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Heart 2 Heart with Shane

L&K's "Westlife Special" Magazine, July 2000 thanks to Jacqueline - pumbaa@enterprise.net - for this article! >> subscribe to Live & Kicking Magazine | >> order back issues

Shane, what would you most like people to know about you? "That I'm quite good at snooker...actually i'm the best in the band!"

How do your Mum or Dad describe you? "They'd say I'm generous and kind - a bit of a mummy's boy really!"

Reveal your earliest childhood memory... "It has to be my first day at school - I was about three and a half. My mum dropped me off and I just cried and cried. My older brother looked at me through the window and just laughed!"

Are you a good judge of character? "Yep, I can tell within five minutes whether a girl is chatting to me 'cause I'm in Westlife or its it's just 'cause she likes me. It's intuition, but I'm not giving the secret for working it out!"

How romantic are you? "I think I'm romantic. I once filled a girlfriend's room with balloons and flowers on Valentine's Day."

Have you ever been in love, Shane? No, I've never been in love. I thought I was in love when I was about 15, (that's the girl I sent the balloons and flowers to), but when we finished I wasn't that upset, so it couldn't of have been really, could it?"

Have you ever had your heart broken? "No, I've never had my heart broken 'cause I've never been in love. I've been dumped a couple of times, but I've never been heartbroken - not yet anyway!"

What do you look for in a girlfriend? "I like Claudia Schiffer and Nicole Kidman. I like a girl who makes me laugh - not someone who's clever, but they can't dim either! And not someone who talks so much - I hate it when you just can't get a word in edgeways!"

Is it weird that so many girls fancy you? "It's weird that girls have got photos of me on their bedroom walls. I was quite popular at school, I wasn't shy, everyone knew me and I did have girls fancy me!"

So how good-looking do you think you are? Out of 10, i'm five. My best features are my hands! They're not particularly big or small, but loads of people say they're really nice hands. My worst features are everything else!"

Which bit do you look at in the morning first? "My face - what does everyone else look at first in the mirror?"

Who was the last person you hugged? "Nicky about five minutes ago. We were both really tired and he just stood up and did a big stretch and I gave him a big hug."

What makes you smile? Winning the Single of the Year award made me smile! And performing live - that gives me a great feeling."

When did you last bawl your eyes out and why? "Two weeks ago. I probably cry about once a month! It was when I had to say goodbye to my mum. She always cries when I go away - even if its for three weeks - and seeing her cry always upsets me too!"

When and how did you first learn about the birds and the bees? "I sort of taught myself! You kinda hear things at school and pick up stuff, but I never had one of thosee embarrasing parent chats!"

Describe your bedroom: "My bedroom has cream walls and a wooden floor. And there are boxes and boxes of fans' letters that my mum puts in there for me yo read when I get home. I always tend to pick out the jazziest envelopes. So if there are lots and lots of plain white envelopes and one big red one, i'll open the red one!"

Whats your most treasured possession? "My BMW car, but I hope to get a new Jaguar soon. I love fast cars. If the success of Westlife continues then I want to get a garage full of cars!"

Whats the best moment of your life so far? "As far as Westlife goes, it's got to be getting to No 1 and winning the Single of the Year award."

What do you really worry about? "I don't know what I'd do outside of the band, so it worries me to think about Westlife ending. I'm not a worrier by nature, but I think Kian is. I tend to bejust more laid-back and think, "Whatever happens, happens."

When did you last really lose your rag? "Last week when I couldn't find my bracelet. It's a Gucci bracelet that my mum bought me, and I was just going mad, turning everything upside down trying to find it. I was shouting at everyone and saying things like, "It hasn't got legs, it can't walk away can it?!" But I found it in the bed. I don't usually lose my temper. I'm really good with words too, so if I'm faced with a tricky situation I can usually talk my way out of it and calm things down."

How tough are you? "I don't think I'm tough at all!"

Have you ever been in a proper fist-fight? "No I've never had a proper fist-fight, just scraps when I was a kid. But I would hit someone back if they hit me, I wouldn't just take it you know!"

Have you ever been banned from anywhere? "No, I haven't."

What scares you most? "The success of Westlife ending really scares me. Like I said, I don't really know what I would do. I know lots of people go into TV or have solo careers and stuff like that but I don't really know what I would do. It's a scary thought though."

Is your success or fame ever a burden? "We can't go out without someone recognising us - I sometimes wear a hat, but I don't put on a full disguise! Some people can be really loud and shout, "There's Shane", and everyone looks at you. But some people just ask for your autograph which is OK. I'd never refuse to sign an autograph - when you do that, you've really lost touch. It's lovely to be able to do such a small thing and see someone's face light up 'cause of what you've done. They're the people buying our CDd so they're the ones who count."

How important is money to you? "Health and happiness obviously comes first, but money is important. Westlife is my job, and if I do this for 10 years and at the end of it, don't have any money, I'd be really annoyed. Besides, you can't have privacy without having the money to buy a house that is secluded - you can't be famous and live on an estate!"

What do you most admire about Mark and what do you like least? "Mark is the most private one among us. He very rarely confides his problems, but out of all of us, I think he would find me the easiest to open up to. But he sometimes tells lies! Things like, "No, I don't know what you mean - I wasn't there!" and you're like, "You were there Mark, I saw you!"

Finally, this interview has been..."Very good. Very interesting!"

An Exclusive In-depth Interview With Shane Filan

OK Magazine, 11 August 2000 Thanks to Mandy Amory - legra_godeo1@hotmail.com - for this article! >> subscribe to OK! | >> order back issues

"OK!" VISITS THE TALENTED LEAD SINGER OF IRISH POP SENSATIONS WESTLIFE AT THE BEAUTIFUL CLONTARF CASTLE IN DUBLIN. SHANE, YOU CELEBRATED YOUR 21ST BIRTHDAY RECENTLY WITH A HUGE PARTY AT DUBLIN'S FAMOUS LILLIES BORDELLO CLUB. HOW WAS IT?

It was a great night. Everyone looked so happy and that was the main thing I wanted. Everybody I invited came too, so it was great to be surrounded by my family and friends. Lillies is a great venue. it has had loads of renovations and I've never seen it looking so great - it's a beautiful club.

WHAT DID YOU DO ON YOUR ACTUAL BIRTHDAY?

We opened the Harrods summer sale in London during the day and then we came home in the evening. I had dinner with my family and then I went out with my friends at night time. Let's just say I had a typical 21st - I had a pretty late night and paid the price for it the next day! It was a brilliant birthday.

ALL OF YOUR FAMILY WERE WITH YOU AT YOUR CELEBRATION IN DUBLIN. WAS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO BE SURROUNDED BY THEM?

Definately. My family are the most important thing in the world to me, I've always said that. They've looked after me all my life and, as the youngest of seven, I've grown up surrounded by people who love me for who I am, not what I do.

SO WHAT PRESENTS DID YOU GET?

My mum and dad got me a horse and it was a complete surprise! I didn't know what they were getting me because they kept saying, "We don't know what to get you, it's hard now that you're in a big pop band". I really wanted a horse, but I had a feeling that they wouldn't get me one. We have a horse already, but it's getting old, so when they gave it to me I couldn't believe it. It's an amazing looking horse, beautiful.

WHAT HAVE YOU CALLED HIM?

We're thinking of Carlton Clover, as my family own a restaurant called Carlton's and we fancied naming the horse after it. We used to own a horse called Nalif, whic is Filan spelt backwards.

THE LAST YEAR WAS INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL - FIVE NUMBER ONES AND RECORD OF THE YEAR. DID YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WESTLIFE WOULD BE SO HUGE?

I don't think any of us expected the success we have. We've broken the UK now and hopefully we can go further afield with the same success. America is our next big challenge. A lot of bands have done well in the UK, but not in the States, it just wasn't the right time. But now, especially with the Backstreet Boys, there's a chance. The Spice Girls did it because it proved it was a perfect time for them and we're hoping it's a perfect time for us.

LOOKING BACK OVER THE PAST YEAR, WHAT DO YOU FEEL HAVE BEEN THE HIGHEST POINTS?

Winning Record Of The Year was the biggest moment. I remember when the 28,000 votes came in, I jumped up and ripped my shirt open. I looked down and thought, what have I done? But I was just so happy. It was a funny night, emotional, but funny.

YOU'RE ONLY 21, BUT YOU'RE EXPERIENCING THINGS THAT EVEN PEOPLE TWICE YOUR AGE WOULD HAVE TROUBLE DEALING WITH. HOW DO YOU COPE?

Well, after a while, you realise you need your space. It's not healthy, you need to get some private space. I love horse riding, it's a great way to relax. Just going home is great. My family own a cafe, which I've lived over all my life and it's in the dead centre of the city in Sligo. It's nice to do normal things with them.

WHAT CAN YOUR FANS LOOK FORWARD TO?

We'll be releasing three more singles here in the UK, one with Mariah Carey in August, another one in October and then a Christmas single. We're all excited about the Mariah single - Mark's a huge fan of her's, so getting to work with her in the flesh was great for him.

Westlife Uncovered

News of the World November 3rd 2000 WESTLIFE are heading for a sensational SEVENTH No1 in a row on Sunday with their new single My Love. Now the five Irish lads - Kian Egan, Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Bryan McFadden and Nicky Byrne - have dropped their guard - and their trousers - to reveal their thoughts on fame, money, love and being in the mega band. We kick off our two-part interview with Kian and Shane. It's hard to find girls I can trust

Unlucky in love ... Shane cannot seem to find the right woman for him SHANE FILAN admits he is jealous of bandmates Bryan McFadden and Nicky Byrne - because both have fallen in love. Bryan has been dating Atomic Kitten Kerry Katona for the past year and Nicky goes out with childhood sweetheart Georgina Ahern, daughter of Irish Prime Minister Bertie.

Shane - voted Best Looking Pop Star at Sunday's TV Hits Awards 2000 - says he has dated a dozen girls this year but none has been right for him. He adds: "I went out with a girl back in Sligo for a year and a half but I think that was just puppy love. I've never been in love properly before, which is ironic, seeing as most of our songs are about love.

It can get a bit boring, being on your own, not having anyone to share all this with. "Everything's perfect but there is a part of my life that's missing and it can be lonely when you're on the other side of the world and you can't talk to someone on the phone.

That means I do feel a bit jealous of Bryan and Nicky because they are so in love - I wish it was like that for me. I'd like to be married within seven years and have five children."

Like Kian, 21-year-old Shane worries about women's motives and tells me: "It's hard to find a girl I can trust. "Some women want to use you for your fame. I just want someone who understands me but I would rather she wasn't in the public eye." That's something Shane expects to be a lot. He reckons the band will be together for a long time yet. He says: "We are definitely going to do five studio albums together - that's the minimum. You have to set your sights high."

Home is still in Sligo, where Shane is building a new house in 50 acres for his family, who run a horse-breeding business. He says: "They've looked after me and now I want to do my bit and look after them. I haven't really been home in the last two years. I've been living in hotels and it's nice to go and sleep in my own bed with my own duvet and pillows." "I'm quite into the business side of the band too - we know we have to be careful and we aren't stupid. "We have done very well for ourselves and the cash has really started to come in over the last seven months."