Westlife star Nicky Byrne has shared an update on Mark Feehily, revealing the “door is open” for his return.
The singer is joining his bandmates Shane Filan and Kian Egan as they return to the stage for their 25-year anniversary tour.
The trio are performing around the world and releasing a new single and greatest hits album, however, they’ll be performing without Mark, who has recently suffered health setbacks.
Mark battled sepsis in 2020, and then faced pneumonia, an incisional hernia and underwent several major operations.
Sharing an update ahead of playing in Soccer Aid for Unicef this weekend, Nicky exclusively said: “I believe he’s doing okay, he’s made the statement last year that he couldn’t join us on the tour.
“We knew the tour was going to be for two years, but the door is always open for him to return.”
Speaking about the tour and selling out stadiums around the world, Nicky went on: “To be doing that at our age, sometimes you wonder, have you got something to prove but I think now we all realise, these are the times to just enjoy it.
“It doesn’t last forever, it’s a big, big tour, a long tour. 25 years of Westlife, so we’re looking forward to it.”
Nicky is now joining the likes of Olly Murs, Sam Thompson, Richard Gadd and Wayne Rooney for Soccer Aid for Unicef on Sunday.
Talking about the match, he shared: “It’s such good fun and a great cause.”
He added: “You just cannot but have a good time at this, it’s so much fun. You’re playing football for a few days and it’s all for a great cause.
“When you watch the videos and stuff, it reminds to as to why you’re here. Honestly, it’s the week of the year that everybody puts in their calendar as quick and early as they can.”
Mark’s struggles first began in August 2020 when he had surgery, and was rushed back to hospital days later after suffering from “severe pain”.
Due to complications with the surgery, he was in ICU and developed sepsis, requiring emergency surgery to save his life.
He revealed that the difficult months that followed saw him in hospital during Covid, meaning he was unable to have any visitors including his family.
He shared on social media last year: “It was physically and mentally a very difficult time, not to mention traumatic having to spend so long in ICU.”
In late 2021, Mark became “very ill” and returned to A&E, where he was told he had pneumonia and needed to go home to recover, forcing him to miss out on Westlife’s Wild Dreams tour.
He later developed an incisional hernia, and had to undergo his fourth major surgery since the start of his health battle.9
He added at the time: “It is with the upmost level of regret that I must now temporarily stand down from all Westlife touring until a time that I have had the chance to fully recover from the turbulent journey I have been through as an individual.
“Believe me, I wish things could be different! I would like to thank you so very much for your support and understanding of me and my health over the past few
