Interview Sunday Mirror

Go West

Boy bands, like dairy products, have a definite shelf life, and now they are into their early 20s, Westlife are rapidly becoming the grand old men of pop. But as they arrive at the M Celebs shoot it's clear they're still hot - the gang of girls hanging round the studio are proof of that. The lads are minus eldest band member, 24-year-old Nicky Byrne. He's flown to Ireland because, sadly, his grandfather has just died. But the other four are on fine form, as open and chatty as they were when they first found fame - just a little older and smoother. Bryan McFadden, who looks slimmer in the flesh, is the loudest. His supply of gags is endless, and he speaks his mind. For example: `I'd have told her to f**k off' is Bryan's take on the incident when Christina Aguilera apparently ordered her bouncer to push Mark Feehily, 22, off a table at the Met Bar. Kian Egan, also 22, isn't all that shy either. In fact, complete with floppy hair and footballer's legs, he's a right little charmer - while 23-year-old Shane Filan sits back and takes it all in his professional stride.

Hobnobbing with A-listers

The boys are just back after a month in L.A. recording and filming the video for their new single, Unbreakable. So which A-list Americans did they manage to rub shoulders with? `It's a different world over there,' says Mark with wonder. `It's like walking on to a film set. You see all the stars - they're in the clubs, they drive by in their cars.' `I saw Mark Wahlberg in a huge Bentley convertible,' cuts in Shane, `that was pretty cool.' Mark even got to meet his ultimate hero, Stevie Wonder. `He was in a bar and Bryan walked over to his security to ask if we could talk to him,' relays Shane. `And Stevie was like, "Bring them over!" Mark had a drink in his hand and it just went CRASH. It slipped right through his fingers with shock.' `I was overwhelmed by the fact I was speaking to Stevie,` explains Mark. `And yes, I admit I'd had a few drinks.'

Their uptown girls

Three of Westlife are well and truly spoken for. Nicky celebrated his eighth anniversary with fiancee Georgina (daughter of Irish Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern) last month, Shane has been lovey-dovey with Gillian, who he first went out with at 12 (and who's also Kian's cousin) for two years and, of course, Bryan's hitched to former Atomic Kitten Kerry (nee Katona). But that doesn't mean they don't have an eye for the ladies. Shane and Mark are eyeing up two stunning girls on the opposite table and, when caught out, Shane holds his hands up in innocence and says, `Mark and Kian are the lucky ones. They get to live out all our dreams.'
All four swoon at the mention of Cameron Diaz. `She's unbelievable,' says Shane, practically drooling. Which gets him on to the invite to the set of Charlie's Angels they had to turn down. `We had the same hair stylist as Cameron and she was like "Yeah, bring them down". But we were working.' `And it was the day of the sex scene,' adds Mark, sadly.

Mind you, he did have one fantasy fulfilled when Claudia Schiffer appeared in their Uptown Girl video. Shane reveals all. `Mark had this life-sized poster of Claudia on his bedroom wall for years, with her busting loose in a bikini, then all of a sudden she was on set with us.'

`We looked for a flaw but there just wasn't one,' says Mark, sounding awestruck. `She kept asking us if she was doing OK. We were like, "Just keep walking love!"'

Naomi Campbell, however, was a different story. The supermodel was due to appear in the video for Bop Bop Baby, but cancelled the night before the shoot, leaving the lads in the lurch. `She had to go back to LA to go shopping,' Kian declares sarcastically. `Put it like this, we've never spoken to her, so we can't say she's a bitch, but she let us down and didn't say why.'

The real pop rivals

So have they been watching their manager Louis Walsh as a judge on Popstars - The Rivals? `We love it,' grins Kian. `He's just as he is in real life, no airs or graces.' And what do they make of the rivalry between him and Pete Waterman? `A lot of people think it's false, but Louis and Pete really are at each other's throats.' `Pete is really dedicated though - and determined to set up a better band than us,' says Bryan, who has the inside track because his friend Peter was one of the last 10 in the boy's house. So would you like to be managed by him? `What? By Pete? No way,' says Shane, sternly. `He worked on our first album but hasn't been near us since.'

`People from his studio did the work,' snorts Bryan. Kian starts doing a rather good impersonation of Pete: `"I wrote this for Kylie. I did this for Britney. I invented disco." Remember when he said that to Louis on TV? Louis destroyed him.' There are smirks all round.

Celebrity mates

`A lot of people think celebrities who hang about with celebrities are sick,' says Mark seriously when asked to name a famous mate. `But everyone makes friends through work.' And his are? `Well, we're all good mates with Ronan (Keating) and the girls from
S Club.' `The whole of the Newcastle team came to one of our gigs,' says Kian who's had a few nights out with footballer pals Robbie Keane and Jason McAteer. But his main claim to fame is having Vinnie Jones' home phone number. `He's a sound bloke,' says Kian, clearly impressed. `I talk to Antony from Blue,' reveals Bryan. `And Abs from 5ive,' adds Kian. `He's turned into a tit,' mutters Bryan. `Nah,' says Kian. `He's a tit,' repeats Bryan, louder. `I've known him for years so when you have a drink together you don't expect him to give you all the "Yeah mans". That gangster rap stuff is fine for TV, but not for your friends.'

The downside of fame

Obviously, the boys enjoy the trappings of fame. `Getting into clubs is brilliant,' says Kian, `you skip all the queues and never have to pay for drinks.' And then there are the freebies. `All our phone bills are paid for and I don't think I've bought clothes for a year,' says Bryan, then adds: `Kerry buys my underwear, but that's it.' Inevitably there is a darker side of celeb status. `Invasion of privacy. Simple as that,' states Kian, while the others nod in agreement. `And the fact people stereotype you. It's immediately: "Oh you're a wanker because you're a pop star."'

Then there's what Bryan refers to as the `media crap'. It wasn't so long ago that a fling with a lap dancer shortly before his wedding to Kerry was reported in the press. Little wonder then that he's most passionate on this subject. `Ever since this bulls**t started about the lap dancer every f***ing paper has turned me into an alcoholic womaniser,' he says in disgust, furiously puffing on his umpteenth cigarette. `The joke of it is, he drinks the least out of all of us,' Kian says, protectively. `And the worst thing was,' Bryan continues, clearly on a roll, `two weeks later they took a photo of me in the car with my little sister and the headline in the paper in Ireland read: "He's at it again." I was sitting there thinking "Oh My God! People who know me know she's my sister, but what about the people who don't? They'll think I'm a wanker. I feel sorry for Amanda Holden now. She's got it ever since she had her fling with your man Neil Morrissey. I'm sure just from my experience it's all lies, but she's been painted as this absolute slag.'

Season's greetings

During the first two years, Westlife worked solidly, which is why, when they have time off, their friends and family now come first. `I go home to my family in Sligo, go horse riding, take walks on the beach and play golf,' says Shane, animated at the prospect. Shane's girlfriend Gillian also figures heavily in his spare time. `I can't go a week without seeing her. I'd freak out. Even when I'm working, I fly her out or go home at the weekend to be with her.' `Christmas is always the best time of the year because we get four weeks off no matter what,' sighs Mark. Bryan lets out a groan. `I'll be in Warrington this year with Kerry's mum and dad,' he says, none too enthusiastically. `I'd prefer to be home with my family but fair's fair. I'm married now.' As for Kian: `I do simple things like playing golf and going to the pub with mates. PlayStation's important too,' he laughs.

Also dear to their hearts is their sports car collection. `I have a Porsche, three of the others have Ferraris and we all have BMWs,' lists Kian. So is that what they spend all their money on? `No, it's houses,' says Shane. All five own property in Ireland and now Kian has bought himself a place in London. `It's the Love Pad!' jokes Bryan. `No it's not, it's very respectable,' says Kian with a straight face. `What about what Paul in security wanted you to do?' Bryan raises his eyebrows.

`Look, this apartment is all wooden beams and floors, and brown leather sofas,' says Kian. `It's a roaring fire and flickering candles kind of place. And he wanted me to put a lap dancing pole in it. But even I thought that would be taking it a bit far...'