How well do you really know WestLife?
Over the next five issues BIG! talks intimately to each member of Ireland's most talked-about new pop band. This fortnight, Nicky reveals how fame has affected his relationship with his girlfriend...
How did you meet your girlfriend?
I met Georgina at secondary school, but I didn't start going out with her until I was 16. At first one of my friends asked her out for me and she said no! Then about a year later, without me knowing, he asked her out for me again. He phoned me and said, 'I asked Georgina out for you', and I was like, 'What?' Then he said, 'But she said yeah!'
So you're not very good at chatting up girls?
I'm very shy if I like a girl. I'm not normally shy but if I like a girl I don't know what to say to her because whatever I say, think she's going to just laugh at me. Whereas if I say nothing then I can't go wrong. That's what happened with Georgina, I was very quiet. Even though we went to the same school I never actually spoke to her until I was 16 - I never even said hello!
How does she feel about you being a pop star?
Ah, she loves it as she knows that it's every- thing I've ever wanted to do. She'd never stand in my way and she knows that it's the only thing that'll make me happy.
How have the fans treated her?
So far so good. The fans from Ireland are always coming round and chatting to my mum and dad and Georgina. Everyone always asks after her. Georgina's really nice to the fans and will talk to them for ages. I don't know if I'd have more fans if I didn't have a girlfriend, but I'd never lie and say I didn't have a girl- friend because that's disrespectful to the fans.
What makes you a good boyfriend?
I'm very caring and romantic. I love going out to dinner and going shopping. I love when you have a little bit of money and just go out and spend it on other people. I like buying people presents, that's just the way I am.
What's the most romantic thing you've done for Georgina?
I used to play Leeds United so I lived in England for two years while she was in Ireland. We were sad but we still kept the relationship going. I hadn't been home in about two months so I decided to fly back without telling her. Her mum answered the door and Georgina was in the shower so I waited in her room for her. She came in about half an hour later and couldn't believe it.
How would a girl know if you liked her?
I'd probably be quiet and make a lot of eye contact. I think she'd know, I don't know how to describe it, but I think she'd know.
What's it really like being a pop star?
It's a dream come true, we can't believe it's happened. I used to look at Boyzone and say to my dad, 'That's what I want to do!' But I thought there wouldn't be another big boy band from Ireland. It is glamorous, the record company spends a lot of money on you and you get to wear designer clothes, get driven around everywhere and stay in nice hotels. But you work for what you get. Ronan said at the beginning, 'It's a very rewarding life, it's the best life you could ever ask for, but you work for it.' We'd never ever give it up for anything, we're enjoying it too much.
Are you a party person?
Oh yeah. I think all of us are - especially Kian and Bryan. Since I've been in the band I think it's opened up a new side of my personality. Being five lads on the road... well you know what five lads are like when they get together!
Do you go to lots of showbiz bashes?
We've been to Titanic (swanky London restaurant). I looked one way and saw Noel Gallagher sitting there, then looked the other way and saw All Saints, Robbie Williams and Chris Evans. We were a bit starstruck. We didn't want to say anything but I would have loved someone to introduce me to Robbie and All Saints. I guess if the band becomes successful people might be saying, 'Oh my god it's so-and-so from WestLife!' I mean, Boyzone were huge to us and now they're like our big brothers. I can call Ronan about anything - I actually spoke to him yesterday. A year ago Ronan was a god to me, it's just funny the way it works out.
What do you spend your money on?
Clothes! When I signed to Leeds Utd I got into designer clothes and used to shop at Harvey Nichols. Then I joined the band and we got a stylist, Kenny, who works with the Spice Girls and David Beckham, and he took me to Gucci in Sloane Street and I was like, 'Yeah! This is me!'
If you weren't in WestLife what would you be doing?
When I left Leeds Utd, apart from singing, I wanted to be a police officer. I sat the exam and got accepted. I didn't hear anything for about four months, joined the band and then all of a sudden I got a letter saying when I was supposed to start my training. I was like, 'Sorry, no!'
Where do you see yourself in ten years time?
Hopefully WestLife will still be together, we'd love to be a big band and be really successful. I've always wanted to be a TV presenter - we presented MTV Select yesterday and had the time of our lives! Just before I got into the band I went for an audition to be a presenter of kids' TV show in Ireland and got it, but obviously the band was my priority so I didn't do it. But I'd love to present my own TV show one day.
BIG! - Issue May 12 - May 25 1999
-- The WestLife Interviews ... (2) Kian --
He's been christened a "ladies man" but in the second interview in our WestLife series, Kian confesses to feeling lonesome and being too shy to chat up girls...
We've heard there's a "no marriage" clause in your contract. Does that put you off getting a girlfriend? Well no, actually the "no marriage" clause was more of a gentlemen's agreement. The fact is, our management know we're not going to stop going out with girls for the next five years. I would like a girlfriend; it's quite lonely being on the road so much. It'd be good to be able to pick up the phone and have a nice chat, but I don't have that.
Do you think you'd make a good boyfriend?
I like to think I would, but I don't really know. I've gone out with a lot of girls before and I like to treat them well - you know, take them out to movies and to dinner on Valentine's Day, stuff like that. Once I was going away for two months and I sent the girl I was going out with a bunch of roses saying that I missed her already, and I hadn't even left.
Have you ever been in love?
I have. I went out with this girl for a year and a half when I was 15. Love is a feeling you can't really describe. I think what really does it for me is when you're watching a movie and you just feel really happy lying there on the couch with your arms around your girlfriend. You feel really comfortable and you can tell her whatever you want. They're not just your girlfriend when you're in love, they're your best friend too.
Are you any good at chatting up girls?
I like being myself when I meet a girl, I don't try to chat them up. It depends what kind of vibes I'm getting from her as to what I'd do. But I wouldn't walk into a place, see a nice girl and go over and start chatting her up, I'm too shy to do that. When I read interviews I sound kind of big headed when it comes to girls, and arrogant and vain - but I'm not like that at all. I just wanted to clear that up for everybody!
Have you ever tried to chat up anyone famous?
No I haven't. I'm too shy and I always think, 'Nah, they won't be interested in me.' There are loads of good-looking girls in the business, and I did like Britney Spears for a while, but I've kind of gone off her now.
If you had to put an ad in a lonely-hearts column, what would you say?
Romantic, loveable, likes to have a laugh but can be serious. And lonely...
Lots of pop stars go out with other stars - would you prefer to go out with someone who's in the business? It wouldn't make any difference. Feelings are feelings and you can't stop them from happening. I would never say that a girl has to be in the business for me to go out her, I don't agree with that.
What do you think your best quality is?
I don't know, let me ask the rest of the boys, (shouts out to the lads). They're telling me my eyes - I didn't say that, they did! My best quality is that if I like a girl, then I'll really take care of her. I like to be romantic and make a girl feel welcome.
And what's your worst quality?
Sometimes, if I get up early in the morning, I can be a bit grumpy. I can also be a bit hot headed if I think things aren't going well, especially with the band. I get stressed and tend to worry an awful lot.
You've got an image of being good guys. Have WestLife got a wild side?
Who said we're good guys? We're just ourselves, we're not trying to be something we're not. If people think we're good guys that's great, but we do like to have a laugh - we don't come home every night and go to bed! We go out when there's an occasion, like it's Bryan's birthday today so we went out on Saturday night dinner and had a laugh. We're not goody two-shoes.
Is there anything from your past that you're worried the tabloids could drag up?
Nothing that hasn't been dragged up already! The papers always get it wrong anyway. They said that I was a stripper-gram once but I wasn't, I was a kisser-gram. There's a big difference! I only did it once or twice, though, when I was about 17.
If you weren't in Westlife what would you be doing?
Probably teaching music. I play piano, guitar, clarinet and saxophone. I'd love to teach piano and guitar, like my oldest brother. I've done grade eight piano which means I'm qualified to teach. I'm teaching Nicky to play at the moment. When we're on the road for Boyzone's European tour I'm going to get a really good keyboard and guitar and give everyone lessons!
BIG! - Issue May 26 - June 8 1999
-- The WestLife Interviews ... (3) Mark --
In the third of our in-depth WestLife interviews, we talk to the band's shyest member, Mark, about relationships, his life and his hopes for the future...
Would you like to have a girlfriend?
Ah, jeez yeah. But the thing is we don't have that much time. Nicky's the only one who has a girlfriend and at times I see him, and I'm sure it must be really hard to be away from her the whole time. I don't know if I'd like to get into that situation at the moment. We're so busy with the band that I don't think there would be any point getting into a relationship right now.
What kind of girls do you fancy then?
I like girls who are good fun and that you can have a great laugh with. But then I don't like girls to be total nut cases who never shut up! They have to be able to be quiet and serious sometimes. I know everyone says that looks don't matter and it's only personality that counts, but obviously the first thing that makes you notice someone is the way they look. So looks do play a small part in it for me, but not the whole part - if a girl is a right snob or not very nice, then I wont date her. I just like someone who's good fun and reasonably pretty - she doesn't have to look like Pamela Anderson though!
Do you think you'd make a good boyfriend?
It depends what the girl's looking for. If she's looking for commitment, then she's come to the wrong person at the moment. I tried going out with someone for about two and a half months three years ago and I thought, I'm young, I've got a girlfriend, I can't go anywhere or do anything! I'm still young and I don't want a serious girlfriend yet. Obviously, if I met the right person then of course I would go out with them. But I'm no Romeo - I wont sweep people of their feet with poetry and stuff like that! But I'm also not the kind of person who'll sit on a couch and do nothing. I'll always try and have good fun when I'm dating girls.
Have you ever been in love?
Well, I love my mum, but part from that I don't think so. I might have been once, but it's pretty irrelevant to me at the moment. Love is when you would do absolutely anything for that person. If you love someone and they said one thing and a thousand people said the opposite, you'd still be on their side. You'd be behind them all the way. I think that the worst thing ever would be to be in love with someone and not to be loved back.
Are you any good at chatting girls up?
No, I'm pretty shy when it comes to that. Basically the type of girls I like are ones who will chat me up. When I'm in a night- club I have to build up so much confidence before I go over and talk to somebody. Someone would have to come over and say, 'that girl really likes you. If you do, go and talk to her.' I'm too scared of a girl saying, 'Get lost, you weirdo!'
If you put an ad in a lonely-hearts column, what would it say?
Young, free and single looking for someone who's a laugh and erm... OK, let's try again. Young, free, single and looking for someone who's a mad laugh - but who can also be serious - likes music, chilling out and going to discos.
What's your best quality?
I'm pretty calm and collected. If a problem or situation occurs I review the whole thing before I react. If two people are having a row, for example, I'll interrupt and say, 'right, hold on a minute, what's wrong with you? Can't we sort this out so both of you can be happy, instead of having a roaring argument?'
What's your worst quality?
Probably the fact that I'm really shy when it comes to talking to people. Sometimes when I meet someone and I'm quiet, I have a feeling that it may give off the wrong vibe that I'm snobby or arrogant. But once I get to know someone then I'll just have a laugh.
Are you a party person?
If I'm in the mood I can be. I'm not one of these people who are mad for parties 24 hours a day, but if I'm in the mood, I'm definitely up for a laugh.
Is there anything from you past that you're worried the tabloids could drag up?
I can't think of anything. I did what every average person growing up in a small town in the north west of Ireland would do - just going out to discos, getting detention at school. I didn't burn down any houses or anything like that!
What's the flashest thing you've done so far?
We haven't had time to do anything really exciting, as we haven't had any time off. I'd have to say the most pop star thing I've done recently is had a cup of hot chocolate and gone to bed!
If you weren't in Westlife what would you be doing?
Id' probably be at university on Sligo and living at home. I would have loved to have done something with computers or teaching. I reckon I would have made a good teacher.
In the fourth of our Westlife interviews, Bryan reveals how he's trying to get over the heartbreak of splitting up with his last girlfriend...
Do you think you are a good boyfriend?
Yeah, I think I am. I'm a single lad right now, but I'm considerate to girls when I go out with them. I like to be romantic too. After Christmas I turned up at my ex-girlfriend's work with flowers for no reason. I thought that was romantic.
Have you ever been in love?
Yeah, I was in love in that girl I was just telling you about, but I can't tell you her name. When you're in love she's the first person you think of when you wake up and the last person you think of before you go to sleep. I was definitely heartbroken when we split up. It takes time to get over a broken heart, I'm still not over her properly.
Are you good at chatting up girls?
I'm probably the worst person in the world at chatting up girls! I'm so bad, I just don't have the confidence to do it. If I saw someone I liked I wouldn't have the guts to chat her up.
Would you ever tell a girl you've just met that you weren't a pop star?
I always do that when I meet a girl. The last time we were in Ireland I told this girl I was a bricklayer. She believed me but then her friend told her who I was on the way home. I saw her the next day - luckily she wasn't in a mood with me, she thought it was quite funny!
Have you ever tried to chat up anyone famous?
Yeah, but I'm not going to say you who! It was on a tour we were on last year, we just chatted for a while and she was really nice.
How has your life changed since you joined Westlife?
It's changed dramatically. This time last year I was working in McDonald's as a security guard. We're living a dream at the moment.
Do people treat you any differently now you're a pop star?
We're not pop stars! At the moment we're just a new band with potential. In Ireland we get treated really differently to before our single came out. Everyone wants to be our friend - it's so weird. Your real friends always stay the same - like my best friend Eddie, he hasn't changed a bit. He's the one that'll slap me if I ever get big headed!
Apart from Ronan, have you got any famous pals?
We get on well with Steps and Five, but the closest friends to the band are probably people like Christian Fry, Paper Dolls, Next of Kin and mytown as we grew up with them in Dublin. I did a TV programme with Paul, Danny, Sinead and the twins from B*Witched and it's weird that the six of us went on to be in bands. It was actually Paul from mytown that got me into singing in the first place.
We heard that Westlife will only be releasing ballads - is that true?
We read that yesterday and were shocked. Our second single is actually a mid-tempo song. The album's going to have a lot of up-tempo numbers on it, and yes we'll definitely have some funky dance routines!
If you weren't in Westlife what would you be doing?
I'd probably be in the band that I was in before called Cartel - we were like an R'n'B/pop version of 911. We worked so hard, our whole life was the band for about a year. We used to do loads of small gig and we had a huge fan base for small band. But if I wasn't doing that I'd be a footballer. I love football.
In our final Westlife interview Shane, the most sensitive member of the band, reveals how he's never been in love and how he hates being away from his family...
Do you prefer to have a girlfriend or to be a single lad?
I don't know, I suppose I would I prefer to have a girlfriend. It'd be nice in a way for comfort and a hug whenever you need one. But it would be too hard as we're away so much of the time.
What kind of girls do you like?
I like cute, cuddly girls, someone you can look at and say, "She didn't spend five hours getting ready!" I like very natural looking girls who are well presented and smart - but she doesn't have to dress in Gucci!
Do you think you'd make a good boyfriend?
I think I'd make a very good boyfriend. I'm a very romantic person. I like all of that romantic stuff like going out for meals and treating a girl. I'm big into that!
Have you ever been in love?
Yes and no - I've been in puppy love. It was with a girl from my hometown who I went out with for about a year when I was 14. I told her I loved her every day but now I look back and think I didn't really love her. I just thought I did at the time.
Are you good at chatting girls up?
I am if they're chatty as well. I just chat about anything, but I try not to mention the band as I like meeting girls who don't know anything about Westlife. But we haven't been out much lately so I don't know what it's like to pull someone any more!
So when you meet girls do you tell them you're in a band?
No, I'll tell them I'm a bricklayer or that I'm at college. If there's a couple of us out and someone asks if they've seen me on telly, I just tell them it was my brother.
If you had to put an ad in a lonely-hearts column what would it say?
Let me think and make it sound good... '19-year-old, dark-haired male, 5ft 9", looking for someone to cuddle!'
What's your best quality?
I hate answering this. I tell you what, you look at a picture of me and pick it out yourself.
What about your smile?
OK, my smile is cool. I'm very laid back and I'm a good listener. I also like chatting to people. But if I'm in a place where I don't know anybody I'm very shy. I'm quite funny too, me and Bryan are always having a laugh.
Do you get homesick being away from Ireland all the time?
Oh yeah, I get really homesick. If I had a spare hour, I'd fly home! My mum's always ringing me up and we both cry when I have to go away. The last time we went away I knew I wouldn't be coming home for months and I'd only see my mum for a couple of hours. It's good to have a cry every now and again if you miss home or you feel sad.
Where will you be in ten years' time?
I hope that the band has sold millions and millions of records worldwide - then I can call myself a pop star! If we're not still together then maybe I'd like a solo career or to do TV. I definitely want to be able to enjoy life in ten years' time and possibly start a family. Maybe I'll meet someone through that lonely hearts advert. Make sure you print that big!