The much-loved band member is not joining his Westlife bandmates Shane Filan, Kian Egan and Nicky Byrne as they head off on a 25th anniversary tour later this year
Mark Feehily of Westlife on RTE Radio 1 (@markusmoments/Instagram)
Mark Feehily became a household name as a member of the iconic Westlife and has been performing alongside them for over 20 years.
However, in recent years he has had to take a step back from the band and confirmed last year that he would not be joining bandmates Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne and Kian Egan as they head off on a 25th anniversary tour from September.
The singer has dealt with some serious health issues over the last few years and doesn’t often speak publicly, leaving fans to wonder how he is doing.
Here’s everything you need to know about Mark’s life since taking a break from Westlife.
Health struggles
Mark announced that he needed to step down from Westlife’s touring schedule in February 2024 after suffering a series of health problems.
He released a statement that read: “Hello and much love to you all! It’s Mark here.. Most of you are aware that I have had some health challenges over the past while. It actually all started 3.5 years ago in August 2020 when I had surgery.
“Within a few days of this surgery I was in severe pain and was rushed into A&E. I eventually ended that awful day in ICU (Intensive Care Unit) where I was informed that due to a complication with the surgery, I had developed severe ‘Sepsis’, a life threatening infection that would require immediate emergency surgery to rectify the problem and basically save my life. I spent the next few months in hospital. It was during lockdown.
“For months, due to strict Covid restrictions, I was not allowed any visitors including my fiancé and my then 10-month-old daughter. It was physically and mentally a very difficult time, not to mention traumatic having to spend so long in ICU. I was eventually discharged from hospital in December 2020 but I have had ongoing medical problems as a result of it all.
“In late 2021, I became very ill in Newcastle before a concert and ended up back in A&E, this time being told I had pneumonia. I was told I had to go straight home to recover and regrettably miss the rest of the concerts that December. I was referred to a consultant who told me I needed more surgery which I went ahead with in May 2022 meaning I was forced to miss more of The Wild Dreams tour.
“Three months after that surgery, I tried my best to soldier on for you guys and to go back on tour but unfortunately the physical demands of the concerts and extensive travel were proving too much for me. I developed a very large ‘incisional hernia’ and I was told that I needed further surgery to fix it. This would be my fourth major surgery since the start of it all, but I had no option.”
Mark continued: “That surgery took place recently and thankfully it went according to plan but with that, my recovery must now become my absolute priority at this time. It is with the upmost level of regret that I must now temporarily stand down from all Westlife touring until a time that I have had the chance to fully recover from the turbulent journey I have been through as an individual. Believe me, I wish things could be different!”
The band confirmed last year that he would not be returning to perform on their 25th anniversary tour kicking off in September, but recently revealed that they hope to pay tribute to him during the show.
“Mark will always be in our thoughts every show, every night,” Kian told RSVP. “We haven’t really gotten into the details of what it is that we’re going to try and achieve just yet. We’re still in the early processes of it.
“Obviously, he’ll be dearly missed on this tour, so we’ll definitely have [something]. We just haven’t figured it out yet.”
Shane went on to add that it was disappointing that Mark wouldn’t be able to join them.
“It’s very disappointing that he’s not here for the tour and he won’t be with us on this tour at all,” the Sligo man said. “But it is a moment in our life, 25 years, that we couldn’t miss. He obviously gives us his blessing to go ahead. It’s very important for us and for the fans to celebrate 25 years.
“The show must go on, unfortunately, and it’s going to be an incredible show. We’ve been touring now two years or three years as three people so we’re well used to it. It’s not like it’s going to happen now.”
He added: “We can’t wait to have Mark back when he’s ready.”
RTE radio work
Mark recently swapped the recording booth for the radio studio as he was at the helm of a three part radio series for RTE over Christmas. Initially kicking off with three shows titled Mark Feehily’s Musical Icons, he has gone on to do a number of other episodes that can be found on the RTE player. On the show, Mark takes us on a journey through the music that shaped his life and inspired his career.
Sharing the news on Instagram back in December, Mark revealed the new venture was exciting for him as he simply wasn’t ready to return to live performances with Westlife.
“All of this really drives home the honest truth that I’m simply not ready to take on a massive world tour yet,” he wrote. “My body & my mind need time. However, thankfully, sitting in a chair to do a radio show is a completely different physical & mental demand to doing a massive world tour & I feel very lucky to be able to do this new @rteradio1 show. It’s not quite a stadium show but it’s a HUGE deal & achievement for me! Right now, to sit back & do absolutely nothing would make things much worse for me both medically and emotionally – so here goes!”
Family life
Mark shares daughter Layla with his partner Cailean as they welcomed her in 2019 through surrogacy.
Over the last couple of years, Mark has taken a step away from social media but often posted family snaps when she was younger.
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