Westlife’s Kian Egan reveals how wardrobe blunder almost derailed their first sold-out London show
FORGET simply being a pop star, Westlife’s Kian Egan can now add stylist to his CV after he helped save the day on the first night of their tour.
As Bizarre’s Jack joined the lads backstage for the first of three sell-out shows at the O2 in London, the Irish singer revealed a wardrobe error meant they were an outfit down in Dublin last month.
Kian flew into action before the first show in the Irish capital and found himself, Shane Filan and Nicky Byrne leather jackets to wear on stage.
Shane said with a laugh: “We weren’t going to wear these. We only got them sorted the night before. Luckily Kian came to our rescue.”
The Westlife 25th anniversary tour will see them play 87 dates around the globe during this year and next.
Over the decades, Westlife have clocked up 14 No1 singles and eight No1 albums — an achievement Kian admits they never dreamed of when they formed in 1998.
Reflecting on their first chart-topper Swear It Again, he said: “We had no expectations at all.
“When our first single went No1 in 1999, I kid you not, we cried. The last few years have been really good to us — we even got our own T-shirts in Primark.
“When I was 16, I was begging for a job there, but they wouldn’t give me one. Now they are selling our T-shirts.”
During the show, which was also watched by Hear’Say’s Noel Sullivan and Suzanne Shaw, Nicky celebrated his 48th birthday.
In a sweet moment, he was presented with a cake by his three children, Rocco, Jay, and Gia who came on to huge cheers from the audience.
An overwhelmed Nicky told the crowd: “It’s 25-plus years we have together now.
“It has been absolutely beyond incredible, to be honest with you.” This tour has been planned for some time.
“You might have seen some of our ideas on the screen, our childhood homes coming to life. It’s a real celebration of Westlife.
“The tour has been pretty incredible, we have all grown up with this, from friendships, to heartbreaks, to weddings, babies, some funerals, and we’re all in this together.
“We are having the time of our lives up here.”
He added: “Nobody wanted to predict it when we were 17 and 18 years of age.
“Just some lads going on stage, eventually winning MTV Europe awards, Brit Awards, World Music awards.
“It’s been absolutely insane. And to stand here on my birthday, still doing this at this level . . .
“If this was it for us, this would be enough.”
LOVED-UP BENSON ON SONG
BENSON BOONE’s new music is pouring out of him after finding love.
The singer split from his influencer girlfriend Maggie Thurmon a year ago.
But he’s set tongues wagging that there is another special someone in his life.
Asked what’s inspiring him, he said: “Love. I feel like that’s the greatest inspiration of all time. But yeah, new love, I think, is a very beautiful feeling.
“When you first open yourself up to someone, it’s like one of the greatest things ever, to feel as a human being and to have that be accepted.
“Those feelings just very easily turn into melodies and words so easily. It comes very quickly”
Benson released his second album American Heart in June 2025, and will finally get a chance to complete a third album when he finishes his world tour next month.
He told Australia’s Kiis radio: “Before this tour, I wrote quite a lot. Then afterwards, I’m planning on continuing that. So we’ll have, next year, a substantial amount of songs.”
LANCE BASS has revealed NSYNC were pretty much “working for free” in their Nineties heyday.
He said in a new interview they got $35 a day, adding: “Our first cheque was $10,000 after years of No1 albums, sell-out tours.
“You’re like, ‘Oh, thanks’. We should be grateful for that – been working for free for two, three years now.”
THE CHASE FOR NO1 STATUS
CHASE & STATUS are on course to land their 14th Top 40 song this Friday.
They have the highest new entry thanks to Carnage, featuring Little Simz.
The track comes from the drum and bass duo’s new album, Generic Everything, which they released on Friday.
Taylor Swift is holding tight at the top, with Patient Zero looking likely to have a third consecutive week at No1, holding off Jamie Miller’s Babydoll and Ashe’s Stop The Wedding.
JEREMY CLARKSON’s Hawkstone Farmers Choir swapped planting for partying in the video for their new single, Absolution.
The track is the latest single from the Britain’s Got Talent winners’ upcoming album This Is Home, which comes out on November 20.
A source said: “The choir loved letting loose for the video.
“It’s a celebration of downing tools and coming together.”
STEVEN KNIGHT is keen on a follow-up to his film Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger.
The documentary, now available to stream on Disney+ followed the band’s reunion tour last year.
In an exclusive chat at a VIP screening, Steven told me: “I believe there is another.
“There’s loads of stuff there that people would love to see. Why not?”
Hear. hear.
TAKE OFF FOR MEL’S PHOENIX
MEL B’s daughter Phoenix is the latest of the Spice Girls offspring to go into music – revealing she is planning to officially release her first tunes.
The self-taught DJ has been playing gigs for a while and has now announced she’s been working on original tracks.
Phoenix, whose dad is Dutch dancer Jimmy Gulzar, said on TikTok: “Been in the studio all summer working on music and I’m finally ready to start sharing it with you guys.
“So nervous but so excited for you to hear what I’ve been working on.”
Phoenix is expected to drop the first of the dance music tracks in the coming weeks, after fans praised her over a snippet she shared online.
While it will be her first proper single, she did get a taste for fame 25 years ago, appearing in the video to her mum’s solo single Lullaby, which was written about her birth.
Victoria Beckham’s son Cruz has so far been the most successful of the Spice babies, touring across the globe and releasing his Wear & Tear EP in August.
Meanwhile, Geri Halliwell-Horner’s daughter Bluebell has performed a handful of intimate shows as she dipped her toe in the water.
DUNC: AXE A DRAG
DUNCAN JAMES has blasted the BBC for dropping RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
In an exclusive chat, the Blue singer, who came out in 2012, talked about his personal disappointment over the axe, saying: “The BBC has always been about showing inclusivity and showing things for all ages and all genders and all humans.
“I feel we are almost being hidden away again. It’s a huge shame because it was great for the BBC to have something so inclusive.”
Looking to the future, Duncan is preparing to spread some light and laughter as he heads out on the road as part of a new supergroup.
Appearing in All Stars – The Music Of Abba, Duncan will join his bandmate Antony Costa, as well as Samantha Mumba and Una Healy for a UK tour celebrating the Swedish group’s hits.
The tour will kick off at Fairfield Halls in Croydon on February 26 before wrapping up at Southampton’s Mayflower on April 11. Tickets are on sale now.
Duncan said: “I get to dress up in all the sparkles and all the glitz and glamour and just have a fabulous time. The last year with Blue, has been so full on with the 25th anniversary, and we’ve worked so hard.
“It’s been wonderful. But at the same time, it’s always really nice to just have a little break mentally from Blue and go into something else.”
Suki a groover and shaker
SUKI WATERHOUSE continued her love affair with Oasis at the Austin City Limits music festival.
She channelled her inner Liam Gallagher after putting on an Adidas vest and waving a tambourine during her set, just like the rocker.
Suki is a massive fan of Noel and Liam, and has previously covered Don’t Look Back In Anger during her live music sets.
I’ve no doubt Suki and her fiancé Robert Pattinson will also be on the brothers’ live tour next year, after they were spotted down the front at Wembley Stadium during their reunion shows last summer.
THE WEEK IN BIZNESS
TODAY: Britain’s Got Talent’s Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and KSI will be back behind the judging desk at Winter Gardens Blackpool as they record the auditions for the 2027 series.
TUESDAY: Barack Obama will be on stage for a trio of An Evening With… events, beginning at The O2 Belfast before Glasgow’s OVO Hydro on Wednesday and Manchester’s Co-op Live on Thursday.
THURSDAY: Tyla brings her A*Pop tour to the UK, kicking off with two nights at London’s O2 Academy Brixton followed by shows in Glasgow and Manchester.
SUNDAY: The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show returns in Los Angeles with models including Gigi Hadid and performances from Tate McRae, Megan Thee Stallion and Katseye.
