S Poddar
Last Friday, Ronan Keating wrapped up his tenure on the Magic Radio breakfast show after seven years with an emotional goodbying to all the listeners. Now 47, the Boyzone star announced a month ago that he would be leaving the radio to spend more time with his family and get back to his musical career.
Keating treated fans to live performances of the hits “Life is a Rollercoaster” and “When You Say Nothing At All,” even covering George Michael’s classic “Faith” in his final show. As the show finished up, he was hugged by his co-host Harriet Scott. He left the studio to have colleagues from Magic Radio and other Bauer Media stations lining the hallways in applause.
Speaking on his decision to leave, Keating told the Standard that he is “exhausted” from waking up in the early hours and missed being able to throw himself into music full-time. “Balancing making music and being creative with doing radio has been tough,” he said. “Leaving Magic at 10 am after giving four hours of energy leaves you drained for the rest of the day. Holidays don’t even fully recharge you.”
Keating announced that he had been feeling a bit burnt out lately and needed some time off to spend writing music and pursuing his live work. He also spoke about the personal growth and learning curve for him on the other side of the mic, going from someone who is interviewed to being a broadcaster.
While he’s stepping back for now, Keating hinted he may return to radio in the future and that may well be on a weekend basis.
