Shane Filan

“The adrenaline of performing on stage to a crowd - there's nothing like it.”

“I can say 100% that Westlife is not breaking up.”

“I think Westlife is very unique: we have a certain sound; we do our thing our way, and we don't try to change too much. I think that's what the fans love about us. We keep giving the fans what they want every year. The style of music never really changes too much.”

“When you realise that money doesn't actually make you happy, it's a quick fix to have things you've always wanted, but then when you have it, you realise that's not what actually makes you happy. It's more about having a great marriage and happy children; that's what life's all about.”

“It's amazing how lucky Westlife were and what we achieved. It's very rare to have seven number ones in a row. Ridiculous in fact.”

“When I finished Westlife, we had - Louie Walsh is still managing me - I was lucky to have options from different labels such as Sony and Universal. When we met Capitol and Nick Raphael, I just believed in them the most, and it looked like they believed in me the most.”

“I think that as a band, we find joy, and we love what we are doing. We are very good friends, so we get on very well, and we have a lot of respect for each other. We have a lot of respect for what Westlife is. We have a very, very solid and strong fan base all over the world.”

“After Westlife, I was in a scared place, you know; you've three children, and I worry about providing for them, and I had no guarantees going forward about the future.”

“Yes, it's true, I have bought a helicopter. I really like it. I can't fly it, but I plan to get a licence one day.”

“Together with a team of financial and legal experts I have spent months exploring all possible alternatives to bankruptcy but to no avail.”

“My mum and dad ran a family cafe in Sligo for 35 years and worked long hours. We grew up in a very hard-working family and had a lovely atmosphere, as we lived above the restaurant. It definitely made me want to work hard, whatever I chose to do. As the baby of seven kids, I was definitely a bit spoilt.”

“I'd like to keep singing - whether that's small or big. To stop singing for a living would break my heart.”

“I didn't want to be a solo Westlife - covers and ballads - and the reason I signed with Capitol Records was because they wanted me to write songs myself. It was pretty scary, but they put me in a studio in Nashville with some new songwriters, and the results were pretty good.”

“When I had money, I felt pressure, whether it was to invest it or do good with it, and I couldn't let it fizzle out. It was like I needed to prove to myself that I could look after it, only I did the opposite, but you have to take a chance in life.”

“I don't think about success to be famous, because I've done that at the highest level, but it's all about my children.”

“I knew I was going to lose my house in Ireland and all the other properties. It's all gone. But my house was the one material thing that was very important to me.”

“I didn't really like 'You Raise Me Up' at the time we recorded it; now it's my favourite Westlife song.”

“If I'm honest, I thought Westlife would keep going for longer than it did - we all did - but it sort of came to a natural end. When we decided we were going to split, I thought, 'If I'm going to sing, I'm going to have to do it solo.' Also, financially I was broke, so the decision was ultimately made for me.”

“I worry about putting food on the table, paying for my kids needs, their college fees in years to come. It's about earning enough to have a living to be able to look after your children.”

“I've been a solo artist for a year now, and I think I should start thinking about the future now. Every spare time I get, I want to be in the studio and work on music for 2015. It's a lot of work.”