Will Westlife's Kian Egan take Louis Walsh's chair as an X Factor judge?

Wounded Simon Cowell is not in a mood to be messed with and is considering ‘sweeping changes’ to The X Factor later this year, I’m told.

Following his purge of close friend Paula Abdul, as well as Nicole Scherzinger and Steve Jones, from the U.S. version earlier in the week, he’s turning his attention to  the UK show.

But ITV executives are urging him ‘not to throw the baby out with the bathwater’.

The first decisions to be made are expected to be about the future of host Dermot O’Leary and judge Gary Barlow. ITV would rather they stay but Cowell is not certain. 

One new name in the mix to replace the Take That star if he were to depart the talent show is Westlife member Kian Egan.

NICKY: IT IS GOING TO BE SO SCARY, BUT WE ALL KNOW WESTLIFE IS OVER

IT'S been a dramatic few weeks in the world of Westlife - and that's before they face into the emotional rollercoaster of their final shows this summer. Towering Mark Feehily recently announced his shock split with longtime English boyfriend, Kevin McDaid, a boyband-star-turned photographer. And The Voice of Ireland mentor, Kian Egan, got the best Christmas present ever when he and his gorgeous wife, Jodi, became first time parents to baby son, Koa.

Shuffle caught up with Nicky Byrne and Shane Filan to find out how they will cope with the traumatic months ahead as they close the Westlife chapter after 14 years at the top of the charts. The boys admit that all the Westlife lads are "scared" of what lies ahead.

"It's not like taking a break," Nicky Byrne points out."When we took a year off after Croke Park in 2008, I thought, 'I'll enjoy my life; I'll holiday, I'll do a little bit of work.' This is different: we're making a career decision that is final and that's going to be scary.

"How we are going to face our final show I don't really know. It's easy to predict that we're all going to be sad and that we'll cry and hug each other. But it's the aftermath that scares us because we just don't know what lies ahead.

"Waking up the day after our last show is going to be a really weird feeling. It's going to be like, 'OK, what are we going to do now?' None of us want to sit at home shining our golf clubs."

Singer Shane Filan, sitting on the edge of a couch in a plush hotel room, nods in agreement. "It is going to be scary and it scares all of us, but we also know that Westlife has to come to an end," he says.

"We're together 14 years as a pop group, which is bananas.We're wondering what else is out there in life, having spent half of our lives in a band. It's been amazing, but we also know there are other things in life that we'll never get to do unless we make the break and give it a go."

Shane reveals that all four members of Westlife want to remain in showbusiness - and he will be the first member to launch a solo singing career. Louis Walsh has already agreed to be his manager. "Shane is going to be huge as a solo singer," Louis tells Shuffle.

Shane admits: "I know it's a tough world out there and we are all going to have to prove ourselves outside Westlife.There will be a lot of pressure on us because we'll all be under a microscope no matter what we do."

Despite their apprehension about the future, the Westlife lads say they are also facing into the unknown with a sense of excitement. "We feel nervously excited that we have a challenge again because Westlife had stopped being a challenge," Shane admits.

"In the last few years it was nearly like auto pilot. And while we loved doing the live concerts, the business side of running Westlife was draining the joy out of it for us.The business side is stressful."

Filan and Byrne laugh at the reaction they got from some media people following the announcement of their split. "It's like when someone dies, suddenly we were great," Nicky laughs.

"I remember reading stuff through the years - and you only remember the bad things - about us being a karaoke band or whatever. And, do you know, probably some of them were right.

"But as soon as we said we were quitting, there was nostalgia for the group and loads of journalists and radio people were saying nice things about us. If we'd known they felt that way about us we might have stayed on."

Westlife's Shane moves to London in bid for solo fame

WESTLIFE star Shane Filan and his family have moved to London in his bid to establish a solo career.

SHANE (32), his wife Gillian, and their three young children Nicole, Patrick and Shane, made the move from their Sligo home over Christmas.

The family already owns a Georgian-style property in Cobham, just 20 miles from the English capital.

Now they plan to make it a more permanent home as Shane concentrates on his solo singing career after the Westlife split.

Their eldest child Nicole (6) is already attending school near her new home, which Shane bought three years ago.

A source close to the couple say they plan to return to Sligo regularly and will retain their home outside the town.

Family

"They adore Sligo and will always regard it as their home," a friend of the family said.

"But Shane has realised London is the best place to be for his solo career.

"He has spent so much time on the road around the world with Westlife. He wants to spend more time with his family so he and Gillian decided the best thing for now would be to move to their home outside London. He can concentrate on his new career and not be away from his family so much."

Louis Walsh will manage Shane and says he sees him having a career like big band singer Michael Buble.

"Shane is going to be a big. I only manage someone if I believe in them," he said.

Brian McFadden to marry

BRIAN McFadden has revealed his girlfriend of eight months, Vogue Williams.

The former Westlife star, 31, said that though their time together has been short, the intensity of his  that he is engaged torelationship with Vogue, 25, explains the swift engagement.

The pop star broke off a four-year engagement with Australian singer Delta Goodrem last April.

Announcing the news, Brian confessed in an interview with OK! Australia: "It's early (to be engaged) when you think about how long we've been together, but not when you consider the amount of time we've spent together.

"We've literally spent every second of every day together for eight months now."

The couple, who are both Irish, met last year shortly after Brian and his former fiancée Delta announced their separation on April 1.

The Westlife star had been engaged to Delta for four years. He was previously married to Kerry Katona for two years.

McFadden and Delta Goodrem broke up last year.

McFadden went public with Williams just a month after splitting from Delta, and proposed while he was on tour with Stevie Nicks last November.

The couple first met in a nightclub in Ireland and within weeks Williams flew to Australia to spend time with the Australia's Got Talent judge.

Shortly afterwards, he revealed he was 'in love' with his new girlfriend.

Brian has sworn that he will go about the engagement differently this time, stressing: "I never really planned to get married then. Vogue and I are actually setting a date and we're actually getting married."

McFadden with his Westlife bandmates.

Brian and Vogue plan to wed in Europe later this year.

Brian tweeted a photo of Vogue in the early hours of this morning, writing: "My beautiful wife to be."

"I'll have to invite all my followers to the wedding. We'll have to get married in Central Park," he joked.

On the subject of Delta, who is dating Nick Jonas, Brian told OK!: "We've let (our exes) know out of respect. They both went, 'Great, as long as you're happy' because they're both happy as well and have moved on."

"We don't have any nasty 'ex' animosity with our recent partners."

However, his ex-wife Katona said today on British daytime chat show Loose Women: "I only found out he was engaged when I read it in the papers this morning.

"As long as Vogue is a good stepmother to my Molly and Lilly, I don't mind."

Williams is a star in her native Ireland due to the reality TV show Fade Street, about a group of four twentysomething women living in Dublin.

She tweeted earlier today: "I'm engaged!! Delighted!!"

WESTLIFE ADD FURTHER DATE AT SHEFFIELD MOTORPOINT ARENA & TICKETS

Westlife have confirmed a further date at Sheffield's Motorpoint Arena for Sunday 13th May 2012.

In addition to this new Sheffield show, last month saw Westlife announce additional shows at Glasgow's SECC for Tuesday 19th June and Belfast's Odyssey Arena for Wednesday 20th June. 

Westlife UK & Ireland Tour Dates are as follows:

May 2012

Sun May 13th 2012 – Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield – NEW DATE 
Mon May 14th 2012 - Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Tue May 15th 2012 - Liverpool Echo Arena, Liverpool
Thu May 17th 2012 - Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Fri May 18th 2012 - Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Sat May 19th 2012 - Sheffield Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield
Sun May 20th 2012 - NEC - LG Arena, Birmingham
Tue May 22nd 2012 - Nottingham Arena, Nottingham
Wed May 23rd 2012 - The O2 Arena, London
Thu May 24th 2012 - The O2 Arena, London
Sat May 26th 2012 - Manchester Evening News Arena, Manchester
Sun May 27th 2012 - SECC, Glasgow
Tue May 29th 2012 – Odyssey Arena, Belfast
Wed May 30th 2012 – Odyssey Arena, Belfast 

June 2012

Fri June 1st 2012 - Odyssey Arena, Belfast
Sat June 2nd 2012 - Odyssey Arena, Belfast
Mon June 4th 2012 – LG Arena, Birmingham
Tue June 5th 2012 - Nottingham Arena, Nottingham
Thu June 7th 2012 - The O2 Arena, London
Fri June 8th 2012 - LG Arena, Birmingham
Sat June 9th 2012 - Manchester Evening News Arena, Manchester
Mon June 11th 2012 - Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff
Tue June 12th 2012 - Sheffield Motorpoint Arena, Sheffield
Wed June 13th 2012 - Liverpool Echo Arena, Liverpool
Fri June 15th 2012 - Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Sat June 16th 2012 - SECC, Glasgow
Sun June 17th 2012 - SECC, Glasgow
Tue June 19th 2012 – SECC, Glasgow 
Wed June 20th 2012 - Odyssey Arena, Belfast
Fri June 22nd 2012 - Croke Park Stadium, Dublin
Sat June 23rd 2012 - Croke Park Stadium, Dublin 


Westlife Tickets for their new Sheffield show are onsale from 9am on Friday 13th January.

Westlife’s Nicky Byrne is this week’s Friday Fittie after winning our hot-man poll

Nicky Byrne may have found fame with Westlife but he's a stand out act in his own right and mainly because of his hotness

 And omg! aren't alone in our adoration as Nicky Byrne's fans nominated him to be today's Friday Fittie. When it went to a vote he won, beating off competition from Ryan Gosling, David Beckham and Olly Murs.
www.uptowngirl02.blogspot.com/westlife-nicky-byrne-is-this-week-friday-fittie-winning-our-hot-man-poll.html
 omg! asked our Twitter fans to nominate their fave male celeb before we launched a poll to see which of the shortlist were voted the sexiest.

Nicky Byrne won hands down and his super fans tweeted us why they think he won...

1.    It's all about the looks for @Scrivey  who told us: "It has to be Good ole Nicky Byrne. Have you seen those eyes, hair, smile? #HA"

2.    His soft lips are what sealed the deal for @SyaFeehily who choose Nicky Byrne because; "He kissed my lips backstage #Winks!"
3.    @adefadilla tweeted us: "I love Nicky because he has a beautiful smile, sexy voice and good taste in fashion .. ;)"
4.    For @lesley1976 there was no other choice for the Friday Fittie : "Woohooo @nickybyrneoffic for #fridayfittie gets my vote every time hmmmm x"
5.    And as @gonzobyrne puts it, Nicky Byrne is a regular tweeter unlike some celebs which means we can have round-the-clock access to him!

Westlife's Mark Feehily, boyfriend Kevin McDaid confirm split

Westlife's Mark Feehily has split from his long-term partner Kevin McDaid.

The singer, who revealed that he was dating the former V star in 2005, confirmed the news on his Twitter page.

"Sadly, Kevin & I are no longer together," Feehily wrote. "We've had an amazin 7yrs &are both so thankful for the love&support u have shown us from the start."

He added: "We won't be answering any questions about this as its a very private matter.Thanks in advance for understanding that.Lots of love,Mx"

The couple announced their engagement in February 2010, after Feehily proposed to McDaid while they celebrated their fifth anniversary in Ireland.

 Last month, the 31-year-old said that they would "definitely" marry in 2012, once Westlife had completed their farewell tour.

"We want to do it as soon as we possibly can, but we want it to be right as well. It's finding the time and doing it right. We've no reason to rush it or say, 'Let's just f**king pick any church or hotel or venue in the country'," he said at the time.

Westlife will go their separate ways after completing their farewell tour across the UK and Ireland next summer.

Watch Westlife's video for new single 'Beautiful World' below:

 We are so sorry for you Mark. Hope you'll find the right partner one day. God bless you Mark and Kevin!

Westlife star Mark Feehily looks to solo future as band call it quits

2012 may or may not bring about the end of civilisation, as predicted by the ancient Mayan calendar.
However, it’s absolutely certain the summer will see the end of an era for one of Ireland’s most popular musical exports of all time, when Westlife call it a day.

The foursome – since Brian McFadden departed – find themselves contemplating life outside the band that’s taken them around the world for 14 years.

Mark Feehily, Kian Egan, Shane Filan and Nicky Byrne have no idea which of them will go on to be solo superstars, and which – if any – will fade into obscurity, happily or otherwise.

Mark said: “I don’t think anybody could have predicted Cheryl Cole would have the most successful solo career out of Girls Aloud.

“It’s only when we all go off and make music that it will be a bit more apparent who will be successful or not.”
Mark is the guy most would put their money on. With one of the strongest voices in the band, striking looks, a likeable nature and having already written some of the material on previous albums, he appears to have a head start.

He admitted he’s keen to carve out a name for himself once the band finally stops performing, following a greatest hits tour in the summer.

He said: “I’ve been creative since I was 13 and recently I’ve been applying it a bit more. I’ve written thousands of songs but they are hidden away on a hard drive.

“In the last few years I opened up a bit more about them and presented a demo to Westlife.

“They were immediately recorded and the boys put some tracks on the Where We Are album.

“Our last album has four new tracks on it and I have written the last song we will release, Beautiful World.”

Mark, 31, is determined to continue with a musical career once he and his bandmates part ways.

He explained: “I’m a singer and will always want to make music. I didn’t want Westlife to end so I could make a solo record, but it is something I will do now.

“I’ve got a million ideas, a very creative brain. In order to be happy in life I’m going to have to create.”
Of course, Westlife are not the first boyband to split up, and the road ahead can be tough for members flying solo.

Having witnessed the hardships endured by members of East 17 and 5ive, after failing to relight the fires of success, Mark is determined that he and each of his bandmates are not headed for oblivion.

He asserted: “We’re all very driven people. If anything, we are more now that we have to push ourselves individually.

“Some people run off to the distance and you never see them again.

“They have a big stint at the top and then you see some random picture of them with a two-foot beard living in obscurity.

“We are more driven than ever. We are all just over the age of 30 now. A lot of people speak to us as though we are already dead but we are just moving on from Westlife.
 
“Each of us, hopefully, will have beautiful, flowery careers ahead.”

Most of his bandmates are champing at the bit to try their hand at new adventures but Mark admits Kian may take more time than others to readjust.

He explained: “The only person who wants to go off and completely get away and relax is Kian.

“He’s already a coach on The Voice in Ireland and he has just had a kid. Part of him wants to completely get away, step away from the business and enjoy his child.

“We took a year off three years ago and it was horrible for Kian because he suffered a terrible misfortune during that time.

“His dad passed away, which put a dark cloud over the year for him.

“He wasn’t able to relax and do a bit of soul searching like the rest of us.

“I think he’ll definitely relax and go away for a while, but Kian is also very driven.”

Making the final decision to split was not easy for anyone but it came after months of rumours about the band.

Mark is keen to reassure Westlife fans that there was never any animosity among them.

He said: “That is something we are stressing a lot.

“There was no incident or episode where someone said: ‘That’s it. I’m f***ing out of here’.

“There was no sensational moment. It’s something that manifested over years. It was more an idea of calling it a day and moving on to new adventures for all of us.

“Everyone’s mind was eventually on the same page.

“We’ve had an amazing 14 years but it’s time for something new. We didn’t want it to dwindle away and for the magic to have gone from it.

“The tour we are about to do, our farewell tour, is the biggest tour we’ll have ever done in our career.

“We are going out on top, not staying around like an unwanted guest at the end of the party.”

As Mark insisted that the boys’ plans to split are not a publicity stunt, quashing hopes that they have secret plans for a big reunion three years down the line, he revealed a new string to his bow.

Though his secret new project is still in its infancy, the excitement in his voice was clear.

He enthused: “I’ve been asked to write a musical by an amazing person in London.

“It’s somebody I really admire and it’s to do something like Boy George’s Taboo musical, which he wrote about 20 years ago. It’s an updated newer version and it’s not completely commercial mainstream – a jazz hands musical like Grease – but a bit more off the centre with a mixture of indie, pop music and Broadway.

“That’s always been something I’ve been interested in and I’m flattered that I’ve been asked to be involved with some people I really admire. But nothing exists yet.

“It’s all just talk but it’s very exciting to even be talking about it.”

Before anything can be done, however, the boys will lay to rest their collective status, their career together culminating in a farewell tour that will see them play 90 dates in the UK and Ireland.

Mark’s eyes twinkled, partly in sadness, part in excitement, as he added: “It’s going to be a sad day, but it’s also a celebration of 14 years together and 14 years of touring.

“It’s not all doom and gloom.

“We want to have fun and Scotland has an absolutely electric crowd who always scream very well.”

Brian McFadden To Fly Back To Ireland To Confront Ex-Wife Kerry Katona

 Westlife star is not happy...

_________________________________________________________________________________

Kerry Katona's decision to lash out at her ex-wife husband Brian McFadden before Christmas has left him furious and now he's planning to head back to Ireland for a showdown.

The former Westlife star was "disgusted" by Kerry's recent comments about their children and his abilities as a father, especially as she claimed that he didn't care about visiting them over Christmas.

Brian and Kerry have two children together from their previous marriage - nine-year-old Molly and eight-year-old Lilly Sue, but Brian decided to spend Christmas with his new girlfriend, model Vogue Williams.
In a magazine article, Kerry said: "One person I'm not expecting to hear from this Christmas is Brian McFadden.

"He hardly pays for his kids, he rarely rings his kids and I hope he feels guilty because my four babies are so beautiful, intelligent, funny and amazing and he doesn't seem to be interested in either Molly or Lilly."
Now, Brian is set to fly back to Ireland in the next couple of weeks so that he can take his daughters on a holiday, where he plans to introduce them to Williams for the first time.

"He is disgusted with Kerry's comments that he doesn't pay for his kids or want to see them," a source told The Mirror. "Brian was always planning to come back to Ireland and go over to the UK in the new year to spend time with Molly and Lilly Sue."

They also continued: "He wants Vogue to be part of their life now too and he just wishes Kerry would stop making accusations about him. They made a pact a few months ago that they would stop the public slagging and start behaving better to each other.

"But Kerry timed her latest attack for just in time for Christmas - it was a real low blow for Brian."

Do you think Kerry was right to air her dirty laundry?

Westlife concern over split

Westlife star Mark Feehily has admitted the quartet worried that no one would care that they were going their separate ways in 2012.

 Speaking to the Irish Daily Star, Feehily said: "We were worried about saying we were splitting up.
"But we've just found out that our tour is going to be the biggest tour we've ever done... So thankfully people - well, our fans - care."
 However, he said the members of the group are worried about the future.
"It is bittersweet because the reaction has been fantastic but we still have to face the unknown which is scary. We're walking into the dark - we've got no idea what's facing us," he said.
The 31-year-old said he wants to stay in the music business, but fears he'll never be a solo success.
"Ultimately people are going to look at whatever we do as either complete flops or successes," he said.
"You just have to be positive with yourself and try to do something good."