Wonderland

March 2011

IT was tempting to paraphrase Mrs Merton and ask what Jodi Albert saw in the multi-millionaire, Kian Egan?

But the former Hollyoaks actress knew the Westlife singer before he was famous.

“I met Kian when I was 15,” she says.

“I was in a girl band signed to RCA and Kian was in a boy band signed to them, called Westlife,” she laughs.

“They had just released their first single. So all the promotion I did with my band, I’d often bump in to him.”

The band was Girl Thing, who had a top ten hit but little else. In 2002 she moved in to acting, most notably Hollyoaks, playing Debbie Dean.

“I adored everything about it,” she says of her three years on the soap.

After that there were roles in Casualty and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, plus British film Popcorn.

Then in 2008, boyfriend Kian Egan teamed up with Louis Walsh to create a new girl group.

“I never thought I’d be lucky enough to get a second stab at it,” says the 27-year-old.

The couple were married a year later so it begs the question: Why bother doing anything? He’s obviously got a few bob...

“Has he?,” she laughs.

“Don’t believe everything you read.”

Wasn’t she tempted to be a housewife and leave all the money-earning to hubby?

“There’s nothing wrong with being a housewife but the type of person I am... I don’t come from money. My dad’s a market trader. I’ve always believed in working hard. The last thing I want to do was rely on someone else and be kept as such. I believe in being my own person.

“Kian knows that about me.”

Are you his favourite member of Wonderland?

“I bladdy hope so,” says Albert, who attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School alongside the likes of Lee Ryan, Matt Willis and Billie Piper.

Isn’t it a weird set up? Him telling you what to do at work?

“When it comes to the industry he does know more, so it would be silly of me not to listen to him. Sometimes he does get on my nerves that he’s always right. So I do say ‘oh, take a day off!’”

With such connections it’s easy to see how the fledgling girl group landed the Boyzone and Westlife tours but that doesn’t mean it’s been easy.

“It has been in at the deep end”, says Albert.

“One of the first times we ever sang on stage together was supporting Westlife last year in front of 7,000 people.

“I’ve wanted to throw up before walking on stage it’s been so daunting. But you do get over that and get a buzz out it. That’s how we’ve been this year.”

She adds: “But no-one can prepare you for it, you have to learn for yourself.”

Despite having been in Hollyoaks and the wife of a famous boy band member, the experience hasn’t helped her deal with life in Wonderland.

“It’s almost like I know too much,” says Albert.

“Lee and Casey, who are the youngest and haven’t done anything like this before, are a little more ballsy. They never really get nervous.”

As well as the arena dates, Wonderland have been playing schools to promote debut single Not A Love Song, including Arnold Hill School earlier this month.

“They’ve been the best audiences,” she says.

“They were like ‘can I have a hug?’ and ‘are you single?’”

And that’s just the teachers.

Can Wonderland every be as big as Westlife?

“Oh please God, who knows? We’re working as hard as we possibly can. Even if we have a small percentage of what they’ve achieved then we’ll be extremely happy.”

There are the 14 numbers one singles...

“And 50 million albums.”

I told you he had a few quid.

“Yeah, I ain’t seen it though.”

Gig

Who: Olly Murs, Wonderland

Where: Royal Concert Hall

When: May 11

Tickets: £26.50, returns only

Web: www.wonderlandofficial.com

Boyzone's Keith Duffy

May 2008

IT is true that rumours of a Boyzone reunion did pre-date those of a Take That comeback. And they weren't rumours without substance.
"We'd been in negotiations from before Take That got back together," says Keith Duffy.
"But with the politics of the business it takes an awful lot longer... especially when you have five individuals all trying to get time free in their schedules.
"No doubt the Take That thing enticed us to get our fingers out. Seeing their show really inspired us as it was absolutely fantastic. They really raised the bar. And we want to make sure we reach those heights as well."
It was in 2000 that Boyzone split, after a run of 16 consecutive Top 5 hits, which included six UK No. 1 singles and four chart-topping albums.
The reason was Ronan Keating's decision to pursue a solo career.
So weren't they all waiting in the car park to give him a good hiding at the first meet?
"Ah no, no need for that, man.
"We're all a lot older now, we've all got more responsibility with children and so forth and you grow up a great deal when you have children, I think. It makes you worry about somebody else instead of yourself.
"The last thing you want to do is create negative vibes.
"We're all getting on fantastically well. We know each other inside and backward, having spent so many years together as kids, so it's let's say harmonious."
Duffy is with the rest of Boyzone in rehearsals for the tour when we catch up. So how are those dance routines going now you're all circling 30?
"Well, we're ten years older now so you have to put the extra bit of work in, you know."
Have you slowed them down?
"We've actually speeded them up, believe it or not. Remember, we're going in to this tour nice and rested. Usually when we went on tour back in the day we'd be coming out of a promotional tour. You know we'd be knackered tired and we'd have six days to put the whole show together. This time we're giving ourselves a good four, five week's rehearsals so it should be the best show we've ever done."
Are fans getting the pyrotechnics and whatnot?
"Yeah, we've put a lot of money into the production. It would have been very easy for us to have just sold the tickets and have a basic production and made a lot of money but we decided to re-invest the money and put on the best show we possibly can.
"We've fantastic session musicians on there, eight dancers, the pyrotechnics and a lot of special effects. I think the show's going to be absolutely fantastic."
Critics agree. The tour opened on Sunday in Belfast and most reviews were positive, many going on about the lads' stripping to their underwear as part of the show as a sign that they're out to "out sex" Take That.
The show includes the hits Words, Father & Son, Baby Can I Hold You?, When You Say Nothing At All and Love Me For A Reason, plus a Michael Jackson medley and a mix of When The Going Gets Tough with Eric Prydz's Call On Me featuring the five topless on treadmills.
The tour runs for 32 dates but is it a one-off?
"It's difficult to say. But, judging by the ticket sales, there's obviously an audience out there that wants more Boyzone. We have a couple of new songs to be recorded at the moment and we hope to release a greatest hits album with these additional tracks. But who knows? Possibly a new studio album towards the winter."
During the eight year hiatus, Keating had a fairly successful solo career, Stephen Gately and Mikey Graham didn't, while Shayne Lynch opted out of the music business altogether and pursued his passion for motor racing.
Though Gately would later crop up in West End musicals, the group's most visible actor was Duffy, who spent three years in Coronation Street, as marriage-wrecking barman Ciaran McCarthy.
"That all came out of the blue. I said in an interview when I was promoting a short movie that it was very difficult getting acting work because I didn't have a drama background. The producers in Corrie read the article, called me up and gave me a three-month contract. And that grew into three years."
His decision to quit was simply a family matter.
"I was commuting from Dublin to Manchester for that whole period. The kids were missing me, I was missing them, so it got to a point when I need to go home to my family and spend time with them."
Particularly when his daughter Mia, now eight, was diagnosed with autism.
A Dublin school which specialises in teaching autistic children was the key reason he and wife Lisa (they also have a son Jordan, aged 12) have stayed in Ireland.
"I didn't want to jeopardise my daughter's future."
He's now involved in raising awareness of the condition as patron of Irish Autism Action.
"I didn't know anything about it until my daughter was diagnosed," he admits. "It's been a massive learning curve.
"I don't just lend my face to the charity, I am the charity. I do all the organisation of the fund-raising events myself. I have a team of volunteers that work with me and we run the whole thing ourselves. And in the past five years we've opened 12 schools and a diagnostic report centre.
"It's something that I'm very passionate about."
And no doubt has put your past squabbles with fellow members of your pop band into perspective.
"That's exactly it, man. There are more important things in life. My situation with my daughter was disastrous at the time and very upsetting. For Ronan it hasn't been easy either. He's had to bury his mother and his father-in-law recently."
Mid-way through the tour Duffy will pass his tenth wedding anniversary, so what has he planned?
"I'm going to be on stage, unfortunately. My wife will be in Spain because my brother's getting married over there the day after on the 25th of June. I'm the best man so I'm going to be coming off stage on the 24th, getting some sleep, flying to Spain a day late to see my wife on our anniversary and to be best man for my brother's wedding."
Is the speech sorted?
"It has yet to be finalised. But my brother is such a character I won't be short of stories, to say the least."
Boyzone have played Nottingham numerous times over the years so naturally he must have a story to tell about us.
"There was a health farm we were staying at in Nottingham and on one night in Sherwood Forest at three or four o'clock in the morning we decided to go an play hide and go seek, of all things. It wasn't as much fun when you started to sober up and you were hiding but nobody was finding you.
"And everyone's back in bed while I'm hiding in the forest on my own."

Boyzone bring their Back Again... No Matter What tour to the Trent FM Arena on Tuesday and Wednesday June 3 and 4.

Diary

Boyzone, including "The One Out Of Corrie" (second left)

TUESDAY There are times when you get a grounding e-mail from a record company that reminds you of your status in the media pecking order. Boyzone coming to Arena. "Hear you want an interview. How about Mikey?". Mikey a.k.a. "The Other One". As in Ronan Keating, "The Gay One", "That One Out Of Corrie", "The Racing Driving One" and... "The Other One". Fired a moaning email back and was 'rewarded' with That One Out Of Corrie. He reckons they're over the squabbling that split them up because they've grown up and, no there was "no need" for them to wait in the car park and give Ronan a good hiding. It was just a suggestion...


THURSDAY Meat Loaf is sounding his 60 years. A deal more weary than a couple of years ago when he was full of it. Put an in-office fan on the phone to him at the end of the interview for a brief chat during which she tried to get the name of the hotel where he was staying off him. Oh dear...



FRIDAY Splendour Festival line-up is announced. Two days in Wollaton Park in July. Kate Naff, Paolo Nut Cluster, The Charlietones... it's hardly Glastonbury -- or Summer Sundae come to that -- but it's better than nowt. At least Rufus Wainwright is doing the Sunday - but below Paolo in the running order!?

Paolo sent a quote over to use which his management were swift to retract: "Headlining SPLENDOUR this summer will be a great chance to dispel rumours about my apparently ambiguous gender..." Worriseonabout? Apparently calling him "The Scottish James Morrison" set his 'people' off as well. Rather that than "the Chip Shop James Blunt".



Listening to: Neil Diamond, Eastern Conference Champions, Elbow, Wedding Present, REM, James, Glasvegas.