Brian McFadden has opened up about his rambunctious younger days, setting the record straight about his infamous social media spats and his shock decision to leave Westlife in 2004 at the height of their success, which sent shockwaves through the music world at the time.
Brian made the confessions during his appearance as the first guest on his former bandmate and close pal Nicky Byrne's new podcast, who asked him questions he had been holding back for 20 years including: 'Why did you leave Westlife?'
'I look back now and can see as a 24-year-old I made a very selfish decision because obviously, I didn't take the four of you into consideration', Brian admitted, referencing Nicky, Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, and Kian Egan who had no idea that their bandmate was going to leave.
'Where my head was at the time, I just needed to sort my own head and life out. That was 20 years ago. I’m 44 now, and the way I think is so different', Brian explained.
'If I could go back now, I probably would have spoken more to you about it,' he told Nicky. 'But I don't think my decision would have changed, just because of where my headspace was at the time.'
The pair laughed about the rambunctious reputation that Brian earned in his younger days, pointing out that he gets his 'quick tongue' from his mum.
He reflected on where his temper came from, explaining that he developed it as a defense mechanism because he was badly teased in school. 'My first reaction to everyone was always to find a flaw in someone before they say something to me', he recalled.
This mentality followed Brian into adulthood, resulting in a host of social media spats.
'For so long people would talk about us in the press and we never had a voice. And then all of a sudden Twitter gave us the power that the journalists had, and it felt so satisfying to have that power in your hands' he said, 'I loved it'.
Brian went on to set the record straight about his relationship with his former bandmates now, making it clear he has no ill feelings towards any of the Westlife members. 'I’ve got no bad blood. I can understand why there would be feelings towards me,' he said.
Nicky Byrne HQ is set to be released weekly on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Acast, and Google Play.
