Westlife were "nervous" about reuniting, as they worried they wouldn’t have any fans.
The Irish boy band – made up of Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, and Shane Filan, and previously including Brian McFadden – made a comeback in 2018 after disbanding in 2012 following a 14-year career, and they’ve now said they were "relieved" to see they still have devoted fans despite the six year break.
Mark said: "We were nervous coming back after so long, would the [fans] still be there? Would they still want to come and see us? It was obviously just a huge relief to know that they were all still there and actually there are even more people there than before. The tickets sold out faster and between that and the new album that we’re currently making we just feel so lucky, we really appreciate this, we don’t take it for granted."
The ‘Flying Without Wings’ hitmakers were "secretive" about their plans to reform when they first started having meetings, but their "cover was completely blown" when a meeting at Nicky’s house went wrong.
Nicky recalled: "We were all secretive because we didn’t want anyone to know, we didn’t tell anybody, it was just the four of us on email and we said we’d meet at my house, half past two, be there. At about twenty to three I’m [looking at my watch] thinking ‘the boys are a bit late’ then the boys arrive and said, ‘We’ve just knocked into the neighbours garden and knocked over the plant pot and she went, ‘Ah hi guys, Nicky lives next door.’ So our cover was completely blown."
And now that several of the members have partners and children, they’ve said they’re able to look at their upcoming tour in a new light, as they’re "older and wiser" than they were when they started out in 1998.
Speaking during an appearance on ‘The Jonathan Ross Show’ – which airs on Saturday (30.03.19) – Shane said: "We’re older and wiser, we’ve got kids and families and stuff and they’re getting to see what Daddy does for a living for the first time and really understand it and it’s just mind blowing, it’s amazing."
Westlife thought they wouldn’t have fans during their reunion
