Westlife - Falling in Love
From: December 2003


Falling in Love

Bryan: When I first met Kerry about three and a half years ago, I
thought she was gorgeous. But then I had to go on tour with the band,
and I couldn't stop thinking about her. Luckily, she rang me and we
started talking and there was a connection straight away. I'd just
split up with my girlfriend at the time. Two months later, when we
were back in the country, I met Kerry again at a concert. We smiled
at each other and I realised I'd fallen in love with her. I don't
know why but, at that moment, before we'd even kissed, I knew I was
in love with her.

Nicky: I believe in love at first sight, too. When I started school,
I came home and told my mum I'd seen the girl I was going to marry.
But I never said a word to Georgina for four years because I was too
scared. But on 8 October 1994 the day before my 16th birthday, we
had a house party and we kissed for the first time. After that we
were on the phone constantly, every evening after school.
I don't know who actually said, `I love you' first. We just both knew
we felt it. The next summer, I left home to train as a footballer in
Leeds. But we didn't drift apart we kept seeing each other.

Bryan: It's funny when you fall in love, you realise the difference
between seduction and romance. Seduction is when you're trying to get
something out of someone; romance is when you want to give something
to someone. When you love someone you want them to love you, and the
next step is making love. That's what it was like for Kerry and me.

Shane: I can't believe I'm getting married at 24; I thought I'd be
much older than that. I was going out with Gillian before the band
even started. I met her when I was 10 years old, so we were friends
for a very long time before we got involved. I can totally trust
Gillian; I know her so well. It's hard to find someone like that. Our
relationship is better than a fairytale.

Mark: When I look at what you all have, I wish I had it, too. At your
weddings, I thought, `I wish that was me'. I'm big-time lonely right
now. But I know my time hasn't come. Maybe it would have been better
if I'd been in a relationship before becoming famous, too, because I
have such issues about fame. I just wonder why all these women are
talking to me and what they're really attracted to. Spending a lot of
time at parties in the West End of London is unnatural. Those places
are shallow and superficial. I'm not going to find a soulmate there.

Kian: Jodi and I have only been seeing each other for five months,
but I hope we'll still have that excitement in five years' time
because that will be the day I'll propose. I told Jodi I love her
after we'd been together for three months. I waited until I was
completely sure before I said it. But I already knew her so well
because we'd been friends for five years.
We started seeing each other a while ago and then our relationship
fizzled out because I'd just come out of another one. But then Jodi
came to see me at a concert and, as soon as I saw her, I knew I had
strong feelings for her. I knew she was "the one".

Bryan: When I first told Kerry I loved her, I actually told her mum!
We were having a few drinks and I turned round to Kerry's mum,
pointed to Kerry and said, `I love her'. Kerry pointed at me and
said, `And I love him'. We'd been together about three weeks.

The proposal

Nicky: I always said I'd get engaged when I felt it was the exact
right moment, and get married soon after, as I don't believe in long
engagements. I proposed in December 2002. I'd been on tour and got
home on Christmas Eve. I rushed straight to our new house and
surprised Georgina with a puppy, then got down on my knee and asked
her to be my wife. Then I gave her the ring; it was perfect gold
with a teardrop diamond. Last summer, we got married in a French
chateau, which felt like a dream come true.

Shane: I wanted to pick the perfect moment to propose to Gillian as
well, so I waited. Then in November 2002, we went on holiday to Dubai
and I knew the time was right we'd been together for five years. I
was incredibly nervous, but secretly thought she'd say yes. After
dinner, we walked barefoot on a deserted beach with our trousers
rolled up. Gillian was staring up at the stars when I dangled the
diamond in front of her eyes, so that she just saw this one big star
shining at her. I said, `What do you think of this star, then?' I got
down on one knee and proposed to her. She started crying and then she
said yes. It was the most romantic moment of my whole life.

Kian: That's beautiful. I've never had a big moment like that. Jodi
and I go for romantic meals; we've been to a tropical island; we've
swum with dolphins; we've gone deep-sea diving and surfing together.
But we can just as easily have a romantic moment sitting in a car
park!

Bryan: Kerry and I got engaged twice. The first time, I took her to a
castle in Donegal, went down on bended knee in front of the castle
and propose after being together for less than a month. She said yes
immediately, but when I put the ring on her, it just fell off it
was too big. After we had our first child, Molly, we got engaged
again, and exchanged new rings in September 2000.

Loving moments

Kian: I love cuddling. Just being close to that person and feeling
secure. That warm emotion of loving a person and showing them you
love them.

Shane: Cuddling, wearing pyjamas and watching telly in bed is my
favourite way to spend an evening together. Gillian has these huge
baby blue pyjamas and the arms are too long for her. That is so cute
to me.

Nicky: I love walking the dog with Georgina. We go down to the castle
near where we live then walk to the beach with the dog. Just the two
of us on a deserted beach.

Bryan: I think absence makes the heart grow fonder. Because we're on
tour all the time, I'm not into taking Kerry to hotels or for fancy
dinners. So, for me, there's nothing more special than being at
home
we're such a solid family. Ok, so we've had our hiccups, like the
furore about the lap dancer who claimed I cheated on Kerry on my stag
night. But it was just a glitch. We carried on with life, we got
married, we had a baby and bought a house. All my fantasies have come
true.

Looking for love

Kian: I'd hate to be looking for love right now. The more famous you
are, the more unbelievable-looking women will be chatting to you and,
nine times out of 10, they'll only want to know you because you're in
the band.

Mark: Some girls drive 80 miles to London then look you straight in
the face and are so blatant. They're saying, `I am a groupie and I
would love to come back to your hotel room'. For me, it's not an
attractive way to spend an evening. I'm a bit deeper than that. But
you start feeling sorry for the people who are sitting waiting for us
night after night in the hotel rooms. These girls are degrading
themselves in a way. It's unnatural to sit outside lifts and wait,
hoping you catch someone's eye and marry them or start a
relationship.

Shane: These girls are diving at me with Gillian standing right
beside me having a drink. But Gillian trusts me; I wouldn't have
asked her to marry me if she didn't trust me.

Kian: I admit I kissed some girls because they were offered to me on
a plate. I think when we all started out, having our choice of girls
was a novelty. But I don't want that sort of relationship any more.
Why would I want to be with someone who doesn't want to be with me
for me? And some of these girls are fake not just their
personalities, but fake tan, fake fingernails, fake breasts as well.

Mark: I agree. But if I found my soulmate and she happened to have
breast implants, I wouldn't rule her out. I just want to be able to
talk non-stop with a girl and to know I can go through life with her.
To be friends with her, that's what I'm searching for.

Shane: If you go out looking for love, you won't find it. If it's
going to happen, it'll happen. You have a better chance of someone in
a newsagent catching your eye than finding love at a showbiz party,
so just bide your time and wait until you're no longer in Westlife.

Mark: I have faith in the future. I have real faith that I'll find my
soulmate. This won't be my life forever and, when things are
different, there'll be a greater chance to meet people who are like
me who will perceive me differently to how they perceive me now.
But saying that, I could meet `the one' tomorrow morning and I hope
I do.