The Westlife boys have responded to the idea of a Brian McFadden reunion amid Mark Feehily’s absence – but it seems it’s not on the cards.
The chart-topping Irish group first found fame in the late 1990s with its original line-up of Brian McFadden, Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily. Brian famously quit the band back in 2004, with Westlife continuing as a four-piece ever since.
And as the group appeared on Britain’s Got Talent on Saturday (May 10) to promote their new greatest hits album, viewers quickly noticed as well as Brian, another familiar face, Mark was absent from the stage…
Mark Feehily missing from Westlife performance
Westlife thrilled fans with their latest TV appearance over the weekend, but there were still two original members missing from the line-up.
Alongside former member Brian McFadden, lead singer Mark Feehily was also absent as he continues to recover following a series of serious health issues.
Back in 2020, Mark developed sepsis after a routine operation and spent time in intensive care. He was later diagnosed with pneumonia in 2021, and has since undergone four major surgeries linked to complications from his original illness.
In 2024, Mark confirmed he was taking time away from Westlife because of ongoing health concerns. Then, in June 2025, he revealed he would also miss the band’s 25th anniversary tour as he continued focusing on his recovery.
Westlife’s brutal response to Brian McFadden reunion
Although fans are still hopeful Mark could return to the group in the future, many have also continued to wonder whether Brian McFadden could ever make a comeback too.
Speaking about the possibility, Shane Filan explained that the current line-up has now been together for more than two decades.
“We’ve been together as four now since 2004 — that’s 22 years,” he said.
“You can never say never, but that would be way down the road if we’d ever consider that.”
As reported by The Sunday Times, Shane added: “We’ve got so much ahead of us with this tour at the moment so we’re just excited about living this dream at the moment.”
Mark ‘still recovering mentally and physically’
The latest update comes after Nicky Byrne opened up about Mark’s health and whether he could make any appearance during the band’s anniversary tour.
Speaking to RSVP Live, Nicky admitted he currently doesn’t think Mark will be ready to return.
“I don’t believe so, but we all hope so. I can only go on what Mark has always said publicly, and he’s not there yet.
“He’s still recovering both mentally and physically and you just have to give him his time, and we are.”
Despite his absence, Nicky made it clear the band are eagerly waiting for the day Mark is able to rejoin them.
“We can’t wait for Mark to be back, we miss him dearly and we really hope he comes back soon,” he added.
“He’s said he’s not going to do this tour, but if something changes, that would be like a reunion in itself, it would be amazing.”
Read more: Westlife star Shane Filan’s heartbreak after suffering two cancer deaths within 12 months
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