WELL DONE FROM WESTLIFE
Taken from: Woman's Own Magazine, November 2003

Children of courage - We give a brave brother and sister the chance to meet their favourite band, westlife. . . .

Last Easter, siblings Lisa and Liam Southall saved their 13 year old friend from drowning the girl, a non-swimmer, had gone to wash her hand in a nearby quarry after falling over near their home in Dudley, West Midlands, and lipped into the quarry's ice water.

Lisa, 13 calmly removed her shoes, jeans and top before diving in to pull her friend to safety, while Liam, 11, ran half a mile to raise the alarm.

"I wasn't scared but the water was so cold that, at first, it tool my breath away, and it was hard to swim", says Lisa. "when i got her back to the side, she started to throw up the dirty water she'd swallowed. That's when i realised she could have died".

Thanks to Liam, paramedics raced to the scene, and the two girls were soon on their way to hospital, where they were treated for hypothermia.

To celebrate Lisa and Liam's bravery, Woman's Own arranged for them to interview their idols Westlife. Here's how they got on.

Shane, are you having a stag party before your wedding in December?
I've decided not to have a wild one. It's going to be very low-key because i don't want to go around a big city making loads of noise! we'll probably just play some golf and have a few pints.

You and your fiancee, Gillian Walsh, have been together for many years. Why did you keep it a secret for so long?
I've been going out with Gillian since the band started. It was my choice that we kept it private as i wanted her to be able to lead a normal college life and get a degree. she did that, and when her course ended, we admitted we were going out. she's kept me grounded - i don't know what I'd done without her.

Bryan, how do you like being a dad?
It's fantastic. Molly's two now and Lily Sue is nine months. Their mum, Kerry, is cool as well, but tried from the kids! Sometimes it's good to go on tour so i can get some sleep! But i make sure i see them all the time when I'm not working. I can't get enough of them.

Nicky, you and your wife, Georgina, were married in the summer. Do you want to start a family soon?
Georgina and i aren't planning on having children yet, but if it happens that will be great. I'm not sure if I'm mature enough to be a dad, but who knows?

Mark and Kian, are you ready to settle down yet?
Mark: I'm certainly not ready to get married - the thought of being on someone's company for the rest of my life and having kids doesn't appeal to me yet. Maybe I'll think about it in my thirties.
Kian: According to the tabloids, I'm dating ever girl under the sun! In fact, I've been in a relationship for four months with Jodi Albert, who plays Debbie in Hollyoaks. She was signed to our record label then she was in a band called Girl Thing a few years ago. That's how i first got to know her. I'm crazy about her, and we get on very well.