No Smoke Without Fire

21 November 2010: [Shane Filan] Think Westlife, think squeaky-clean boy band? Think again. In their 12 YEARS TOGETHER they’ve survived a walk-out, suffered exhaustion, been on month-long BOOZE BINGES and teetered on the brink of break-up. Who are you calling boring?

Squeaky-clean, dull, uncool… Westlife have been called it all. But in today’s world of celebrity scandal, lead singer Shane says he’s happy to be boring if it keeps him out of the gossip columns. “Being cool these days means taking drugs, going to rehab and cheating on your wife. I think that’s really sad.

”We’re normal lads, we like to go out drinking and partying. We just don’t push it too far. If that means we’re not seen as ‘cool’ then so be it, but I measure coolness by success: number ones, sell-out tours and millions of albums sold”.  

And Shane is adamant he won’t be making the same mistake as Boyzone’s Ronan Keating who, earlier this year, was exposed for cheating on his wife Yvonne with dancer Francine Cornell.  

Married to childhood sweetheart Gillian – who he met at school, and who is also band mate Kian’s cousin – for almost seven years. Shane insists she’s the only woman for him. “I can solemnly swear I’ve been faithful to Gillian since the day we got together. I would never, ever risk what I have with her. She’s my perfect woman and nothing could compare to what we have – it’s very special,” he says smiling.  

Now a dad to Nicole, five, Patrick, two and Shane, 10 months. Shane fits his hectic Westlife schedule around family life in Dublin. “Nicole started school in September, so Gillian and the kids can’t travel as much with me any more. Instead I commute back and forth and it’s great to have that contrast between work and home,” he says.  

“I do the school run, then take Gillian out for lunch and play football with my mates. “Getting home is so special to me. I try to cram in as much as I can when I’m there. I’d hate to be single, to be a bachelor and coming home to an empty flat every night. My family is everything to me”.  

Source: Fabulous Magazine. Credits: by Beth Neil. Photography by John Wright.