World of our own: 'No rivalry' between Boyzlife and Westlife

For almost a decade, Westlife's Brian McFadden and Boyzone's Keith Duffy have been bringing fans the biggest hits from their respective boybands by collaborating under a different identity - Boyzlife.

The pair joined forces back in 2016 and are about to hit the road for their latest UK and Ireland tour.

But Duffy says there's "no rivalry" with Westlife, who are currently celebrating their 25th anniversary with their own major world tour.

"They're playing stadiums and we're playing theatre halls," Duffy joked to BBC News NI.

"They're doing 50,000 a night and we're doing 2,000. I'm sure they're happy enough."

Duffy said forming Boyzlife forced him to relearn how to sing Boyzone songs, after he spent much of his time in the band on backing vocals.

He admitted his confidence was "shot" when the duo first began touring, with McFadden helping him work through songs line by line to find the right vocal balance.

As a result, Duffy said he actually found it easier to learn Westlife vocals because he "had to unlearn Boyzone to relearn it".

"Brian at the time was a great coach to me because he had a lot more experience and a lot more confidence in that area."

Duffy said the pair were fortunate to have a back catalogue full of hits.

Both Irish bands were managed by Louis Walsh, with Boyzone formed in 1993 and Westlife formed in 1998.

Boyzone went on to have a number of chart topping songs in the UK and Ireland, while Westlife have sold more than 55m records worldwide and had 14 UK number one hits.

McFadden left Westlife in 2004 - and the group disbanded in 2012, before reuniting in 2018.

Boyzone disbanded in 2000, before reuniting in 2007 and disbanding again in 2019 following their 25th anniversary tour.

In September, Boyzone announced they are to play a one-off concert in June, described as a "final farewell".

Now, Duffy and McFadden perform as two lead vocalists, typically backed by a live band, sharing verses and choruses throughout the show.

They said nerves still creep in at the start of a tour, but it's more excitement than fear, particularly when performing new material.

"We get excited for getting out and doing it live. I don't think I could do this job if we didn't have the live shows that we do," McFadden said.

They will entertain Belfast audiences in April - and both performers singled out Belfast's fans as among the most energetic they play to.

"You give your best show when the audience give you that kind of energy. So we love coming and playing up here," Duffy said.

They kicked off their 2025 tour in Belfast and said the crowd "raised the roof off the place".

"They didn't even want us to sing. They sang every song themselves," Duffy said.

"We were trying to sing, but there was no point. We just put the mics out and they'd just take over."

After almost a decade touring together, the duo said they have more control over their schedules and a greater focus on enjoyment, compared to life in a boyband during the 1990s.

Asked what advice they would give their younger selves, Duffy said he would stress the importance of thinking carefully before speaking.

"I think in this business, you know, when you're so young like we were and you're given a voice, that doesn't necessarily mean you have an educated one," he said.

"So I think any advice really would be think about what you're going to say before you say it.

"And enjoy yourself. Live every moment."

McFadden added with a laugh that he'd tell his younger self to "buy bitcoin when it came out".

"We made that mistake, didn't we?"