Westlife: "Boy bands were only supposed to last five years!"

A quarter of a century after they first changed the face of Irish pop with debut Number 1 single Swear It Again, Westlife are proving their chart power is as strong as ever.

As 25 - The Ultimate Collection leads the race for this week’s Official Number 1 album, we catch up with Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne and Kian Egan to reflect on the songs, memories and milestones that've defined one of the biggest boy bands of all time. From a record-breaking singles run including no less than 14 chart-toppers to their bond with fans across generations, Westlife look back on 25 years at the top, and reveal why this new chapter feels just as exciting as the first.

(Oh, and when they last spoke to Bob The Builder after that Christmas Number 1 beef.)

MORE: Where every Westlife song and album has charted in the UK

Lads, 25 years is an incredible achievement. Did you ever think you'd still be here, running for another Number 1 album, a quarter of a century down the line?

Kian: Probably not, is the truth. Back in the beginning, most bands lasted five or six years. We were just trying to be one of those! To get to 10 years was a milestone, then to 20, and now we're at 25. It's honestly just been the most incredible journey. We're very proud.

We're enjoying it a bit more now. Our kids are growing up with us and understanding what Westlife's about. They're teenagers now, and it's so cool when they get together for the weekend to come to our shows.

What's the secret to Westlife's longevity in the fickle world of pop?

Kian: Well, we took a break for seven years. That was a big thing. We ran for 13 years straight without a break, and by the end of that run we'd had enough of Westlife. We were burnt out. We all needed to live with the idea that Westlife was over, and that worked well for us. We watched other bands like One Direction come through and we'd be at home watching TV thinking 'wow, that's what we used to do - that was our job!'

Then, when we came back, we were so into it. We really wanted to do it again. We've never tried to change who we are, we've never tried to change the formula. We know what we do well and we know what our fans love.

You might not have changed the formula, but you're still ticking new things off the bucket list. You recently headlined the Royal Albert Hall for the first time...

Nicky: We're always thinking 'what have we not done?' Even looking at collaborations, we're thinking 'what's next - can we do something with Take That?' You can push the boat out and try anything. Shane's mate Tom Cruise once said "don't be afraid to be afraid," and I think that's a great quote to live by.

You've got 14 Number 1 singles under your belts - just behind Elvis Presley and The Beatles in the all-time list - but is there a deep cut you think deserved its Number 1 moment?

Kian: I would've loved I Wanna Grow Old With You to have been a single, not only because I co-wrote it, but I think it's a really special song. It was nearly a single over Bop Bop Baby. Simon Cowell loved it, but they went with Bop in the end.

Speaking of Bop Bop Baby, that song's had a bit of a moment with Gen Z. It must be cool to see your music reach new generations?

Shane: It's amazing! World Of Our Own has really crossed over too.

Nicky: And Fool Again! We put a retro clip of that song up on Instagram and it had 26 million views in a week. We'd never now not do Fool Again on tour.

The tour kicks off in Dublin in September - how are you going to make it bigger and better than anything you've done before?

Shane: This show's going to be spectacular. Kian's gone flat out with the budget and production. He wants us to fly from the roof, pop out of the ground, drop us from helicopters...

Kian: Nah, health and safety! We're bringing stools. The stools are going to fly!

Shane: They're gonna be Flying Without Wings!

Very good, Shane! Now, 25 Years - The Ultimate Collection is in the running for Number 1 this week. Is there a particularly intense chart battle of yours that sticks in mind?

Nicky: Fool Again was an intense one. That started at Number 2 in the midweeks, and Melanie C had the song with Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes - Never Be The Same Again. Mel was ahead of us all week, but we did so many signings we ended up catching up. That led to us having five Number 1s in a row.

Then Bob The Builder's Can We Fix It? beat us to Christmas Number 1 with What Makes A Man in 1999, but we're not bitter!

Shane: We haven't spoken to him since! The price of building's gone up, too, so he's out of business...

Nicky: He's building the set on this next tour we're doing!

MORE: Westlife on course for ninth Number 1 album

And finally, lads, what's next for Westlife?

Nicky: A movie! All these boy bands are doing the Netflix thing, but I'd prefer a movie. That'd be way cooler. It could be the full story...

Shane: We could have young kids playing our roles. It's a proper, fairy tale story.

Kian: We have such a unique story we could tell. With me, Mark and Shane coming from a small town on the west coast of Ireland, the likelihood of it happening and becoming a success was just bonkers. It'd happen more to the people that came from the city, like Nicky from Dublin who we met a few years later, than it did to us coming from Sligo.

I think about our story, where we've come from and where we started. I always drive around our our local area, where I grew up, pretty much every second or third day. I always take a drive in and remember the things that happened as kids to make all this happen. Those are the moments the fans don't necessarily know.

Westlife 25: The Anniversary Tour UK and Ireland dates:

10 September 2026 – Dublin – 3Arena
11 September 2026 – Dublin – 3Arena
12 September 2026 – Dublin – 3Arena
15 September 2026 – Dublin – 3Arena
16 September 2026 – Dublin – 3Arena
18 September 2026 – Dublin – 3Arena
19 September 2026 – Dublin – 3Arena
20 September 2026 – Dublin – 3Arena
22 September 2026 – Dublin – 3Arena
23 September 2026 – Dublin – 3Arena
24 September 2026 – Dublin – 3Arena
25 September 2026 – Dublin – 3Arena
26 September 2026 – Dublin – 3Arena

29 September 2026 – Aberdeen – P&J Live
30 September 2026 – Glasgow – OVO Hydro
1 October 2026 – Glasgow – OVO Hydro 
3 October 2026 – Newcastle – Utilita Arena
4 October 2026 – Newcastle – Utilita Arena
6 October 2026 – Leeds – First Direct Bank Arena
7 October 2026 – Sheffield – Utilita Arena
9 October 2026 – London – The O2
10 October 2026 – London – The O2
11 October 2026 – London – The O2
13 October 2026 – Brighton – Centre
14 October 2026 – Bournemouth – International Centre
16 October 2026 – Birmingham – Utilita Arena
17 October 2026 – Birmingham – Utilita Arena
18 October 2026 – Birmingham – Utilita Arena
19 October 2026 – Cardiff – Utilita Arena
20 October 2026 – Cardiff – Utilita Arena
23 October 2026 – Manchester – Co-op Live
24 October 2026 – Manchester – Co-op Live
25 October 2026 – Manchester – Co-op Live
27 October 2026 – Belfast – SSE Arena
28 October 2026 – Belfast – SSE Arena
29 October 2026 – Belfast – SSE Arena
30 October 2026 – Belfast – SSE Arena
31 October 2026 – Belfast – SSE Arena
2 November – Sheffield – Utilita Arena
3 November 2026 – Aberdeen – P&J Live
5 November 2026 – Belfast – SSE Arena
6 November 2026 – Belfast – SSE Arena

Westlife’s new album 25 – The Ultimate Collection is out now. Final tickets for the UK leg of Westlife 25: The Anniversary World Tour are on sale now at LiveNation.co.uk.