Bryan and Kerry McFADDEN
The holidaying couple talk about life after westlife, dramatic weight loss and marriage strains

Taken from: OK! Magazine, June 2004
Credits: Franzi @ Lynchi.de.vu

Bryan and Kerry McFadden arrive at the hotel in Istanbul with bags and they look shattered. They manage smiles and hugs and get ready for the photo shoot. Bryan, wearing a T-Shirt and jeans, orders an omelette, lights up a cigarette and proceeds to chat non-stop for half an hour. Anecdotes, impressions and funny accents all come tumbling out. Kerry, 23, laughs at her husband’s stories as she coos over the rails of clothes.

The OK! stylist has already noticed that some of the clothes she’s brought for Bryan will be too big. That’s down to Bryan’s dramatic two-stone weight loss in recent months. He says it’s partly due to sensible eating but largely down to staying sober for the past fice weeks. The McFaddens were without their town children, Lilly Sue, one and a half, and Molly, three in August, in Istanbul, but spoke to them several times on the phone during the shoot. Bryan and Kerry revealed that they’d like more children, but not at the moment.

Bryan and Kerry spoke to OK! in between photographs. Kerry is currently riding high on the success of I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here! and the former Atomic Kitten says she has a raft of offers on the table and is taking her time to assess her next career move. Bryan, now free from the creative shackles of Westlife after quitting the band in March, spoke about the exciting prospect of his solo career. They also talked about the pressures on their marriage and offered advice to the Beckhams as the speculation about their relationship continues to grow. They then revealed what makes their marriage tick and Bryan lifted the lid on his weight loss secrets...

Bryan, why did you quit drinking?
Bryan: Since I left Westlife I’ve had a lot of free time. It seemed like every day was an opportunity to go out and have a drink. So, before I turned into something that I couldn’t turn back from. I stopped. I haven’t had a drink for five weeks now.

Were you worried that you might be developing a drink problem?
Bryan: I’m not saying I was going to have a problem. But I started to realise that all my free time circled around drink. I was getting conscious of it and I didn’t want to get to the stage when it became a problem. It’s like the fags: I started off having a few a day and it gradually turned into 40 a day. I don’t want to be in that situation with drink.

So, who long do you think you’ll stay on the wagon?
Bryan: I plan to never drink again. When you’re drinking it’s all about having a laugh but it’s only when you stop drinking that you realise how good it is to stop. I’m enjoying things much more now that I’m sober. For instance, at the Eurovision Song Contest, if I’d been drunk I would probably have been annoyed at the result [Bryan’s song came second last], but because I was sober I enjoyed it. Going to nightclubs and being sober is fine, I come home and I actually remember the conversations I had with people. I have more energy, I feel livelier. I feel healthier.

Kerry, are you off the booze, too?
Kerry: No, I’m not. If I’m going out or doing an appearance at a club I have to have a drink for my confidence. I don’t drink that much but I get really paranoid so I need a bit of Dutch courage. The blokes can be rowdy, shouting: ‘Get your baps out!’ and I say back: ‘Yeah, as soon as your balls drop, love!’

Has seeing Bryan lose so much weight inspired you to keep trim?
Kerry: I signed up with a personal trainer before Bryan did all this. I’ve always loved Bryan no matter what he looks like. From day one I’ve been madly in love with him. I think he’d be gorgeous if he was 50 stone.

Are you surprised he’s still off the booze?
Kerry: Yes, I am surprised to be honest with you. But now I think he’ll stick to it.

Are you going to try and kick the fags next, Bryan?
Bryan: Inside I do want to give up but it’s hard. It doesn’t affect my voice - it hasn’t changed it - but the stamina of my voice has changed. It doesn’t last as long. On the last Westlife tour my voice was really sore and strained in the last 20 minutes of every show.

You’ve lost a lot of weight lately...
Bryan: Yes, I went to the gym for a couple of weeks to get ready for the Soccer Six football tournament. I used to play football every week but now the season’s over I haven’t been playing. So, the combination of training and cutting out booze has obviously resulted in the weight coming off, but I think the drink has had more to do with it.

Some newspaper reports said you lost two stone. How much weight have you actually lost?
Bryan: To be honest I haven’t a clue.

What are you doing in the gym?
I love kickboxing. I was doing a full session of cardio and weights and the kickboxing after that and I enjoyed it. I’m going to start back on that soon.

Were you on the Atkins diet?
Bryan: I do it on and off. I tend to do it through the week and then eat whatever at the weekend. I cut out ships and I never eat sweets and chocolate.

Newspaper reports took swipes at you for your weight. Did that play a part in you hitting the gym?
Bryan: No, I’ve had that from day one. It doesn’t hurt my feelings. I had it at school as well. After a while the insults bounce off me. They’d slag me because I was fat and I’d slag them right back.

Now you’re out of Westlife, do you have more time at home?
Bryan: Funnily enough, at the moment I’m spending less time at home than when I was in Westlife.

Did you quit Westlife because you were missing your kids?
Bryan: Well, there were a lot of reasons, but that was one of the main ones, yes. In Westlife I was living by someone else’s schedules. If I wanted to go home and see my kids I couldn't have made that choice. Now I can because I decide when I work.

Kerry, is it easier now that Bryan's out of Westlife?
Kerry: It's been a lot harder to be honest with you. It's funny but I saw a lot more of him when he was in Westlife. We've not seen each other properly in a while. I've been in New York all week and I missed him loads. We've both been working hard. It's sad really; it'd be nice to see more of each other.

We seem to get on better on the phone. We're like: "Miss you babe, can't wait for you to come home." We're at a nice, comfortable stage in our marriage. We're mates as well and it's good to have that friendship too.

Bryan: I think marriage will definitely be easier now that I’ve left the band.

Why do you say that?
Bryan: Now I’ve got my own schedule I can put my own life first. When I was in Westlife I was working so someone else’s schedule. Now, if I want to take a day off I take a day off, I couldn’t do that in Westlife. I might sound small but it makes a massive difference.

Does your marriage come under pressure?
Kerry: There are strains on our marriage. We’re human beings. No matter how much we love each other we have to work at it. We have little tiffs all the time about stupid little things like leaving glasses on the worktop. Bryan’s worst habit is leaving towels on the floor.

What do you think about the furore surrounding David and Victoria Beckham’s marriage?
Kerry: I think it’s disgusting the way Rebecca Loos has been turned into a celebrity. Have a bit of respect, they’ve got kids, why do something like that?

What would be your advice to Victoria?
Kerry: Hold your head up high. She annoys me but I still feel sorry for her. I’d love to sit her down and tell her she’s better than that. Half the people blame Posh and no one’s blaming David. It shows that no one’s perfect and I’ve learned that lesson. Their isn’t a perfect marriage or a perfect family. Every marriage has its ups and downs.

Do you like being married?
Kerry: Yes, I love it. I really believe in the tradition of marriage. We’ve been married two and a half years and it’s gone really fast. I still fancy Bryan, he’s fit!

Is Bryan a good dad?
Kerry: He’s a fantastic dad. He winds them up more than anything, especially Molly. Bryan’s the fun one but he can be very strict. I’m the same.

Who wears the trousers in your marriage?
Kerry: I think Bryan would say I do. But I think Bryan has this controlling way of doing things, like a real man. He gets his own way and knows how to win. It’s so annoying.

Are you broody for another child?
Bryan: Not right now. We want a boy next, no more girls, there are too many girls in the house! Imagine when they’re 16 or 17, God, can you imagine the bitching? I was talking to a guy last week who told me once my daughters get to 14 they won’t say another word to me until they’re 21.

Kerry: I definitely want one more, but it won’t be for a while. I’m only 23 and married with two kids and a huge mortgage. It’s funny, I was in New York and was chatting to these policemen. I mentioned that I had a husband and two kids and they said: "What?! You only look like 14!"

Were the lyrics of your Eurovision song about Kerry, Bryan?
Bryan: Yes, I’ve written loads of songs about Kerry before, and the kids. It’s easy to write about her. I don’t love anyone more than my wife and my children. A lot of the songs on my new album are about the kids.

Kerry: He’s a corny git, isn’t he? I’m his inspiration! He’s not as romantic as he used to be. He’s working with his songwriter at the moment and took him out for dinner two nights in a row. I said to Bryan: "When was the last time you took me out for dinner?"

What stage is your album at, Bryan?
Bryan: About three-quarters finished. I’m very happy with it. It’s completely the opposite of big Westlife ballads. It doesn’t sound like anyone else. It’s difficult to describe.

Can you dance to it?
Bryan: You could if you were drunk.

When’s it coming out?
Bryan: I’m not sure. If it’s ready soon it’ll be out soon, if it’s not ready it’ll be out later. There’s no date that’s been scheduled in for six years in Westlife we’d go on tours, finish in July and then we had to have an album ready in September, with only four weeks to record it. We never had time to write anything. This is my one chance to do things my way. So, it’s good to be right.

You must be nervous about its release...
Bryan: Not at all. Everyone’s expecting me to fail so if it does well it’s a bonus. I’ve accepted that the most successful time of my music career is over. I’m trying something else which I’ve always wanted to do. I’m starting from scratch. If it works, great. If it doesn’t...

Is it liberating being a solo artist?
Bryan: It’s a lot more enjoyable. I used to write songs when I was in the band that I knew weren’t right for Westlife. Now I write a song and I can use it. There are no rules or boundaries now and that’s exciting.

Do you think now that you never really fitted into Westlife?
Bryan: No, not at all. I loved every minute. We toured the world and I had a brilliant six years, I’ll never regret Westlife. I didn’t like some of the music - I’ve said that before, that’s no secret - but I never felt like I didn’t fit into the band. It was my job. It’s a bit like being in a football team when a centre forward is made to play on the left wings. It’s his job and he does it.

Kerry, would you record a duet with Bryan?
Kerry: I would like to release a single again but I’m not sure anyone would want to see me bouncing up and down on stage. Maybe we’d do a duet for charity. But Bryan doesn’t think I can sing.

Bryan: I didn’t say she couldn’t sing. I think she’s actually a very good singer, I told her when she was on Top Of The Pops once.

Kerry: Yes, but you were trying to get me into bed then!

Kerry, we hear you’ve been auditioning for acting work - how have they been going?
Kerry: I had to do a crying scene at one audition. I took it as a compliment that I made everyone cry. Maybe they were crying because I was so awful! I really got carried away and I got the itch for it. Acting is something I definitely want to do. It’s going to be big year for me. I love working and being busy but I also love being a mum and being at home.

Who’s your dream co-star?
Kerry: [whisper’s so Bryan can’t hear] Colin Farrell! Like I stand a chance! I’m not talking to film agents but I’m sure Hollywood are desperate to sign me up! I don’t know, I doubt it will ever happen. So many people try and get into Hollywood, especially with blonde hair and big boobs.

Bryan, do you feel that this is the start of a new chapter of your life?
Bryan: Hopefully it’ll be the main part of my life. It might be the last part of my career but I’m going to work my arse off to make sure it isn’t.

You’ve achieved a lot and you’re only 24 years old: you’re married with two kids, you’re a pop star...
Bryan: Former pop star! I’m 24 years old and a retired pop star!

Do you wish you started Westlife when you were a bit older?
Bryan: What and be 30 years old now? No way. I’ve got lots of experience and now I can start again. I think at 24 you start to become more of a man and it’s a good time for me.

Kerry: He’s not grown up. Most of the time I feel like I’ve got three kids in the house!