Brian escapes to Cork after Kerry break-up

BRIAN McFADDEN has been hiding away in Cork city as he tries to come to terms with the break-up of his marriage to I’m A Celebrity star, Kerry.

Brian, 24, is being comforted at the home of his aunt Theresa, with whom he reportedly has a close relationship.

The former Westlife star has been spotted walking around Douglas and popped into local shops on Sunday and Monday.

Close friends of the Dubliner said he is already consulting divorce lawyers over the courtroom showdown he expects with his wife of two-and-a-half years.

According to locals, he visits his aunt’s home in the Rathmore Lawn area of the suburb regularly with his two children, Molly and Lilly Sue.

Yesterday his aunt refused to speak about her celebrity guest and asked that he “be allowed some peace”.

One Douglas shop sales assistant said he looked quite “glum”.

“It was obviously him. You couldn’t mistake him. He wandered in, bought a few things and left. He did stop though to sneak a look at a few of the newspapers as he was all over them,” she said.

Close friends of the singer say he is willing to offer his wife up to €3 million as a divorce settlement, which is just half of the €6m which she is allegedly seeking.

It’s estimated that Brian earned up to €15m from his stint with Westlife and it is not certain whether he could earn this from a solo career. A friend of Brian’s said he “believes that he worked hard to make the money he made in Westlife and believes Kerry is entitled to a good payoff, but not as much as some people in her camp are suggesting”.

“His priority at the moment however is their children,” he said.