roll call of those celebrities familiar to viewers of reality TV talent shows.

Nadine Coyle, who along with Ronan Keating was singing at the ceremony, arrived arm-in-arm with Girls Aloud bandmate Kimberley Walsh. Other "celeb" guests included Paul Goldin, Brian Robson, Bill Hughes, Louis Copeland, Popstars judge Niki Chapman and of course all of Westlife.

The entire village of Gallardon had become a high-security zone from early in the day as the Ahern and Byrne families continued to do their utmost to protect Hello! magazine's substantial investment in the wedding.

The postcard-perfect village square was marred somewhat by the presence of the large canvas tents in front of the historical church, which has been closed to the ordinary praying and sightseeing public in the run-up to the big day.

Protecting the happy couple from their public was the order of the day. Specifically, security officials were concerned with ensuring no one got pictures of Georgina's Valentino-style 1950s gown, by Irish fashion designer Synan O'Mahony, which would have compromised the Hello! exclusivity deal as much as it would have appeased the Irish public.

During the ceremony itself, Ronan Keating sang I Love the Way You Love Me while Cathy Vard sang the Ave Maria. Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle sang Sting's Field of Gold and the Celine Dion song Because You Love Me.

Other participants in the wedding included the two mothers who brought up the gifts, and Nicky's young brother Adam, who was best man. The singer also had four friends as "Bestest Men".

The groom and groomsmen entered to the strain of Bach's Orchestral Suite No 3 in D Major. The bridesmaids, wearing lilac gowns, came in to the tune of Waltz of the Flowers from the Nutcracker while the bride, escorted by the Taoiseach, entered to the strains of Wagner's Bridal March. The gospel reading was the story of the Wedding Feast at Cana.

Outside the church was a very different story as furious locals raged about the fact that their village had been hijacked. As the Taoiseach and the bridal party left, there was more and louder booing and scuffles. The guests then whizzed off to enjoy a meal of salmon and pork in the high summer heat.

Really though, all the high-profile hassle aside, it was like any other Irish wedding, with lots of ill-advised rigouts - and lots of mutton dressed as lamb, roasting in the 45°C heat.

Shortly after 3pm yesterday, an official statement was issued on behalf of Nicky Byrne of Westlife. It read: "Issued on behalf of Nicky Byrne and Georgina Ahern.

"Nicky Byrne and Georgina Ahern were married today in the Church of St Peter and St Paul, in the village of Gallardon, France.

"The couple would like to take this opportunity to thank their family, friends and fans for their support and good wishes on this happy day."

The short notice concluded: "No further statements will be issued."

13.08
The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, may have to declare certain gifts given to his daughter for her wedding under ethics legislation.

His eldest daughter, Georgina, and Nicky Byrne from pop group Westlife were married in France this weekend at a lavish ceremony attended by around 400 guests.

The cabinet handbook's section says that office-holders are required to declare any gifts received by spouses or children if there is any possibility of a potential conflict of interest.

The guidelines cover gifts worth E635 or more.

According to the handbook, officer-holders must make "an additional statement of registerable interests of which office-holders are aware, of their spouses and of any children, which might reasonably be seen as capable of influencing them in the performance of their office".

Gifts from personal friends and family are excluded.

13.08
Ugly scenes involving minders and photographers marred the official wedding rehearsals last night for the fairytale wedding of Taoiseach's daughter Georgina Ahern and her Westlife sweetheart, Nicky Byrne. As the boyband idol and his mother, Yvonne, entered the 11th century stone chapel where the wedding takes place today, members of the Irish media gathered for a glimpse of the groom. Mr Ahern himself had previously been seen arriving at the church dressed in shorts and a T-shirt amid the searing temperatures.

But the over-enthusiasm of minders when it came to protecting the party cast a cloud over the festivities. One of the minders, believed to be in the employ of 'Hello!' magazine - the British-based publication which has purchased the exclusive rights to the wedding - set upon one photographer, Neil Frasier, from the Irish Sun newspaper. Picking him up by the scruff of the neck, he walked with him for six feet before setting him down roughly on the ground. And photographer Gary Nash from the Irish Daily Star received a Kung Fu-style kick from another man. When he threatened to inform the police of the incident, the man raised his shirt to reveal a gun and told Mr Ashe that he was the police. News of the World photographer Tony Kelly received a punch to the back of the head.

The assaults came as the photographers stood some distance from the church with their cameras poised. There had been minor pushing and shoving as they attempted to take Nicky Byrne's photograph and this is thought to have annoyed the security men. Three of the men involved in the incident were plainclothes policemen, another two were uniformed, while also present were two security guards and a minder from 'Hello!'

When the photographers complained about their treatment to them they were sternly told that they would not be entertained. The incidents occurred outside the chapel of l'Eglise Saint Pierre et Saint Paul, in the square of the tiny village of Gallardon, 40 miles south of Paris. Meanwhile, more than a dozen of Westlife star Nicky Byrne's pals from Baldoyle were yesterday morning making a desperate bid to get to the church on time for the wedding. They were still in Dublin last night after being caught up in the day before yesterday's fog which led to delays and flight cancellations at Dublin airport.

13.08
Final preparations were under way in France today for the wedding tomorrow of Westlife singer Nicky Byrne and Taoiseach's daughter Georgina Ahern.

With temperatures now soaring into the high 30s, guests were due to arrive today and tomorrow, facing the prospect of a day of stifling heat at the fairytale chateau where the couple are to wed.

Situated an hour from Paris in the heart of a 150-acre estate, the Chateau d'Esclimont is renowned among France's high society as the ultimate in exclusive romantic getaways.

The 16th century chateau between Versailles and the Cathedral of Chartres is no stranger to celebrities.

However, despite the lux ury of the 47 rooms, some costing up to 1,000 euro a night, and six apartments in the grounds, the stunning building is not equipped with air conditioning.

As temperatures continue to soar across Europe, the 430 celebrity guests may be in serious danger of losing their cool as they celebrate the wedding without that all-important mod con.

The couple will marry, for the second time (following their registry office wedding in Ireland) in the 11th century church of St Pierre and St Paul in Gallardon, six miles from the chateau.

Ronan Keating, classical singer Wendy Vard and Nadine Coyle of Girls Aloud will entertain.

There will be an Irish pub and all the food will be flown in from Ireland.

Security is expected to be high in order to protect the couple's lucrative 850,000 euro deal with Hello magazine but this has not deterred hoards of media.

13.08
WILL kian egan be next from Westlife up the aisle? His (altar) ego is certainly big enough.

For the moment he seems content just to be "falling in love" - as he told me last week - with his new girlfriend, telly totty Jodie Albert.

Kian brought the Hollyoaks star to Nicky and Georgina's wedding yesterday in France.

Talking at Miss Ireland competition in citywest were he was one of the judges, kian told me he "now feels in love for real".

"This time im in love and im so happy with jodie," he said. Its getting serious now. The nice thing about her is that she is classy and very smart, unlike alot of girls the media keep associating me with - like page3 girls.

As for wedding belles, Kian said, "We have no plans to get married yet but who knows?"

09.08
Mark Owen says he thinks his old band Take That were loads better than Westlife.

The pint-sized pop hunk who this week released his brilliant new single Four Minute Warning, says his pop troupe were lots more exciting than the Irish balladeers. Despite the diss, the wee one admits he thinks the charts are better than ever!

"I like the fact you can be a fan of Eminem, Busted and Triple Eight all at the same time," he told Sneak.

"It never used to be like that. But I don't think there's been a boyband as good as Take That. Westlife have got some good songs and they've probably sold more records than we did, but I just don't think they've got the same excitement we used to have."

09.08
Westlife's Nicky Byrne and Georgina Ahern may be planning a sleek and sophisticated wedding in France but when they married yesterday at a registry office it was anything but a fancy affair.



Nicky and Georgina are now officially man and wife although they have yet to have the ceremony, confused?

Well so are we... The happy couple registered their marriage yesterday in a registry office in Wicklow, the official ceremony will take place in France later this month.

And although the French affair will be a VIP only event yesterday's proceedings looked more like a visit to the local shops rather than a glitzy pop wedding.

Both Nicky and Georgina arrived separately dressed casually with Nicky wearing jeans and a baseball cap while Georgina wore jeans and a floral top.

The whole ceremony took about ten minutes and the couple left separately.

Georgina's mother Miram attended the ceremony as did Nicky's father and brother.

06.08
Simon Cowell has laughed off reports that Westlife have had their day.

"All artists are as good as their last song," he told Popworld magazine. "You've got to make great records. Look what happened to Kylie in the middle of her career when the songs were crap. When she came back with a good record, she was a hit again."

So is he saying that Westlife, who's last single Tonight only made No. 3 (a flop when you consider all their No. 1s), have been releasing dodgy tracks?

"No, I'm just saying that if you give them crap records, there's no career - but we're not going to do that. Their next single is one of the best they've ever done!"

Westlife's new single, Hey Whatever, is released in September. To hear it, check out the boy's website, www.westlife.co.uk!

06.08
Crowds of Westlife fans descended on a small registry office in Wicklow today to catch a glimpse of band member Nicky Byrne as he tied the knot with the daughter of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

The pop star married Georgina Ahern at a low key ceremony in Wicklow town ahead of a ceremony in France this weekend.

The pair were forced to exchange vows in Ireland first due to French marriage laws, which rule that a couple must have been living in France for 40 days for the ceremony to be legally binding.

Byrne wore a red baseball cap, T-shirt and jeans for the casual event at Wicklow Registry Office at 3.30pm.



He was met by about 100 young fans who had gathered outside from early in the morning.

But there was no kissing or posing for the cameras as the pair left separately - meaning that their €1m deal for Hello! magazine will remain exclusive.

Westlife fan Nicola Dargan, 13, saw the pair as they left the registry office.

She said: “Nicky looked happy. He was wearing a red cap and he looked lovely.”
Another onlooker, 13-year-old Ruth Neiland, added: “He looked gorgeous.
“But he looked very casual, it was as though it wasn’t his wedding.
“He just walked right in and didn’t say anything but he still looked lovely.”

Hundreds of guests will head to France for the pair’s wedding in the luxury Chateau d’Esclimont on Saturday.

06.08
Westlife's Nicky Byrne and fiancee Georgina Ahern are not leaving anything to chance for their wedding this weekend.

Two security guards will escort their £140,000 wedding rings to the 11th-century Chapel of St Peter and Paul outside Paris, where they will have their marriage blessed on Saturday.

An insider reveals: "They're terrified they could get lost or stolen in transit."

The £200,000 bash will be magnificent, but the couple are annoyed they have to get married in an Irish register office beforehand because they haven't lived in France for long enough.

06.08
Sligo Chamber of Commerce has paid tribute to the members of Westlife for what was described as "a truly inspiring performance" on Friday night last.

"All of County Sligo owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, Bryan McFadden and Nicky Byrne", the Chamber statement said.

Chamber Chief Executive Officer, Marc MacSharry said it was appropriate that all of us acknowledge the overwhelming contribution Westlife have made to Sligo and indeed Ireland as a whole.

Mr MacSharry said: "In just over four short years they have achieved heights of phenomenal proportions, their success has made all of Ireland proud but in particular all of the people of Sligo. Their work and contribution to enhancing the image of Sligo and Ireland is immeasurable. They have put Sligo on the world stage with their superior musical talent, their unrivalled professionalism and consistent demonstration of their love for Sligo is a credit to them and their families."

"The concert on Friday last was an exceptional night's entertainment and gives Sligo confidence with the vibrancy and enthusiasm the five band members portray.

"Westlife are truly Sligo's favourite sons and the business community wish to say a very big thank you for all you have done", he said.

04.08
WESTLIFE star Nicky Byrne is secretly planning to wed a week before his official £1million Hello! magazine ceremony in France.

His plans with fiancee Georgina Ahern were thrown into chaos when they discovered they couldn't legally tie the knot in France without having lived there for a minimum of 40 days. It means next Saturday's star-studded bash at the Chateau D'Escilmont, near Paris, will be nothing more than a church blessing.

Nicky and Georgina will have the proper ceremony at a Dublin register office with her dad - Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern - in attendance. A source close to the couple revealed: "It's all a bit embarrassing. They have no choice but to hold the proper marriage ceremony first.

"By the time they realised that they would have to live in France for over a month the wedding was already booked and paid for.
"It is a bit of an oversight, but the French ceremony will go ahead as planned - although it won't be exactly what it says on the tin."

Nicky declined to comment last night.

03.08
The nominations for the 2003 Capital Gold Awards have been announced; based on the theme of 'legends', most categories concern themselves with artists who've been making music for decades.

However, there is also a category designed to vote in a 'New Legend', and this is where Westlife appear - competition comes from Kylie, Robbie Williams, Ronan Keating, REM, Shania Twain, Bryan Adams, Janet Jackson and the Stereophonics.

All categories are open to public vote - just visit www.capitalgold.com, and you will also have the chance to win tickets to the awards ceremony yourself... the awards will take place on September 26th, at the Hilton London Metropole.

03.08
Westlife fans, here's some exciting news for ya. Their brand new single will be given its first radio airplay this weekend.

Called Hey Whatever, the tune is the first single to be plucked from their fourth album which is due out this autumn and has been described as a "gospelly epic"!

Fans will be able to hear the song on The Hit 40 UK show on Sunday. If you miss that then the song will be streamed on the band's official website www.westlife.com.

Earlier this year, Mark revealed to us exclusively that the next Westlife album would be a lot more personal and feature the songs they wanted to hear.
"Our music has to change now because we can't do music like that anymore because we hate it," he said. "We love to sing, we're real singers but we can't go round the world and promote something we don't believe in. Our last album, World Of Our Own, 90% of it we're really proud of, but there's some songs that we just don't know why they're on there, we don't like them and we don't want them anymore. We wanna be proud of them."

Hey Whatever is released on September 15!

03.08
Westlife's brand new single 'Hey Whatever', which will be released on September 15th, will be played exclusively on the Hit 40 UK show on Sunday July 30th, which goes out on regional radio stations across the country.

If you want to know what your local station is, go to www.hit40uk.com and click on 'Stations'.

The track will also be played later the same evening on the Smash Hits Chart show, which goes out on TFM, Metro Radio, Aire FM, Rock FM, Radio City, Key 103, Viking FM and Hallam.

Also, we'll have a stream of the track on www.westlife.com on Monday...

It's quite a different musical style for the band, so tune in and let us know what you think on the message boards!

31.07
Taoiseach's daughter Georgina Ahern and her Westlife sweetheart Nicky Byrne chose the fairytale location of a French chateau for their forthcoming wedding, the PR guru behind the celebrity deal has revealed.

Joanne Byrne, who is co-ordinating the wedding, told Derek Davis on RTE's Liveline programme: "It was both Nicky and Georgina. It was one of the countries that they love.

"They went for the first time when the World Cup was happening and they fell in love with it.

"They have been back a large number of times since. Westlife is very big and France is one of the few countries that they haven't broken the market in.

"It's actually one of those places they are really left to their own devices.

"This is a ploy to try and have some peace and quiet among family and friends."

The couple, who will marry at the Chateau d'Esclimont, 37 miles south of Paris on August 9, have been criticised for holding the ceremony outside Ireland.

Joanne said she negotiated the deal for the wedding rights with Hello! magazine.

"I've managed to get a substantial amount for them."

She refused to confirm the reported figure of 850,000 euro but added: "It's in or around that amount. It's close to that amount."

And she revealed that Miriam Ahern, the Taoiseach's estranged wife, was one of the central planners behind the VIP affair where more than 500 guests are expected to celebrate in style at the 16th century castle.

"Everything that's happening on the wedding day is very much the couple's."

She did not know if Celia Larkin had been invited to the wedding.

"I don't know. I have nothing to do with the invitations. My understanding is that all the invitations went out and I'm not privy to say whether she received an invitation or not."

And she revealed that the happy couple will not be forking out for the reported 100,000 euro security bill for the wedding.

"Nicky and Georgina aren't paying for the security. That 100,000 is not actually something they are going to have to worry about. Any wedding with any kind of celebrity couple they would always want to secure it in order to have the privacy they want.

"This is a very big Irish wedding that just happens to be taking place in France. All the guests are their family and friends. What people do at an Irish wedding after the speeches is their own concern."

31.07
Westlife's Nicky Byrne and bride-to-be Georgina Ahern will stop their guest from phoning home at their French wedding as they will be asked to forget their mobile phones!

According to reports the Wedding of Nicky and Georgina will be a CIA security style operation with every angle covered to protect their hoard of VIP guests and their Hello! magazine photo deal...

Such are the lengths that they are going to protect their 750,000 euro photo deal with Hello! that the couple will be demanding that no guests bring picture messaging phones to the event.

The couple have also employed an eagle eyed security team to ensure no secret texters manage to slip out some early pictures of the event.

They will be also asking guests to sign an agreement stating that they will not take pictures.

The beautiful couple will tie the knot at an 11th century Chapel of St Peter and Paul just outside Paris on Saturday week.

They have also asked their long-term Westlife bouncer Paul Higgins to be on hand to vet guests as they turn up to the ceremony.

31.07
Just launched into the pop market is Mankind, whose debut single “Put Your Hand Up” came out the same day as Westlife played their homecoming show in Sligo. And, what do you know, Mankind and Westlife are great pals, the former playing support to the big boys on a number recent occasions.

“We’re good friends with Westlife”, says singer Chris Miller. “We toured with them during June and played to over 200,000 people. It never ceases to amaze me how down to earth they are,” adds Chris. “Some bands play to 200 people and act like stars, but Westlife just take their fame and success in their stride.”

The association between the two bands goes even further. The new CD from Mankind features a band interview conducted by Westlife’s Mark Fehily.

“Westlife have given Mankind so much help and support,” says Chris. “I think it helps that we are different to them musically. We’re more in the vein of Blue, so we’re not trying to steal their audience.”

31.07
Pop heartthrobs Westlife will be trying to recreate the magic of certain English 60s films when they fly in to London this week to shoot the video for their upcoming single "Hey Whatever".

The promo for new single, Rainbow Zephyr, is to be filmed in black and white.

"All the clothes, props and cars came straight from the sixties," a source told us.

To prepare for the shoot the boyband have been watching an array of cult British films from the swinging decade. Car mad singer Shane Filan plans to leave for the UK a day earlier, so he can test-drive the vintage motors booked for the shoot.

"Don't be too surprised if he brings one back to Sligo," our source said.

Meanwhile, his band mates are working on the brillcream look.

"Bryan fancies himself as a young Albert Finney. But the other guys say the hair gel he's using stinks!"

30.07
Singles released on the same day as Westlife's:

Alien Ant Farm - These Days
ATB - I Don't Wanna Stop
Evanescence - Going Under
Foo Fighters - Have It All
Fountains Of Wayne - Stacey's Mom
Delta Goodrem - Innocent Eyes
Ainslie Henderson - Pretty Girls And Boys
Jamelia - Superstar
Louise - TBA
Mankato - Pictures Of The Other
Maroon 5 - Harder To Breathe
Nickelback - Someday
Lisa Marie Presley - Sinking In
Spookers - Faster Than You Know
Sting - Send Your Love
Texas - Carnival Girl
Justin Timberlake - Señorita
Finley Quaye featuring Beth Orton - Dice
Rachel Stevens - Sweet Dreams
Starsailor - Silence Is Easy
Westlife - Hey Whatever

30.07
The Edinburgh Military Tattoo has sold out in record time - even though the programme was only announced on Wednesday.

A total of 217,275 tickets for the 54th event have been snapped up since December.

Most people buying weren't even aware chart-toppers Westlife and filmscore composer Vangelis were the big- name stars performing at Edinburgh Castle.

They will join 1000 performers from army bands from as far afield as Korea, Oman and Switzerland.

Producer Brigadier Melville Jameson said: "We are so proud of this fantastic achievement, our fifth successive sell-out season."

The Tattoo will be held nightly from August 1 to 23.

Bookings for next year will be taken from December 1.

30.07
The love Sligo people have for Westlife is to quote their hit song “unbreakable”.

The finale to the homecoming at Markievicz Park last Friday saw Westlife hoisted up in the air to sing “this love is unbreakable,” the first lines of their hit Unbreakable.

This was the last hit the band sung before the encore to the concert, which lasted 15 minutes past the hour mark.

Kian Egan summed it up best when he said: “We are delighted to be here with our world tour in Sligo. This is a dream come true for us.”

The drama began at just past nine o’clock when the clock counted down to Westlife’s arrival on stage.

But there was no sign of the band. Instead their upcoming single Hey Whatever blasted through the speakers.

The wait for the band was over when all five lads came shooting up from the stage in a blaze of fireworks.

And straight into the music they went as they sung hit after hit much to the delight of the 20,000 screaming fans.

The rain which threatened to pour didn’t fail to dampen the spirit of the crowd who were determined to get into the spirit of things.

One of the highlights of the concert for many was the arrival on stage of Bryan’s daughter Molly. She sat on her father’s knee when the band sang Queen of My Heart in their acoustic session.

Later on in the show, Bryan brought his youngest daughter Lillie Sue on stage to roars from the crowd.

A touching moment during the concert was a tribute to the late Laura and Lisa Keane who died tragically in a house fire in Glendallon on July 5 last. All you could hear was the wind whistling through the stadium as the band sang Flying Without Wings.

The band changed three times during the concert and had the girls and women in the audience drooling as they shook they tushes.

The curtain came down but not before Kian said: “We would like to thank everyone that made this possible, our friends and family for supporting us all the way and most importantly the fans. We wouldn’t be here without them.

“Sligo we will be back.”

The band partied the night away in The Manhattan on Tobergal Lane after the concert.

Up to 100 family and friends shunned the limelight to party until 6am.

Heavy security surrounded the bar which was refurbished in the days running up to the party.

Only four of the band members were there. Nicky Byrne went home to Dublin, straight after the concert. He is busy making final preparations to his wedding to An Taoiseach’s daughter Georgina Ahern in Paris on August 9.

Mark, Kian, Shane and Bryan partied the night away and all their guests enjoyed drinks on the house all night.

Here you can find same pictures.

26.07
If someone looks foward Wstlife's new single "Hey Whatever", I propose to watch the old version of this song by Relish:
low, med, high

24.07
The new Westlife's single will be called "Hey Whatever". The official date of release is 15th September. Video clip will be probably making on 1, 2 and 3 August in three European cities

24.07
Westlife are not making a profit from their homecoming gig in Sligo. Singer Kian Egan denied claims that the band are set to make huge amounts of money from the concert this Friday.

He said: “This is not a profit-making concert. We have not come home to cash in on the people who have been loyal to us all along. This is for our home fans to enjoy.”

Kian explained how it will take up to 70 trucks to bring the show to town and 170 people to set it up.

“It’s a three day set-up and a two day take-down. All these people need to be accommodated in the town and looked after,” he said.

The first two days will be spent laying down the majority of the stage.

“The final day will see the band’s own stage get set up. It’s like a stage on another stage,” Kian explained.

Trucks began arriving at Markievicz Park last Sunday and preparations for the concert have begun.

Kian was speaking from Sheffield last Friday where the band were finishing the British leg of their Unbreakable Greatest Hits tour.

“It is great to be finishing our Greatest Hits tour in Sligo. We couldn’t have expected better.

“We won’t have a chance to meet and greet fans, there would just be too many.”

The band’s hectic tour continues as they fly to London the following morning to record their new single Hey Whatever. There are talks of filming the video in Cuba.

“We won’t be having an aftershow party in Sligo. We are all doing our own thing. I will be spending time with friends and family afterwards. It would cause mayhem if we went down town for a drink anyway.”

Kian did have this message for the fans: “It’s going to be proud day for us. We want our fans to come and really enjoy themselves. People all over the world have been asking us what Sligo is like. They often said they’d come to Sligo if we played there.

“The gig is going to be the same as what fans have seen all over the world. We are really looking forward to it.”

Meanwhile, Sligo trio the Conway Sisters were confirmed yesterday as one of the supporting acts for the concert.

This is the first outdoor concert for Sinead, Marie and Laura Conway, but it kick-starts a busy summer.

After the Westlife concert, the girls will be playing at the Rosses Point Mackerel Festival, as part of the Sligo Rocks Festival and will also be releasing their debut single to radio stations on August 7.

The girls have nearly a full album’s worth of material recorded with renowned British producer Simon Hill at his studio in London.

24.07
The music of Irish band Westlife will feature in the programme for the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

The event will take place each night in the shadow of the city's castle from 1 to 23 August.

More than 1,000 performers from all over the world, including South Korea, Oman and Switzerland, will take part in this year's event.

The Massed Pipes & Drums, which includes performers from Australia, New Zealand and Oman, will perform a combined musical programme featuring Westlife's 'Queen of My Heart', and the soundtrack to Ridley Scott's 1992 Christopher Columbus biopic, 'Conquest of Paradise', by Greek composer Vangelis.

The event attracts 9,000 spectators to the castle esplanade, at the top of the Royal Mile in the Scottish capital, each evening.

24.07
Heart throbs Westlife wont be playing at Nicky Byrne's posh wedding to Georgina Ahern next month-So they can all "enjoy the big day"

PR girl Joanne Byrne-who's organising the wedding said "The Westlife lads are like brothers and they all just want to enjoy the day, Its special for all of them aswel as Nicky and Georgina.The lads will want to have a few drinks and relax-it would be to hard to try and keep the sober all day to play a few songs later on"

Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle will sing hymes at the church ceremony and Ronan Keating will perform at the reception.

The couple have signed a mega-bucks deal with Hello! Magazine for exclusive photos of the day.

But Joanne rubbished reports in a Sunday paper that the deal was worth 1million

She said "I don't know where they got the figure from,it was nearer to €500,000."

Joanne also denied reports the couple were getting hitched in France to avoid paying tax on the Cash.

She said "Nicky's already made his millions, The only reason they're getting hitched in France is because its always been their dream location for a wedding"

And she poured cold water on the stories that the wedding would cost a whopping €400,000. she said "Im in charge so I should Know, there's no way I would rent a marque for 100,000 as some paper claimed and the over all cost of the wedding is substantially less than €400,000.

However the Hello! Deal will save Bertie from forking out thousands of euros for his daughters bash!

24.07
A castle near Paris is the romantic choice of a wedding venue for the marriage of Westlife idol Nicky Byrne and Georgina Ahern, daughter of the Irish Prime Minister.

However, it emerged yesterday that there may be more than just romance behind the celebrity couple's choice of France instead of Ireland for the nuptials.

Hello! magazine are paying them a staggering Ù700,000 for exclusive rights for photographing the big day and the sum they pocket will be tax- free because they are getting married in France.

If the wedding had taken place in their native Republic of Ireland or in the United Kingdom they would have had to hand over a third of the fee to the tax man.

A source at Hello! magazine said that the Ahern-Byrne wedding would boost sales of their magazine.

Girls Aloud singer, Nadine Coyle, will sing in the church and Ronan Keating will perform at the reception.

24.07
Irish R&B girl group SkynDeep will support Westlife at their homecoming concert in Markievicz Park, Sligo on Friday.

"We have seen Westlife perform on several occasions and they really know how to put on a great show, so we are thrilled to be given this opportunity."

The stunners, who write and produce their own songs, are being touted for major success.

They released the single on their own independent label, and are currently promoting it around the country, doing interviews and performing in music stores.

The hope to build up a fan base here before taking on the British market in September.

And so far, they've impressed people by reproducing their studio vocals live in radio stations and in record stores.

19.07
Curvy Kerry McFadden has blasted film bosses for dropping her from the new Carry On movie.

The prodigiously-endowed wife of Westlife's Bryan was up for the Barbara Windsor role in the comedy, but lost out at the last minute to I'm A Celebrity star, Danniella Westbrook.

Though she has no acting experience, the former Atomic Kitten singer believes she has the best assets for the dizzy blonde role - her 36FF boobs.

Danniella's cleavage, regularly flashed during her stint in the Australian jungle, is the result of a boob job, while Kerry's comes straight from mother nature.

"I would have been much better than her," said Kerry. "They've made a big mistake. I was asked along, went in for the casting then next thing I read in the papers is that Danniella got the part.
"You can't miss my boobs so I'm sure that's why they thought of me for the Barbara Windsor role in the first place."

In Glasgow yesterday to kick off the Great Fruit Shoot Out, where kids compete to win a week at the Bobby Charlton Football School, Kerry covered her chest with a tight white T-shirt.

10.07
Westlife star Nicky Byrne admits the band will never crack America ... because they are blacklisted by US radio stations.

In an amazing interview, a seething Nicky revealed it's not because radio bosses don't like their music, but because they don't like the Westlife image.

He explained: "We could give them some of our new stuff from our new album and radio won't play it. We've proved it.
"We sent over a CD of World Of Our Own with no name on it. They didn't know it was Westlife and every single radio station in the States - whether it be LA, New York or any of the smaller ones in the Mid-West or wherever - all came back and said that this is an absolutely huge hit.
"They said it was great for radio and people are gonna love it, especially as there's just a slight bit of rock guitar to it.
"But as soon as we revealed it was Westlife, the radio pluggers all went ... `whoa, not Westlife - no way, it's a boy band'. And we cannot break that down, no matter what song we come out with.
"If Bono wrote a song with us tomorrow and it was the biggest hit in the world, if Westlife's name is put to it, it won't be a hit in America because radio will not play us."

So why does Nicky reckon America has such a downer on him, Shane Filan, Bryan McFadden, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily?

He said: "The problem with America is that it's all radio and you've got to break into radio first.
"And currently radio doesn't want to play boy bands or pop music - I think Britney, Christina and *NSYNC were the last pop acts to break the States."

However, all that will be forgotten from tonight when the famous five will entertain 48,000 fans at Glasgow's SECC, over five shows, including an extra matinee performance on Saturday to make up for a night off on Friday.

Then they'll take the Unbreakable tour to the AECC in Aberdeen for two nights next week.

The boys will be belting out all their greatest hits - and Kian hopes the fans enjoy it as much as the band are currently enjoying what they're doing.

He said: "The whole Westlife buzz for me is on a major high at the minute. We're getting on brilliantly well. We're not even bickering - we're past that stage."

Although it's a greatest hits show, a highlight could be new song Beg To Be With You. The cover version has been a highlight of the tour so far and features Kian and Bryan.

Kian said: "There's an acoustic set in the show. It's like a 20-minute set where me and Bryan sit down and play guitar. We just sing five songs.
"It's gone down really well on the tour, so we're gonna put it on the next album, which we're recording now."

07.07
WESTLIFE fan Serena Williams went to watch her heroes play a charity soccer match — and was laid out by a freak shot by one of her heroes.

Heart-throb Nicky Byrne took a free kick, sending the ball hurtling into the crowd.
Serena put her hands up to defend herself, but the impact snapped the tendons in her forearm.

Serena, 18, from the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, said: “I heard a crack and within minutes my arm swelled to three times its normal size. I was in agony.” She said the band had not contacted her even though she phoned their managers for an apology.

Doctors say it will take six months for the police trainee’s injury to heal. Nicky, 24, and bandmates were playing in a charity game at West Ham’s Upton Park stadium.

Nicky said last night: “I do apologise to Serena. I had no idea she was injured.”

05.07
Vote for Nicky here and for Bryan here

05.07
Westlife fan Kirstie Sibbald told today of the magical moment when her heroes invited her on stage to sing with them.
The 16-year-old was plucked from the crowd during the boy band's set at Newcastle's Telewest Arena.
And as thousands of fans looked on in envy, Kirstie sang a verse of the Westlife hit Queen Of My Heart.

Today she revealed how getting up with the band didn't faze her one bit - because she already works as a singer touring Tyneside pubs and clubs.
Kirstie, of Hatfield Avenue, Hebburn, South Tyneside, said: "Westlife said they wanted to get someone up to sing and I really wanted to do it.
"They said they wanted security to pick people out and I'm a club singer so I knew I could do it.
"I love Westlife and I asked security if I could do go up with my two cousins and a friend.
"They let us and we had to sit on a cushion next to Westlife, then when they sang Queen of My Heart I had to sing one of the verses."

Kirstie, whose stage name is Kirstie Shannon, was with cousins Clare and Megan Clavery, as well as a friend, during Tuesday's gig.

We appealed for her to get in touch after seeing her wow the crowd with her performance.
Now Kirstie hopes the accolades she received from the band about her singing will inspire her to greater things.

She said: "Mark and Shane both said I was a really good singer and said I should go for it and try to make a living out of it.
"I was chuffed to bits."

04.07
Newly unattached Ulster pop sensation Nadine Coyle has a secret admirer.

Kian Egan of Westlife has revealed he thinks she is 'gorgeous'.

Nadine has just split from Derry-born Neil McCafferty, who plays football for Charlton Athletic reserves.

It is reported that she is now consoling herself after the end of her two-year relationship with the young midfielder, with little known boy band singer, David Wilcox of Triple 8.
However, while in Belfast for Westlife's sell-out Odyssey concerts, blond, blue-eyed Kian admitted he was smitten.

He told the Belfast Telegraph: "Nadine is gorgeous. I have been out with Girls Aloud loads of times and she is also great fun. Girls Aloud are very good.
"They have a great opportunity and I think they are going to be around for quite a few years."
While her family were today reluctant to talk about her love life, a friend revealed that Nadine and Neil were finding it more and more difficult to spend time together.
"She is just really busy with Girls Aloud and making the most of her success," she said. "I think Neil will always be very important to her but she just has other demands on her time."

Nadine recently revealed the band's hectic schedule.
A typical day for the girls can begin as early as 4am, and go on until midnight, with rounds of non-stop TV and radio shows.

"When we do get a free day we fly to Europe, to promote Sound of the Underground there, it's hectic," she said.
And Nadine has been turning heads wherever she goes.

In May she was officially declared Northern Ireland's sexiest woman.
She was placed 87th in the prestigious FHM 100 Sexiest Women in the World poll just behind supermodel Sophie Dahl, who came in at 82, and Hollywood stars Jennifer Aniston (83) and Nicole Kidman (85).

Meanwhile Neil, who is said to be 'gutted' over the split, can console himself with the fact that his football career is on the up.
Inside a year he had ascended all the way through every level of the club's ranks, although he failed to make the final 16 for a game against Manchester United.

Last season, he turned out 16 times for the reserves scoring one goal and he also made 19 appearances for the U19s.

04.07
Westlife reckon they've still got at least two years and two albums in them before they call it a day.

The five - Nicky Byrne, Shane Filan, Bryan McFadden, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily - have constantly had to answer rumours they're splitting.
And Bryan's claim they wouldn't last five years, which had fans in meltdown in 2001, has not been forgotten now they've got four- and-a-half years behind them.
But, ahead of their huge five-night Scots run at the SECC next week, they are keen to reassure fans.

Kian said: "Personally, I don't feel like I need to think about three years' time. I'm just gonna take it day by day.
"But I love being in Westlife and I can see us lasting for another two or three years anyway.
"The new album we're making is sounding fantastic. I feel that it's the best album we're ever gonna make."

Shane added: "We've all made a few quid. We have our houses and all that sort of stuff. It's not like we're dreaming of things any more. But, at the moment, we're more together as a band than we've ever been.
"We're gonna make the next album and, the way we look at it is, if that does well, we'll probably make another.
"I'd like to be able to enjoy it for a few more years. After that, it's hard to know."

Nicky admitted the band had been close to splitting up before - but their friendship always kept them together.
He said: "We could easily have split up loads of times, especially if we believed what the papers said.
"But some people seem to think we won the lottery and that we don't deserve what we have. I'm sure there are better singers in Ireland. I'm sure there are better-looking people in Ireland or anywhere else for that matter.
"We were the five boys in the right place at the right time, but I do believe we've made it last because of the work that we have put in and because of the bond we share."

The Irish boy band have certainly left their mark.

Westlife are the only group whose first seven singles have gone to No.1, starting with 1999's debut single, Swear It Again.
Their 11th chart-topper was Unbreakable.

While Bryan, Mark and Shane surely have solo careers in the bag, Kian already knows he won't be a singer long-term.
He hopes to stay in the music industry, but more as a manager or tour manager.
He said: "I already do a lot of the day-to-day stuff. I'd be on the phone to our manager, Louis Walsh, all the time.
"I'd be on the phone to the record company all the time, you know, getting everybody's opinion, making sure that we get what we need.
"And there's the show. I was very, very involved in the show - with the stage, with some of the tricks and effects and all that kinda stuff, even the set list.
"I've been very personally involved in all of that."

For now, it seems they can't get enough Scots adoration as they bask in their status as No 1 boy band.
They were in Scotland in May for two nights and, just weeks later, they're back again.

Starting Tuesday, they'll wow around 48,000 fans at the SECC over five nights from July 8-13, with an extra matinee performance on Saturday, July 12, to make up for a night off on Friday, July 11.
They are also thinking about having another crack at America - but on their "own terms". The boys are now working on their fourth studio album. Bosses at label BMG have no release date for them up until October, but we reckon they may release it in November.

Robbie Williams did it with Escapology, which went on to become the biggest- selling album of 2002.
As for solidarity, Bryan said: "There's never been anybody who's gone through what Westlife have gone through.
"Boyzone were obviously big at the time, but even that can't compare to us. When Boyzone started off they were a real boy band.
"They had the dancing and roses and white clothes and all that. We were always that bit slicker.
"It's not really dodgy for a fella to say he likes Westlife, but if a fella liked a Boyzone song, it was like saying you're gay. We got rid of that tag straight away."

25.06
Hollyoaks babe Jodi Albert has been fined Ù2,500 for missing filming after a night out with Westlife boyfriend Kian Egan.

The on-the-spot penalty is equal to her pay for a month. Jodi — who plays saucy Debbie Dean in the Channel 4 soap — had been on a boozy date with Kian in Manchester.
And they had such a good time in his five star hotel that she failed to make it to work on time the next day.

When she finally did make the hour-long drive to the set in Chester it was too late to record her part and bosses gave her the fine.

A Hollyoaks source told me: “Jodi has a flat near the set so it’s easier for her to get to and from work.
“But she couldn’t resist the temptation of seeing Kian when his band played in Manchester earlier this month.
“They had a great night out together but maybe she enjoyed herself too much.
“The next morning she felt awful and slept in.
“When she got to work she was given a rocket and told she was being fined. She was gutted but knew she didn’t have a leg to stand on.”

The tough punishment is a warning to other cast members.
The show’s executive producer Phil Redmond is well-known as a strict taskmaster and is quick to act if any of his stars misbehave.
Davina Murphy was axed from the show in 1998 for rotten timekeeping.

Jodi — voted 93rd sexiest woman in the world by readers of FHM magazine — is new to the soap this year.
I told you last week how Kian and Jodi have been dating for a month though they have known each other for years.

They got all loved up after meeting at a charity football tournament at West Ham’s Upton Park ground in London.
Before joining Hollyoaks Jodi was a member of pop group Girl Thing, which is how she met Kian.

The girl band were dropped in 2000 after their song Pure And Simple was given to HEAR’SAY. The track went on to become the biggest-selling song for a debut act, shifting more than a million copies.

Kian has been linked to a number of showbiz beauties, including model Jodie Marsh and Atomic Kitten star Liz McClarnon.
But pals say he is serious about Jodi and they meet as often as possible, even though Westlife are on a world tour.
Kian and bandmates Bryan McFadden, Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne and Mark Feehily are in Belfast but fly in again next week.
And if Kian was thinking about buying Jodi a gift for when they next meet, a nice loud alarm clock probably wouldn’t go amiss.

25.06
Westlife star Kian Egan has slammed glamour model Jodie Marsh for spreading reports of a romance between the pair - because he's dating a different Jodi.

The singer has been linked to British babe Marsh in recent months - but Egan claims the whole affair has been fabricated by Marsh to promote her own profile.

He rants, "I was very annoyed about stories of me with this Page Three girl. There was nothing in it. It's sad that she is trying to further her career that way."

Egan is particularly annoyed as he's just started dating long-term friend, Jodi Albert, who stars in British TV soap Hollyoaks. He says, "We've been good friends for years and now we've started dating. We know each other well and I know she's not interested in me because I'm in Westlife."

"And when something like this happens it's really nice. I've only been out with her three or four times officially on a date. It's too early to say we're in love, but who knows where it'll go."

23.06
With a new album in the pipeline, Westlife has warned fans to prepare themselves for a change in musical direction.

The Irish boyband have not made a studio album since World Of Our Own in 2001, and in the two years since they've come up with plenty of ideas about new things they would like to try in the studio.

Heart throb Nicky Byrne, who is set to marry childhood sweetheart Georgina Ahern in the summer, says, "I don't think there's any point in making another album if we're not going to change a little."

And bandmate Mark Feehily adds, "At the end of the day it's pop music and pop is meant to change all the time. We're not getting bored yet, but if we did the same stuff for another album I think we would. Change is important, both for us and the fans. We're not going to become a rock band but it's going to be exciting."

Promising the fans a great new album - hopefully in time for Christmas - Nicky adds, "The music is only going to get better. We haven't made an album in almost two years now, so we haven't been experimenting in the studio for ages and we're really hungry for it. We want to set that fire ablaze again."

15.06
Poor Amanda Holden may be a bit of a sort...but I know one Westlife lad who isn't so Kian on the Cutting It star.

Amanda, 32, tried to pull millionaire boyband singer Kian Egan when she spotted him at London's Rouge.
She asked one of the Westlife minders if Kian would join her table.

Always the gentleman, 23-year-old Kian agreed.

As soon as he sat down, Amanda started flirting wildly, swishing her blonde hair and fluttering her eyelashes.

One onlooker told me: "It was obvious she fancied him and was trying to pull him, but he didn't fall for it.
"She was trying to make him laugh and pretending not to know which band he was in.
"But Kian didn't fancy her at all. She's a bit too old for him to be honest. I mean the age gap between them is nearly ten years.
"Kian has women falling at his feet all the time who are much younger and fitter.
"He told the rest of the band she wasn't his type and Amanda tried hitting on him but he didn't want to know."

13.06
Westlife star Bryan McFadden has been named Celebrity Dad Of The Year, beating off competition from Tony Blair, David Beckham, Sir Bob Geldof, and Jamie Oliver to win the title.

McFadden, 23, flew in to London from a Westlife tour date in Manchester to collect the EPSON Celebrity Dad Of The Year Award 2003 at the Grosvenor House Hotel.
The star, who is married to former Atomic Kitten Kerry Katona, said: "I'm really pleased to win the title. Juggling a hectic work schedule with two young kids can be a challenging experience but I absolutely love it and I couldn't do it without the support of my lovely wife Kerry."
He added he would be making a donation to the charity Children At Risk In Ireland.
The Irish singer and songwriter lives in Dublin with Kerry and their two children, Molly, who is one-and-a half, and newborn Lilly Sue.

EPSON marketing communications manager Jane Barnard said: "Bryan McFadden's image as a family man has clearly left an imprint on the public's mind.
"They obviously see that Bryan is a great role model and really good dad and that he deserves to win this award. We're delighted for him and are also very pleased to support his chosen charity."

Bryan follows in the footsteps of wife Kerry who won Celebrity Mum Of The Year in 2002.
More than 20,000 votes were cast on the EPSON website over the past five weeks.

The final rankings were:

Bryan McFadden (25%)
Tony Blair (19%)
David Beckham (15%)
Sir Bob Geldof (7%)
Jamie Oliver (6%)
Ian Wright (6%)
Jono Coleman (6%)

Pix of Bryan from it

10.06
This is nicky with "new hairstyle" =] :



22.05
It's list for Most Attractive Men On Hello! Magazine 2002.

1. Colin Firth
2. Will Young
3. George Michael
4. Kiefer Sutherland
5. Russell Crowe
6. Alex Sibley
7. Darius Danesh
8. Hugh Grant
9. Prince William
10. David Beckham
11. Nicky Byrne
12. Enrique Iglesias


21.05
Westlife and Mel C have re-ignited their feud which has been simmering for more than three years.

On Saturday's CD:UK programme, the former Spice Girl called the Irish boy band old-fashioned and said they were living in the Dark Ages.

Next day at the Soccer Six, Westlife's Nicky Byrne went for Mel's jugular as he fumed: "She is absolute c**p, with a capital C."
He added: "Funny thing was, listening to what Mel C was saying I thought, `Okay, okay, I'll listen to her'.
"And then, about five minutes later, she comes on stage and she sings a very boring song, with a pair of jeans on, with a band behind her.
"I thought to myself, `Well, if we're living in Dark Ages and aren't modern, I'd hate to see if that's modern, because to me she was absolutely c**p.
"Sorry mate, you're not selling out arenas, you're not doing anything any more and you can't live on your history. Unless you can continue that success, there's no point slagging off bands who are having their success at this moment."

The animosity between Westlife and Mel C began when she was still Sporty Spice and the Spice Girls' third album Forever went head-to-head with Westlife's Coast To Coast.

As the race to be No.1 heated up, so did the war of words with Mel C - in Scotland next week for an Up Close secret gig in front of 250 fans -branding the Irish band "talentless and manufactured". Bryan McFadden hit back, branding the Spice Girls' album "rubbish".

He said: "There's a couple of decent tracks on it, but the rest of it is rubbish.
"People loved their first two albums but now they're just trying to be Destiny's Child, or TLC or something. They just don't have it any more."

Westlife went to No.1, outselling the girls three to one. A few months later and the Spice Girls were history.

First blood, it seems, to Mel - but fatal wound perhaps to Nicky.
Nicky admitted that Westlife, as a band, will know when it's time to quit - especially if their next CD fails.
He added: "If the music doesn't become good on this album, if it's not as good as we hope it to be, then maybe the time will be right to stop. Or maybe we'll do another album after that and see, but we won't be living off our past glory.

"But I have to say this album now is sounding fantastic, really, really good.
"So I honestly think there's about three or four more albums in Westlife - even more, who knows?"

21.05
According to reports Irish boyband Westlife intend to stage a massive homecoming concert in Sligo infront of 25,000 lucky fans.

Not since the early days of IOU have Westlife played a gig in 3 of the band's hometown of Sligo. Band members Shane, Kian, and Mark hail from the westcoast town and promise that the Sligo gig will be the highpoint of their career.

Kian told the Daily Mirror: "This is the ultimate concert for us - to perform infront of all our home fans is going to be amazing. We are going all over the world for this tour but to come home to Sligo is going to be the high point."

The five lads will play the GAA stadium Markiewicz Park on either the 28th or 29th of July after getting approval from the town's councillors.

Westlife have already confirmed that special guests Busted and Girls Aloud, together with Simon Casey, Six and Mankind will support them on their Dublin Lansdowne Road gigs on the 27th and 28th of June.

No support acts have been announced yet for the Sligo gig.

21.05
Westlife’s Shane Filan was blessed amongst women at the Catwalks night for ladies last Wednesday.

The singer was accompanied by his fiancée Gillian Walsh, his mum Mae and his sister Mairead and her boyfriend.
The family had booked their own table for the event and were accompanied by members of staff from their Morgan store.

Shane jetted in from Hamburg, Germany, after a performance at the Color Line Arena as part of the band’s Greatest Hits Tour. The band were on a week’s break.

The family were there to enjoy a three-course meal followed by a fashion show in which clothes from Morgan were modelled.
Shane and Mairead own a Morgan shop on Castle Street, the home of the Carlton Cafe where the pair grew up.

Celebrity presenter Louise Loughman pointed out the singer to the crowd who dressed down for the occasion, obviously enjoying a quiet night out with his fiancée and family.
“You needn’t worry Shane, we won’t be asking you to sing tonight,” said Louise.

After the symphony of desserts were devoured by the crowd of 300 in the Sligo Park Hotel, the fashion show kicked off with collections from Michel Ambers and Kate Cooper.

Next up was fashion house Morgan, which showcased micro minis with matching tops as part of their Spring/Summer collection.
Shane signed autographs for fans both young and not so young throughout the night, while enjoying the aftershow party.

He flew to the UK the following day (Thursday) as the band continued their Greatest Hits Tour in the Nottingham Arena.

21.05
There has been an enthusiastic response from the various authorities who will be key to Westlife’s plans to play a concert in their home town later this summer.

The first round of the GAA county championship is even being put back by a week to facilitate it.

The supergroup are planning a concert at Sligo’s GAA ground, Markievicz Park, on Friday, July 25 or Saturday, July 26.

Local members of the group, Kian Egan, Shane Filan and Mark Feehily have spoken many times of their burning desire to play in their home town and now look set to have that desire fulfilled.
All of them have already “played” Markievicz in the more usual context as they all played underage football for local teams.

A similar attempt to host a concert last year failed because of difficulties posed by the type of concert layout being proposed but it is hoped that problem can be overcome this time.

Sligo County Manager Hubert Kerins told a meeting of Sligo County Council yesterday that Westlife’s management had approached the Council to look for their co-operation in having a concert in their home town.

Mr Kerins said the Council needed to proceed immediately with the licensing application, which he said should be put together within a week or so to allow the public consultation process to start.
He said the matter was of “very considerable local importance”.

Sligo GAA County Board are fully behind the concert.
County chairman Joe Queenan said : “It is great to see a Sligo band who had won fame worldwide getting an opportunity to play in their home town. It is great PR for the county”.
He said that only an initial approach had yet been made to the County Board and the details had yet to be worked out.

As regards the capacity of the ground, he said that while it could hold 15,000 for a football match, the crowd to be accommodated for a concert would depend on its layout.
Gardai have also said they would “adopt a very positive attitude” to the concert.

Superintendent John Fitzgerald said that if the planning and health and safety aspects of the event were dealt with the Gardai would put in place whatever policing was needed to cater for the event.

13.05
Westlife wife Kerry McFadden is desperate for husband Bryan to quit the chart-topping band - for a job at McDonald's.

Former Atomic Kitten insists she isn't interested in Bryan's wealth and would rather he took on a less demanding job - if it meant she got to see more of him.

Kerry says, "I don't care about money because I've been skint.

"If I'm in love with somebody I don't care if they're a millionaire or a beggar on the street.
"I have sat and cried and gone, 'Why can't you just work in McDonald's?' I'd rather have him with me than away all the time."

03.05
Pop heart-throbs Westlife are set to jet out for Celtic's UEFA Cup Final showdown in Spain.

The boyband are among an all-star cast desperate to see the Bhoys take on Porto in the final.
And they've turned to Scots hitmaker John McLaughlin to get them to the game.

Season-ticket holder John - who wrote their No1 Queen of My Heart - is a lifelong Hoops fan and has booked a private jet to fly his celebrity pals to the match in Seville, Spain.

The Glaswegian said: "It's not every year that Celtic get to a European final and there's no way I'm going to miss this.
"My phone has been ringing red hot since we won the semi-final with friends looking for tickets.
"So I thought we had to do it in style by hiring a jet."

Pogues frontman Shane McGowan and Ian McCulloch of Echo and the Bunnymen are unlikely passengers on a flight filled with boyband members.

Irishman Tony Lundon, from Liberty X, Busted's Mattie Jay, Duncan James, from Blue, and Celebrity Big Brother winner Mark Owen will be aboard. Steven Gerrard - who played for Liverpool when they lost to Celtic in the quarter- finals - also wants a seat. Celtic are his second team.

John, 38, still needs 10 tickets for the clash in Seville. He said: "I'm going to have to call in every favour I've ever been owed but I should be able to wangle tickets somewhere.

"I might end up having to sell the furniture, but it will be worth it.
"You can always get new furniture, but it's been 33 years since we were in a European final." His dad Ignatius will be an extra- special guest.

He cancelled his flight to Lisbon and missed Celtic's 1967 European Cup win because wife Margaret went into labour.
Meanwhile, Glasgow's pubs are set to open all hours for the final.

Bars had 4am licences for last year's Champions League final in the city and it was a roaring success.

A city council insider said the licensing committee were likely to "look favourably" on applications to do the same on May 21.

27.04
"ALL my wishes are coming true!" were the words of eight-year-old Michaela McAvoy when she found out she was going to meet Westlife.

The progeria sufferer is a huge fan of the group and was over the moon when the Observer surprised her with a special meeting and concert tickets last week. Michaela suffers from the aging illness which makes her body age eight times faster than it should. The family live as normal a life as possible but Michaela has already reached the age doctors predicted as her life expectancy, making every moment important for achieving Michaela's dreams. When her mum Lizzie told her the news last Monday, Michaela was ecstatic.
Lizzie said: "She was so excited, she just said "All my wishes are coming true!"." Lizzie booked a limousine to make the day even more special.

"It was really big. All my friends stood outside to waved to me when we went." said Michaela. She then travelled in style with her sister Melissa, 5, her mum and her aunt Alex, to London Arena, where she had a date to meet Westlife at 5pm before watching them perform live.
But Michaela was flocked with her own admirers outside the Arena - a group of Westlife fans from Hastings wanted their picture taken with her. The star-struck youngster was recognised again inside the Arena, when a woman donated money towards Michaela's trip to the American reunion of Progeria Sufferers in the summer.
The woman had seen Michaela's campaign on a news programme but did not have the address. Donations from Observer readers made the trip possible for the family, including Michaela's youngest sister, Chloe, 3, and dad Pat Doyle, 31. An excited three-day countdown to the big moment was over when armed with a single rose for each member of Westlife, Michaela and Lizzie were taken into the Arena.
"When I met them the first thing I said was this is my dream come true." said Michaela.

27.04
I think someone has told Westlife to get rid of their boring image.

The band’s latest rebel “confession” is that they splash out on hotel porn movies when travelling.

Bryan McFadden boasts: “Hotel pay TV is our most expensive bill on the road when we’re away from our families.”

20.04
TMF Awards distributed !
Westlife won award for Best International Pop Group!! During ceremony Westlife executed two song "Tonight" and "Heaven". This second in duet with Do (Dutch singer).

Here you can find pictures.

20.04
Westlife's Nicky Byrne and his fiancé Georgina Ahern will marry in a fairytale wedding in France this summer.

Nicky and the Taoiseach's daughter Georgina have been secretly making plans to marry in the south of France in August.
Invitations to friends and family will be sent out in the next ten days to enable guests to book their flights to the sun.

Nicky and Georgina have not yet decided on the venue for their dream wedding, according to the spokesperson, but are considering properties along the Cote D'Azur.

"Georgina and her mother, Miriam, have been out there looking at various possibilities and she and Nicky have also looked over some hotels and properties but they haven't yet made a final decision," she said.

Nicky and Georgina- who announced their engagement at Christmas-originally planned to have their wedding in Ireland.

"They looked at a couple of properties they liked including Luttrellstown Castle, Powerscourt and Kilshane House in Tipperary," she said.

But they decided they didn't want to wait till next year to get married.

"It's impossible to get even the church that you want in Ireland within a year."

They've been together a long time and don't need an extended engagement to get to know each other.

"They decided 'let's do it now'. That's when they decided to go ahead and get married in France"

The couple first fell in love with France after accompanying Georgina's dad Bertie Ahern to the World Cup in 1998.

"They've been back so many times since and they love the country," said the spokesperson.
"France is also a fairly ideal location for them because it possibly the only country in Europe in which Westlife don't have a massive profile."
"They are more likely to have the privacy they want there"
"Georgina's sister, Cecilia will be her chief bridesmaid and Nicky's younger brother Adam will be in the grooms party."
"Details like this still have to be ironed out so I don't know who Nicky's best man is going to be yet," said the spokesperson. "I know all of the members of Westlife will be invited but I don't think any of them will be part of the grooms party"

Although the wedding will be held in the South of France, the spokesperson said the affair will still be a big Irish wedding.

"It's going to be a big family and friends affair with no politicians or a list of celebrities," she said" Nicky is very friendly with some of the lads from the Irish soccer team who will be invited and of course, all of Westlife will be there but that will be it.
"It's a big Irish wedding that will taking place in a country that they love."

Georgina, who is a business graduate, is talking to several designers about her wedding dress- and is adamant that it will be made by an Irish designer.

Nicky and Georgina celebrated their eight anniversary as a couple on October 8th.

18.04
Just before Westlife jetted off to their next gig in Germany ShowBiz Ireland caught up with the Irish fivesome on the UK leg of their tour in London's Docklands Arena.

They may be the oldest kids on the block but in relative terms Westlife are still a group of young guys and boy can they put on a show.

ShowBiz Ireland went along to the second night of their sold-out London Shows to see if the lads still had pulling power and are we sorry we ever doubted them.

Shane, Nicky, Kian, Bryan and Mark are still well up for it even though many now consider them to veterans of pop, and by the performance they gave to thousands of screaming fans they are anything but splitting up.

Westlife head off now to Germany to start the mainland Europe leg of their tour but they will be back in the UK and Ireland from mid-May.

Here you can see pictures.

17.04
CAPITAL FM AWARDS distributed !
Westlife were nominated in 4 categories (best international group, best tour, best international singiel and best official site). Westlife won 2 prizes! For Best International Group and Best Official Site!

Here you can see pictures.

15.04
Irish boyband Westlife have admitted that they hate some of their hit songs - labelling them "rubbish."

The syrupy balladeers also slam producers for changing the tone of their self-penned hit Bop Bop Baby.

Singer Shane says, "I told a DJ that I was annoyed about Bop Bop Baby. Both Bryan and I were mad because we wrote it and the single sounded so different to the original. And I said we'd never release a rubbish song like Miss You Nights. I don't think Unbreakable was a very good song either."

Bandmate Kian chimes in, "I don't think Miss You Nights and Queen Of My Heart are good songs. They're not the best we've done. We can do better."

And Bryan has something to say about their recent Greatest Hits package, released last year (02).

He says, "The whole Greatest Hits album was a rush job. There's no way we'll sing Miss You Nights on the tour - it's a rubbish song. I hated it from the first moment I heard Cliff Richard singing it."

14.04
Westlife are back — or should I say black — for a sell-out world tour.

The lads all donned dark military-style boiler suits and headbands for last night’s opening gig in Cardiff.

All except Mark Feehily who was dressed all in leather, including a camp cap, just like one of the Village People.

You can find same picture here

12.04
Radio Academy, one of the UK's radio stations, has announced the results of Top Ten Played Most Artists, you can see as followings:

1. Kylie Minogue
2. Blue
3. Pink
4. Sugababes
5. Robbie Williams
6. Jennifer Lopez
7. Enrique Iglesias
8. Westlife
9. Atomic Kitten
10. Liberty X

28.03