August 13, 2025 • 8 mins
Ronan Keating has been performing for over 30 years.
He debuted in 1993 as the frontman of Boyzone, going on to have an extremely successful solo career from 1999.
Keating joined John MacDonald to talk about his rise to fame, life as a grandfather, and what we can expect to see at Selwyn Sounds in 2026.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It'd be Let's Run and Kating of course. So it
is going to be here in March for the Selwyn
Sounds Music Festival, along with Tony Headley from Spender, Ballet, Win,
the Cats Away, My six Op Shop and Automatic Eighties.
Very shortly it's gonna have a chance to bed win tickets.
But first, Ronan Keating is with us skid. I Ron, Hey, John,
how are you very well? Now you're involved with the
Voice Australia TV show and together you musted out recently
(00:32):
I'm working with Cassie Henderson. I don't know if you
know it was actually a local from here in christ Church.
What was it about her that had you and your
fellow judges fizzing?
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (00:41):
I mean the talent this year has just been unbelievable
on the show. I've been blown away with so much talent.
There's been quite a few characters that have come out
of New Zealand as well on the show, which has
been very cool and that will that will emerge more
and more over the next coming over the next few
weeks on the show. But yeah, I mean everybody. I mean,
I looked at the talent's phenomenal and we turned. There's
(01:02):
a lot of four chair turns this season already, Like
it's just been phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
If we go back to nineteen ninety three when Boys
Armus formed, I think you were sixteen and you appeared
on the Late Light Show in Ireland on the host
of the show Game Burn, he didn't think most of
you guys, and I think he's said as much. Is
there anything you learned from that experience that serves you
well and you work on shows like The Voice Australia.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Yeah, I mean, look, we were very naive. We didn't
have any guidance. We didn't have anybody, you know, putting
us through our places in any shape or form. We
just were out there on our own. When the artists are,
you know, getting prepared for the Voice, that's a whole
other situation. Backstage, the support that is there for the
(01:49):
artists is phenomenal. The band that they're working with, the
musicians are you know, top class, incredible, world class musicians
as well. So you know they're already stepping out there
on a stage and they look and they're you know,
they're shy and bright. You know, they're in the best
possible light and situation. So it's very different time we
(02:12):
started in nineteen ninety three.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
How indent do you feel to the other Boys OED
members because you've had mess of success since then?
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Yeah, in debted, I don't you know, we had an
amazing six years in the nineties that you know, it
was a baptism of fire for all of us and
taught us kind of you know, showed us the ropes,
I guess, but indebted. I don't think I'm indebted to them.
I mean, were friends for friends for life. But I guess,
you know, in that regard, maybe maybe I'm indebted, you know,
(02:42):
with the friendship.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
I mean, like dozens of artists before you, you've had
issues with management, particularly during the Boys one years. Why
what is it about the music industry that's so problematic
in this way?
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Look, especially when we started, it was a very different landscape.
You know, there was no protection. You know, record companies
were obviously out to make money and the manager is
that you know all of it back then was it
was a very different place. Nowadays, artists are protected, more
contracts are better. You know, my mental health is at
(03:19):
the forefront you know, there's a lot of there's a
lot of different you know, protective measures now that are
put in place for artists which didn't happen back in
the nineties.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
And do you say that on the TV shows, the
TV talent shows that you work on as well.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Yeah, very much, so very much. The artists are protected
in every possible way before they step out on that stage,
and then they're also protected and advised when they walk
off stage, whether they've had a share turn or not.
Everybody is looked after incredibly well.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
So in two thousand and nine you lost fellow boys
on member Stephen Gaateley, and then in twenty twenty three
you lost your own brother. After both of those losses,
how did you get yourself I'm curious how you got
yourself back into entertainer mode. You know, did you think
about getting out of the public life permanently?
Speaker 3 (04:10):
I mean, this is all I know since I was sixteen, John,
I mean, you know, I don't know how to do
anything else. So if I walk away from what the
hell am I going to do? This is all I am?
Speaker 2 (04:22):
In all honesty, though you could do, couldn't you?
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Yeah? Of course, I mean absolutely, But I love what
I do. I love stepping on stage every night Hamburg,
last night, tonight in bremer Have in Germany. I mean,
it's every night. It's exciting every night. It's a buzz
every night. Is I'm filled with gratitude that I get
to do something that I love.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
So what part of it is it that keeps you going?
Speaker 3 (04:49):
The love for what I do, the audiences. You know,
I still enjoy making music and performing music, and you know,
there's it's all that comes with it. I mean, the
industry has changed dramatically, but I still love what I
do and that hasn't changed at all, making people happy
getting up on that stage and perform. And I love,
I love what I do.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
My mother is one of the gazillions of people who
loves your song when you say nothing at all, and
she's eighty eight. So give a shout out to Kathy.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Here you go, Hey, Kathy, thanks for the love. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
And that featured in the notting Hill movie and with
Julia Robertson Hugh Grant. What's it like watching a movie?
You watch a movie and your song comes on? What's
that like?
Speaker 3 (05:31):
It's a pause? It's awesome. It's a great feeling. And
today I think, you know, we need it more and more,
you know, getting getting your song on a TV show
or a movie, or on a computer game, or on TikTok,
on some sort of trend. You know that that's how
we that's how we promote our music these days. You know,
if you can get one of those, then you're you know,
you're laughing.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Did you know something about you? I can't believe what
do you reckon?
Speaker 3 (05:56):
That might be?
Speaker 2 (05:57):
HI, have a guest pass, go on. I can't believe
you're a grandfather.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
I know, right there you go, but you're going to
say a good golfer. Yeah, yeah, I am. I'm a grandfather.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Your forty eight, your grandfather. It must be amazing, I know.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Well yeah, I mean, you know Jack. I had Jack
when I was twenty two. He's now twenty six years old,
so yeah, he had two years ago. Beautiful, beautiful baby girl.
STOLMONI your grandparents and very proud.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
How did you? How did you? This is not a
rude question, How did you have time to have a
baby when you were twenty two? When I was reading
that over the sixty sixty period with Boyzone, you only
had three weeks off?
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Well, no, every year we had about three three weeks.
Oh right, okay, not in the whole six years. Yeah,
that's a bit extreme. Holy moly, Holy moly.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
And Jack was on Love Island a few years back,
wasn't he?
Speaker 3 (06:53):
He was? Indeed he was indeed yet for a short spell.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
How do you feel about those those shows?
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Yeah? Yeah, I mean, look, it's you know that's not
doesn't say.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Yeah where we live in doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement.
Can you know?
Speaker 3 (07:14):
It's scary as a parent, it's scary when your children
went to those situations. But this is the world we
live in. We have to prepare ourselves for and you
know that they get they get grown up very quickly,
and you know you've got to prepare yourself for these situations.
What can I say?
Speaker 2 (07:28):
What can you say other than be a support be
a supportive pearent? So what can we expect from you
at Selling Sounds in March? What can we speak?
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Oh man, I'm really looking forward to getting back to
New Zealand and performing on I spent Christmas uf at
Sarah Easy and I had the most amazing time. I
do love New Zealand. I love being there and I'm
bringing you everything you want. I hope you know all
the hits that that you're familiar with, and you know
there's a few boys on songs in there too.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Well. It's been a delight to catch up and site troubles.
John sef troubles. We'll see you man, Thanks you, I see.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
You then, thanks to me, I take care. Thanks. Put
by by for.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
More or from Category Mornings with John McDonald. Listen live
to news talks at be Christchurch from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
It'd be Let's Run and Kating of course. So it
is going to be here in March for the Selwyn
Sounds Music Festival, along with Tony Headley from Spender, Ballet, Win,
the Cats Away, My six Op Shop and Automatic Eighties.
Very shortly it's gonna have a chance to bed win tickets.
But first, Ronan Keating is with us skid. I Ron, Hey, John,
how are you very well? Now you're involved with the
Voice Australia TV show and together you musted out recently
(00:32):
I'm working with Cassie Henderson. I don't know if you
know it was actually a local from here in christ Church.
What was it about her that had you and your
fellow judges fizzing?
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (00:41):
I mean the talent this year has just been unbelievable
on the show. I've been blown away with so much talent.
There's been quite a few characters that have come out
of New Zealand as well on the show, which has
been very cool and that will that will emerge more
and more over the next coming over the next few
weeks on the show. But yeah, I mean everybody. I mean,
I looked at the talent's phenomenal and we turned. There's
(01:02):
a lot of four chair turns this season already, Like
it's just been phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
If we go back to nineteen ninety three when Boys
Armus formed, I think you were sixteen and you appeared
on the Late Light Show in Ireland on the host
of the show Game Burn, he didn't think most of
you guys, and I think he's said as much. Is
there anything you learned from that experience that serves you
well and you work on shows like The Voice Australia.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Yeah, I mean, look, we were very naive. We didn't
have any guidance. We didn't have anybody, you know, putting
us through our places in any shape or form. We
just were out there on our own. When the artists are,
you know, getting prepared for the Voice, that's a whole
other situation. Backstage, the support that is there for the
(01:49):
artists is phenomenal. The band that they're working with, the
musicians are you know, top class, incredible, world class musicians
as well. So you know they're already stepping out there
on a stage and they look and they're you know,
they're shy and bright. You know, they're in the best
possible light and situation. So it's very different time we
(02:12):
started in nineteen ninety three.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
How indent do you feel to the other Boys OED
members because you've had mess of success since then?
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Yeah, in debted, I don't you know, we had an
amazing six years in the nineties that you know, it
was a baptism of fire for all of us and
taught us kind of you know, showed us the ropes,
I guess, but indebted. I don't think I'm indebted to them.
I mean, were friends for friends for life. But I guess,
you know, in that regard, maybe maybe I'm indebted, you know,
(02:42):
with the friendship.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
I mean, like dozens of artists before you, you've had
issues with management, particularly during the Boys one years. Why
what is it about the music industry that's so problematic
in this way?
Speaker 3 (02:54):
Look, especially when we started, it was a very different landscape.
You know, there was no protection. You know, record companies
were obviously out to make money and the manager is
that you know all of it back then was it
was a very different place. Nowadays, artists are protected, more
contracts are better. You know, my mental health is at
(03:19):
the forefront you know, there's a lot of there's a
lot of different you know, protective measures now that are
put in place for artists which didn't happen back in
the nineties.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
And do you say that on the TV shows, the
TV talent shows that you work on as well.
Speaker 3 (03:33):
Yeah, very much, so very much. The artists are protected
in every possible way before they step out on that stage,
and then they're also protected and advised when they walk
off stage, whether they've had a share turn or not.
Everybody is looked after incredibly well.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
So in two thousand and nine you lost fellow boys
on member Stephen Gaateley, and then in twenty twenty three
you lost your own brother. After both of those losses,
how did you get yourself I'm curious how you got
yourself back into entertainer mode. You know, did you think
about getting out of the public life permanently?
Speaker 3 (04:10):
I mean, this is all I know since I was sixteen, John,
I mean, you know, I don't know how to do
anything else. So if I walk away from what the
hell am I going to do? This is all I am?
Speaker 2 (04:22):
In all honesty, though you could do, couldn't you?
Speaker 3 (04:26):
Yeah? Of course, I mean absolutely, But I love what
I do. I love stepping on stage every night Hamburg,
last night, tonight in bremer Have in Germany. I mean,
it's every night. It's exciting every night. It's a buzz
every night. Is I'm filled with gratitude that I get
to do something that I love.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
So what part of it is it that keeps you going?
Speaker 3 (04:49):
The love for what I do, the audiences. You know,
I still enjoy making music and performing music, and you know,
there's it's all that comes with it. I mean, the
industry has changed dramatically, but I still love what I
do and that hasn't changed at all, making people happy
getting up on that stage and perform. And I love,
I love what I do.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
My mother is one of the gazillions of people who
loves your song when you say nothing at all, and
she's eighty eight. So give a shout out to Kathy.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
Here you go, Hey, Kathy, thanks for the love. Thank you.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
And that featured in the notting Hill movie and with
Julia Robertson Hugh Grant. What's it like watching a movie?
You watch a movie and your song comes on? What's
that like?
Speaker 3 (05:31):
It's a pause? It's awesome. It's a great feeling. And
today I think, you know, we need it more and more,
you know, getting getting your song on a TV show
or a movie, or on a computer game, or on TikTok,
on some sort of trend. You know that that's how
we that's how we promote our music these days. You know,
if you can get one of those, then you're you know,
you're laughing.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Did you know something about you? I can't believe what
do you reckon?
Speaker 3 (05:56):
That might be?
Speaker 2 (05:57):
HI, have a guest pass, go on. I can't believe
you're a grandfather.
Speaker 3 (06:05):
I know, right there you go, but you're going to
say a good golfer. Yeah, yeah, I am. I'm a grandfather.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Your forty eight, your grandfather. It must be amazing, I know.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Well yeah, I mean, you know Jack. I had Jack
when I was twenty two. He's now twenty six years old,
so yeah, he had two years ago. Beautiful, beautiful baby girl.
STOLMONI your grandparents and very proud.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
How did you? How did you? This is not a
rude question, How did you have time to have a
baby when you were twenty two? When I was reading
that over the sixty sixty period with Boyzone, you only
had three weeks off?
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Well, no, every year we had about three three weeks.
Oh right, okay, not in the whole six years. Yeah,
that's a bit extreme. Holy moly, Holy moly.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
And Jack was on Love Island a few years back,
wasn't he?
Speaker 3 (06:53):
He was? Indeed he was indeed yet for a short spell.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
How do you feel about those those shows?
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Yeah? Yeah, I mean, look, it's you know that's not
doesn't say.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Yeah where we live in doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement.
Can you know?
Speaker 3 (07:14):
It's scary as a parent, it's scary when your children
went to those situations. But this is the world we
live in. We have to prepare ourselves for and you
know that they get they get grown up very quickly,
and you know you've got to prepare yourself for these situations.
What can I say?
Speaker 2 (07:28):
What can you say other than be a support be
a supportive pearent? So what can we expect from you
at Selling Sounds in March? What can we speak?
Speaker 3 (07:36):
Oh man, I'm really looking forward to getting back to
New Zealand and performing on I spent Christmas uf at
Sarah Easy and I had the most amazing time. I
do love New Zealand. I love being there and I'm
bringing you everything you want. I hope you know all
the hits that that you're familiar with, and you know
there's a few boys on songs in there too.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Well. It's been a delight to catch up and site troubles.
John sef troubles. We'll see you man, Thanks you, I see.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
You then, thanks to me, I take care. Thanks. Put
by by for.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
More or from Category Mornings with John McDonald. Listen live
to news talks at be Christchurch from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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