Westlife Split: Band No More After Farewell Tour In 2012

After fourteen years as one of the greatest pop acts in the world, Irish mega-sellers Westlife have announced that they will be calling it a day following the release of their Greatest Hits collection this Christmas and a no-doubt sell-out farewell tour next year. The bad formed back in 1998 under manager Simon Cowell, and went on to achieve the impressive feat of having their first seven UK singles debut at number one, before Louis Walsh took over the reigns. Originally a five piece, the line-up became a quartet when Brian McFadden left in 2004 to concentrate on his solo career, leaving Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan and Nicky Byrne The band released the following statement on their website earlier this evening: The decision will no doubt break the hearts of Westlife's legion of fans, but the band insist the split is amicable, so who's to say that they won't do a Take That when they're a little older, a little more mature, and in the case of Gary Barlow a lot more appealing to female fans. I think it's safe to say we can expect solo projects from Mark Feehily and Shane Filan when the dust has settled, with the pair having shared the majority of the singing duties even back before fifth member McFadden walked away seven years ago. If you're having any trouble reading the statement, here it is again in full:

We today announce our plan to go our separate ways after a greatest hits collection this Christmas and a farewell tour next year. The decision is entirely amicable and after spending all of our adult life together so far, we want to have a well-earned break and look at new ventures. We see the greatest hits collection and the farewell tour as the perfect way to celebrate our incredible career along with our fans. We are really looking forward to getting out on the tour and seeing our fans one last time. Over the years Westlife has become so much more to us than just a band. Westlife are a family. We would like to thank our fans who have been with us on this amazing journey and are part of our family too. We never imagined when we started out in 1998 that 14 years later we would still be recording, touring and having hits together. It has been a dream come true for all of us.