Brian McFadden

Brian McFadden
Born	(1980-04-12) April 12, 1980 Dublin, Ireland
Occupation(s)	Pop vocalist, television host
Years active	1998–present
Known for	Member of Westlife, solo music career, television presenting

Brian Nicholas McFadden (born 12 April 1980) is an Irish pop vocalist and television host. He first rose to fame in 1998 as part of the Irish boy band Westlife. After departing from the group in 2004, McFadden embarked on a solo journey, releasing his inaugural album, Irish Son. Since then, he has produced four additional studio albums: Set in Stone (2008), Wall of Soundz (2010), The Irish Connection (2013), and Otis (2019). Moreover, he partnered with Keith Duffy of Boyzone to create two albums, titled Strings Attached (2020) and Old School (2022).

Early life

McFadden was born in Dublin and brought up in a Catholic household. From his early years, he demonstrated a passion for singing, dancing, and football. Together with his sister Susan, he attended the Billie Barry Stage School located in Dublin. This education paved the way for roles on stage and television, including an appearance in the Irish comedy series Finbar's Class, which revolves around student singers. In early 1998, McFadden formed an R&B ensemble named Cartel with friends Tim and Darragh, performing live at various Dublin pubs. After presenting their work to music manager Louis Walsh, McFadden was invited to audition for a newly forming band that ultimately became Westlife.

1998–2004: Westlife

In June 1998, McFadden auditioned for the Irish boy band Westlife, joining alongside Nicky Byrne as part of a lineup that included Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, and Shane Filan. For autograph purposes, he temporarily altered the spelling of his first name from Brian to Bryan. Under the guidance of Simon Cowell, Westlife launched their debut single, Swear It Again, which charted in the United States by 2000. The group achieved four studio albums that reached number one in Ireland along with a chart-topping greatest hits compilation. They produced seventeen singles that entered the Irish top five, including "Uptown Girl," which secured top ten positions across seven European nations as well as Australia and New Zealand. In March 2004, McFadden exited the band to dedicate time to his family and pursue solo endeavors, reverting his name spelling back to "Brian." Prior to commencing his solo career, he co-wrote "If My World Stopped Turning" for Ireland's representative Chris Doran at the Eurovision Song Contest 2004.

2004–2006: Solo career and Irish Son

Following his departure from Westlife, McFadden signed a contract with major label Sony BMG. His debut solo single "Real to Me" was released in September 2004 and achieved number one rankings in Britain, Ireland, Denmark, and Norway. The follow-up single and album title track "Irish Son" reached the top ten charts in both the UK and Ireland. The album Irish Son, released in November 2004, secured a position within the top ten on the Irish Albums Chart. Most of the songs were co-written by McFadden alongside Guy Chambers, who is renowned for collaborations with Robbie Williams and INXS. The third single "Almost Here," a duet featuring Australian artist Delta Goodrem, became his second number one hit in Ireland and his first chart-topper in Australia, where it earned platinum certification. The fourth single "Demons" reached the top 30 in both Ireland and the UK. Beyond his own recordings, McFadden contributed songwriting for acts such as Il Divo and Girls Aloud, including co-writing "Together We Are One," the official theme for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Additionally, he collaborated with American vocalist LeAnn Rimes on the track "Everybody's Someone."

2007–2010: Transition to New Label, Set in Stone and Wall of Soundz

During the production of his sophomore album, McFadden's record company Sony BMG required him to collaborate with an A&R representative, following the global sales of 800,000 copies of his debut album. Disagreements emerged as McFadden wished to maintain his partnership with Guy Chambers, whereas the A&R preferred a direction akin to artists like James Morrison and Paolo Nutini. In March 2007, McFadden ended his contract with Sony BMG and launched his own imprint, BMF Records. Under this label, he released "Like Only a Woman Can" in Ireland, which became his third solo number one on the Irish charts.

By early 2008, McFadden had signed with Universal Music Australia and introduced "Like Only a Woman Can" to the Australian market, where it entered the ARIA top 15. His second album, Set in Stone, reached number five on the ARIA Albums Chart. Additional singles from the album included "Twisted," which secured a spot within the ARIA top 30, while "Everything But You" failed to chart.

In April 2010, McFadden unveiled "Just Say So," featuring American rapper Kevin Rudolf. The track debuted at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart and maintained that position for three consecutive weeks, earning platinum certification after seven weeks inside the top ten. Building on this momentum, McFadden released his third studio album, Wall of Soundz. Initially conceived as a collaborative side project with songwriter Rob Conley, it was ultimately issued as a solo effort. The album debuted at number 27 on ARIA and stayed within the top 50 for three weeks. The follow-up single, "Chemical Rush," climbed to number 12 in June 2010. Later that September, he released "Mistakes," a duet with then-fiancée Delta Goodrem. Additionally, McFadden partnered with Ronan Keating to record a cover of the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody" for Keating's duet collection.

2011–2015: Release of "Just the Way You Are" and The Irish Connection

On 25 February 2011, McFadden launched the single "Just the Way You Are (Drunk at the Bar)". The song attracted controversy for allegedly promoting date rape, prompting McFadden to cancel its planned music video, ask radio stations to cease airplay, and commit all proceeds from the track to support victims of sexual assault. The single entered the ARIA Singles Chart at number sixty-one and peaked at forty-nine.

In June 2011, McFadden heavily promoted new singles "Come Party" and "That's How Life Goes" across Australian radio and television platforms, including appearances on Dancing with the Stars. Despite significant exposure and his role as a judge on Australia's Got Talent, these singles did not enter the charts—partly due to negative media attention following his previous release and his widely publicized breakup with Delta Goodrem.

On 20 January 2012, he released "Wrap My Arms" in Australia. The song was featured in promotional material for Home and Away and reached number seventy on the ARIA top 100.

On 13 September 2012, McFadden announced his fourth studio album titled The Irish Connection. This project comprised covers of beloved Irish songs along with duets featuring Ronan Keating and Sinéad O'Connor. Recorded in studios located in both Sydney and Dublin, the album notably excluded any of his previous five singles that had not appeared on earlier albums.

Shortly afterward, on 18 September 2012, Ronan Keating confirmed that McFadden would join him as a supporting act during the 2013 UK Fires Tour.

2016–present: Boyzlife

Boyzlife is a musical partnership consisting of Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden, who were previously members of the popular boybands Boyzone and Westlife during the 1990s and 2000s, respectively. Their first album, Strings Attached, was launched in 2020.

During their Boyzlife tour in February 2020, Duffy brought mental health advocate John Junior on stage to discuss his personal experiences, aiming to promote mental health awareness throughout the UK.

Boyzlife revealed their second album, titled Old School, on 19 January 2022.

Television and radio career

McFadden embarked on a presenting role in 2008 as co-host of FOX8's Football Superstar in Australia and served as a guest judge on Australian Idol in 2009. Between 2010 and 2012, he judged Australia's Got Talent, taking over from Red Symons; his time on the show included a contentious elimination of contestant Owen Campbell, which was linked to a drop in viewership.

In late 2008, McFadden co-hosted the Summer Breakfast Show on 2Day FM alongside Ricki-Lee Coulter and Mike Goldman. The following year, he temporarily replaced Kyle Sandilands on the 2Day FM breakfast program with Jackie O and Andrew G.

In 2013, McFadden and his then-wife Vogue Williams secured second place on ITV’s dance competition Stepping Out. He later co-presented Channel 5’s dating game show Stand By Your Man with Laura Jackson in 2014.

From September 2014 onwards, McFadden hosted ITV’s daytime show Who's Doing the Dishes?, which spanned over three series and more than 90 episodes. In January 2015, he took part in the celebrity talent contest Get Your Act Together, and later that year appeared with Williams on a celebrity couples edition of Catchphrase.

McFadden competed in the third series of Channel 4’s The Jump in 2016, where he was the fourth contestant eliminated. In 2019, he participated in the eleventh season of Dancing on Ice, finishing in fourth place after a skate-off.

Filmography

Television

• Australia's Got Talent (2010–2012) – Judge
• Football Superstar (2008) – Presenter
• Summer Breakfast Show (2008) – Co-host
• Australian Idol (2009) – Guest judge
• Stepping Out (2013) – Contestant
• Stand By Your Man (2014) – Co-host
• Who's Doing the Dishes? (2014–2016) – Host
• Get Your Act Together (2015) – Contestant
• The Jump (2016) – Contestant
• Dancing on Ice (2019) – Contestant

Guest appearances

• The Chase: Celebrity Special (27 September 2014) – Participant
• Catchphrase: Celebrity Couples Special (5 December 2015) – Participant
• The Chase: Text Santa Special (18 December 2015) – Participant

Personal life

In 2002, McFadden wed former Atomic Kitten member Kerry Katona, with whom he has two daughters; they divorced in 2006. Beginning in 2004, he dated Australian singer Delta Goodrem, collaborating on the duet "Almost Here"; although engaged, they separated in 2011. He married Irish model Vogue Williams in 2012; their relationship ended with separation in 2015 and divorce finalized in 2017.

McFadden received a £450 fine and a six-month driving ban in 2018 due to multiple speeding violations.

In December 2019, he announced his engagement to physical education instructor Danielle Parkinson. The couple disclosed their pregnancy in November 2020, welcoming their first child on 16 May 2021. They were married on 5 July 2025 in Newquay, Cornwall.

Solo

• Irish Son (2004)
• Set in Stone (2008)
• Wall of Soundz (2010)
• The Irish Connection (2013)
• Otis (2019)

Boyzlife

• Strings Attached (2020)
• Old School (2022)

APRA Awards

Since 1982, the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) has annually presented the APRA Awards, celebrating outstanding achievements by composers and songwriters.

! |- | 2011 | "Chemical Rush" (Brian McFadden, Antonio Egizii, David Musumeci, James Maas) | Dance Work of the Year | | |-

ARIA Music Awards

Initiated in 1987 by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), the ARIA Music Awards honor exceptional talent and innovation across all music genres within Australia.

! |- |rowspan=2|2010 | "Just Say So" | Most Popular Australian Single | |rowspan=2| |- | Brian McFadden | Most Popular Australian Artist | |}