Ronan Keating Interview's on The People

How Ronan Keating fought back from the toughest time of his life
dimanche 24 avril 2011

When Ronan Keating had a No1 singing “life is a rollercoaster, just gotta ride it” he had no idea his lyrics would be so prophetic.

Since then the superstar singer has enjoyed incredible solo success selling 22million records.

But his career highs have been matched by desperate personal lows with the heartbreaking death of Boyzone pal Stephen Gately and the near collapse of his marriage.

But he is back on an even keel, has toured again with Boyzone and last week released an album with composing legend Burt Bacharach.

And dad-of-three Ronan, 34, is absolutely clear where his priorities lie – with wife Yvonne and kids Jack, 12, Marie, 10 and Ali, five.

He says: “I love my wife and my family is everything to me. Right now I’m trying to be the man I want to be. I’m trying to get there.”

He knows how close he came to losing them when, last May, wife Yvonne found a ­mobile phone containing intimate texts between Ronan and backing dancer Francine Cornell, 27, revealing they had been having an affair.

Ronan is still full of ­remorse for the pain caused by his fling. The ­affair also shattered his clean-cut image but he had never been comfortable with being seen as a role model.

He said: “I ­always hated that and felt ­embarrassed about it. I’d been stuck with a label that was pretty impossible. Then life throws you a curve ball, ­everything changes and you’re blamed for not being this person that you never were.

“As if everything in life was black and white, when we all know it’s a sea of greys.

“I did make a mistake and I’m still trying to make up for that.

“The people I love most have been hurt – my family. I take the blame for that.

“Everyone is ­responsible for their own ­actions. I set ­myself up for a fall by ­appearing holier than holy.

“I think there may be quite a few people out there who thought ‘Thank God – he is human after all. I am... I make mistakes. I’m not ­comfortable with the mistakes I have made and I am still trying to resolve them.”

And Ronan had to work hard to convince his wife to give their marriage a second chance.

When she discovered the affair former model Yvonne, 37, told her husband: “The door is shut. Our marriage was built on trust and you’ve betrayed me.

“I can’t see that we can ever work this out. What you have done is unforgivable. End of story. Get your stuff and get out.

“I thought we had everything and you have destroyed it. There is no going back now, believe me.

“I have kept this family together for years, I thought I could trust you but clearly I can’t believe you have done this to me.”

“You have broken our marriage and it is beyond fixing.”

Ronan’s fight to win back Yvonne and save his 12-year ­marriage brought his ­responsibilities sharply into ­focus and made him realise how much he continues to dote on Jack, Marie and Ali.

He said: “I want my kids to know they’re loved. That’s all we need to teach our kids. When kids know they’re loved, they take on life differently.

“They feel they have security and support. Money does nothing. Wrapping your arms around your child and telling them it’s ok – that’s everything.”

Ronan’s parenting has been shaped by his own upbringing in Ireland – poor but contented.

“I come from a working-class family of five children.

“We didn’t have a lot of money, yet my mum and dad could put clothes on our back and food on our table.

“Now I have three children, I know how expensive it is, and for my parents to do it every day for five ­children was impressive.

“When I think of my childhood I remember family holidays the most. It was the best time. We used to go to County Kerry and it was magic. The summer seemed longer, hotter and brighter.”

Ronan’s fight for his marriage came just seven months after bandmate Stephen’s death from a heart defect.

And the recent Boyzone reunion tour of the UK and Ireland, was, made “extremely tough” because Stephen’s spirit in the band is irreplaceable.

Ronan says: “Not having Stephen there impacted on us really hard.

“Singing these songs without him was difficult. I was exhausted every night after the show. But we got the best reviews we ever have as a band. It shows we can go on, which is a positive thing.”

Ronan is now looking forward to a change of direction – he is in Sydney preparing to make his ­acting debut in a new film, Goddess.

It comes after he failed to land a part in Peter Jackson’s new film, The Hobbit. “I went for that film, but didn’t get the role. That would have been truly amazing, but maybe next time.”

But he is excited about Goddess. “I play a marine biologist who has to come home and look after the kids. It’s a romantic comedy with a great storyline, a bit of singing and it’s very funny.”

The film role marks a big change of direction for Ronan, who last week released an album with one of his idols, songwriting legend Burt Bacharach.

Having the American on board for When Ronan Met Burt, was a dream come true. He said: “It was such an honour. He is one of the greatest songwriters of all time. To have him ­recognise me as someone he’d like to work with was so flattering.

“He liked my voice, the way I perform, and how I deliver a vocal. But his songs are not easy to sing – the melodies are very ­intricate and the notes are complicated. Day one with Burt was very intimidating. He was ­sitting behind the controls, a 40-piece orchestra was in the ­studio, and I had to sing a bunch of songs that were not mine. I felt like I was 16 years old again.”

And the star is determined to stay young in other ways too – he has a daily ­fitness routine to keep him in tip-top health.

In September 2011, he is set to swim a 60-mile stretch of the Irish Sea from Dublin to Holyhead to raise £1.6million for Cancer Research Britain and the Marie Keating Foundation, set up in memory of his mother who died of the disease, aged 54, in 1998.

He said: “I was an athlete when I was younger and that discipline has stayed with me. I eat well, run most days, and go to the gym three times a week. My football coach always said to me, ‘The guy that trains the hardest every Sunday always gets his game’.”

His fitness helped him win Rear of the Year a few years ago. But it’s not an award that sits anywhere near the front of his trophy cabinet. “It’s funny and flattering”, he said, “but I’d much rather get a Brit or a Grammy thank you very much.”

Ronan Keating Interview's on The People