As one of the leading boybands of the late '90s, Westlife took the world by storm, and still have legions of loyal fans to this day. Formed in 1998 as the Irish answer to Take That , Westlife went on to release 13 albums and embark on 12 world tours before going their separate way in 2012. And they were able to whip up the same magic formula following their 2018 reunion, with their comeback album Spectrum reaching a coveted number one spot.
Behind the glamour of screaming crowds and packed out concerts spanning the globe, the five talented bandmates have all endured many ups and downs in their personal and professional lives, including a recent health update that left fans shaken. Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Brian McFadden, Nicky Byrne, and Kian Egan rose to fame through Westlife, but this was only the beginning of their stories. Here, the Mirror takes a look at what came next for the boys, from agonising IVF battles, to debt woes.
.. Lead singer Shane Filan, 45 studied business and accounting before joining Westlife, but was left devastated when his property empire went bust in 2012, leaving him with debts of £18million.
The Irish star and his brother Finbarr ran property development company Shafin Developments, and had taken out loans to build a 90-house estate in Dromahair, Co Leitrim, as well as a nursing home and a supermarket. But when the recession hit, their plans had to be shelved and the company collapsed. From secret feuds and sexy scandals to the biggest showbiz he.
