S Poddar
Shane Filan is the name of Westlife that became the global phenomenon in the 1990s. Recently, he also spoke about really personal battles he has been fighting when Westlife disbanded. Where hits like “Flying Without Wings” and “You Raise Me Up” filled high-flying pursuits through the last two decades, Shane finally stooped to hold an £18 million debt. The debt plus some personal tragedies brought him into a state of being worried and scared.
Now 45, Shane first won hearts when he sang for the Irish boyband Westlife along with his bandmates Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, and Brian McFadden. Fans cheered as they churned out chart-topping hits, but few realized what awaited Shane once the group broke up in 2012. What appeared to be a rosy future crashed, leaving Shane in a state of financial collapse.
Just before Westlife split, Shane and his brother Finbarr started an estate business; they lost millions into the venture. The plan was housing, a nursing home, and a supermarket. Their grand ambitions came crashing down with the Irish economy crash at the start of the decade. The venture became unsuccessful; he had huge debts to pay. I have worked long and hard to try to reduce my debts, and I am devastated that it came to this conclusion,” Shane reflected about the dark times.
Life wasn’t easy even for Shane with his business collapse. Shane had lost his mother in 2017, a loss that became a psychological assault for him. Just then, tragedy also befell him as his father, Peter, died ten months later from a long illness. He was suffering from cancer. Both of his parents dying within a short period sent Shane into a deep depressing phase in life. His father was not just a parent but his mentor and guide. He died “peacefully in his sleep” in the hospital. In a touching post on his social networking site, Shane said: “I lost the most important man in my whole life, my dad Peter. He was my best friend, my guide on life, and an absolutely amazing father; he was my hero.”
Those personal losses he had were too hard for him to handle: those were bad times when Shane was close to his family. He would often talk about how significant his parents were to his life and how greatly he had impacted his career. He said that they were his rock, and the hurts caused by their death began to injure him more with his financial needs adding up, making it one of the harder times for the singer.
But despite the financial chaos and personal heartache, Shane persisted in going through the troubles to find his way back. He took responsibility for the failed business venture, facing his debts head-on, though it took him years of hard work to dig himself out of the financial hole. Shane’s experience reminds everyone that even someone with a seemingly glamorous lifestyle could be going through enormous struggles behind closed doors. The weight of a public figure comes with his seemingly insurmountable debt and emotional loss, for vulnerability and failure are often judgment.
However, through it all, Shane’s strength has shone through. His passion for music did not abate, and he slowly but surely found a way to balance his personal grief with financial recovery. More recently, Westlife got back together, restoring Shane and the rest of the band to the stage. It brought comfort and stability as Shane went back to the music but also enabled him to reconnect with fans who had supported him since his early days.
But Shane’s story is that of perseverance in the journey he has traveled through. It is a journey from the summit of Westlife’s star status to the lowest point of financial meltdown and personal loss, all against which he came out bold and assertive. His daring openness about the struggles he faced has unleashed stories from many who resonate with his and think that, no matter how hard it gets, there might be a glimmer of hope and reconstruction in the future.
Through these dark times, family love and support from the fans and bandmates had proven to be a strong weapon in Shane’s fight. As he moves forward, personally and professionally, his story confirms so much of the strength in the human spirit that really can overcome adversity.
