Boyzone’s Ronan Keating has revealed the real reason he quit hosting Magic FM last week after seven years on air.
The singer, 47, has opened up about how the death of his brother Ciaran, who died in a car crash last year, made him rethink life.
Ronan – who is married to Australian producer Storm Keating – explained how working ‘too hard’ in the aftermath has caused him to take a pause.
‘I lost my brother last year and, for us, that was the turning point in all of our lives,’ he said, speaking at the Marie Keating Foundation’s golf gala, as per Dublin Live.
‘Storm and I probably pushed ourselves and worked a little too hard this year so that we can back off from work. We’re assessing life. It has been a very tough 12 months.’
The Life is a Rollercoaster hitmaker explained how July marked the one-year anniversary since his death, which was ‘very difficult’ to comprehend.
‘I haven’t done The One Show in ages. I left about six months ago. I had a great time doing it, but I couldn’t fit it in anymore,’ he said, explaining how his busy schedule would see him finishing the radio at 10am, have one hour at home, before going to the BBC for 2.30pm until 7.30pm.
‘It was too much of a long day. I was going straight to bed when I got home to be ready to get up at 4am for radio the following day. It was a conveyor belt. I backed off from The One Show and then from Magic FM.’
On his Magic exit, he explained: ‘I’ve had seven great years on Magic. I can’t believe it’s been seven years since I started. I’m going to concentrate on making an album, writing music and touring.
‘We’re going to spend some time in Australia with Storm’s family.’
The pair, who met on The X Factor Australia in 2010, share two children – a son named Cooper Archer Keating, seven, and a daughter named Coco Knox Keating, four.
While overseas, the couple will go travelling, and his grown-up children – Missy, Jack and Ali – who he welcomed with ex-wife Yvonne Connolly, will visit when they can.
The Golf Gala, now in its 26th year, was set up to raise funds for breast cancer research after Ronan’s mother Marie died from the disease in 1998.
He admitted grief for his mother – who he described as the family ‘anchor – doesn’t get easier with time, explaining how talking about her at the event still gives him a ‘lump in [his] throat’.
In his final Magic Radio show on July 31, Ronan wasovercome with emotion while delivering a rendition of his hit songWhen You Say Nothing At All.
He also performed Life is a Rollercoaster and covered George Michael’s Faith.
Joining the station in September 2017, he hosted the show alongside Harriet Scott from Monday to Thursday but decided to step down to focus on his own music andspend more time with his family.
Speaking at the end of the show, Ronan said the reality of leaving was ‘really hitting me now’.
‘I can’t believe we’ve lasted seven years. I can’t believe we’ve been allowed to do this for seven years. It’s been so much fun,’ he told his co-host.
‘It’s all about you now Harriet, so good luck. My padawan, I hope I’ve taught you well,’ he joked.
‘You have taught me so much. You’re the radio legend, the DJ legend and I’ve loved every minute that we’ve had. You’ve been amazing and a great mentor to me Harriet.’
He continued: ‘I’ve loved broadcasting the stories from the listeners over the years. I’m not crying, you’re crying.’
‘It’s been amazing and thank you all so much for listening for the last seven years. I have loved every single morning.
‘It’s been hard to get out of bed early, but you guys have been worth it. Thank you so much. I’ll be around and I’ll come back to say hi every now and then.’
He went on to thank his colleagues, adding he would ‘miss them all’.
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