Life without Bryan begins for Westlife

Irish pop supergroup Westlife will take to the stage today for the first time without Bryan McFadden when they perform at the Odyssey Arena in Belfast.

The most successful Irish hitmakers of all time have had to adapt to life as a foursome after McFadden revealed earlier this month he was quitting the spotlight to spend more time with his wife Kerry and their children.

After the announcement the remaining four Nicky Byrne, Shane Filan, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily delighted their thousands of fans when they pledged to continue performing without the 23-year-old former band member.

Westlife are kicking off their latest world tour with seven shows at the Odyssey this week, including a matinee and an evening performance on Saturday.

McFadden, whose wife, former Atomic Kitten Kerry, became Queen of the Jungle in “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!” is now considering a solo career.

The five-piece boyband were formed in 1999 and reached the top of the charts with their first single “Swear it Again”.

They are the only act to reach the UK number one with their first seven singles. In all they have hit the top spot 12 times, placing them fourth on the all time list behind Elvis, the Beatles and Cliff Richard.

Their fourth studio album, called “Turnaround”, was released last November.

In all they have sold an astonishing 31 million copies of their four albums and have consistently played to sell-out crowds in arenas throughout Ireland and the UK.