SURREY%20ROCKS%20-%20APRIL%202022 - Flipbook - Page 54
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INSPIRED BY THE GREATS
The first single Ronan bought was Last Christmas by Wham!
“I LOVE that song! I love Wham! I love George Michael, and
the reason I’m a singer today is because of George… he’s
been my greatest influence.” The superstar singer’s also
inspired by another bestselling group. “The Bee Gees. For
me, Barry Gibb is the greatest songwriter of all time…”
The singer-songwriter shot to stardom at sweet 16, belting
out hit-after-hit as the youngest member of Boyzone, one
of the most successful boybands in history, who hit the UK
No.1 spot an impressive six times, sold a staggering 25
million records and toured the world. Having gained global
recognition when his chart-topping single When You Say
Nothing at All featured in the hit film Notting Hill, since going
solo, the Irish singing sensation has gone from strength-tostrength, crafting an epic solo vocation, selling over 22 million
records worldwide.
The highlight of his celebrated career? “My longevity.
To still be here nearly 30 years later is a great honour,” he
reveals. “I think that’s the greatest goal, to have longevity in
this business, and still be getting away with it… So, I’m happy
about that!”
A MAN OF MANY HITS…
AND HATS
And it’s not just his singing career that’s brought the
Dublin-born star success… Ronan’s diversified, dabbling in
acting and other areas, too. “I think you have to,” he says.
“It’s important for your profile to stay out there. You have to
do lots of things now - go on cookery shows and all sorts - to
let people know that your album is out!”
Having carved a career spanning almost three decades,
this multi-talented musician has also made his mark as a
mentor, actor and high-profile presenter. Alongside spells as
a judge down under on The X Factor and The Voice Australia
alongside Natalie Imbruglia, the award-winning star’s stints
have seen highly-acclaimed stage performances in London’s
West End hit musical Once since going it alone, too. “It’s
been 22 brilliant, mad years,” Ronan tells me. “I feel really
blessed to still be here and still doing it.”
A BESTSELLING,
RECORD-BREAKING ARTIST
The secret to his success in such a tough industry? “I’m not
afraid to work,” he explains. “In this game, you have to graft
constantly, so I’ve worked tirelessly… all the time. And I enjoy
it. I’m not complaining… I love what I do!”
Ronan’s many talents have expanded exponentially across
abundant platforms. “There are lots of more talented people
out there than me,” he modestly admits. “But I think there
are a lot of different elements that allow somebody to get to
where I’ve got to after 20 years.”
54 SURREYROCKS | ISSUE 08
Bringing breakfast show entertainment to the nation with
his weekday morning radio show on much-loved Magic FM
with co-host Harriet Scott, how did it feel to achieve the
highest-ever ratings in Magic’s history?
“Amazing!! It’s such a fun show… We love what we do and
speaking with our listeners and hearing what people think.
I never imagined I’d do radio like this, especially breakfast
radio… I lived the other lifestyle - going to bed at 4-5am, not
getting up at that time! I love it, it’s great fun.”
A few of his fave guests?
“We had Stormzy on, which was quite unique for Magic.
Mark Wahlberg was pretty cool, Kylie Minogue’s wonderful…
we get a real mixed bag, it’s great!”
Ronan’s now working his magic at weekends, too, having
hooked up with Disney+ for a Saturday afternoon show on
the station, filling us in on his family’s favourite Disney films.
A LOOSE MAN ON THE ONE
SHOW SOFA
Alongside making his mark on the airwaves, he’s had
impressive hosting success on TV, too, where his much-loved
co-hosting stints on BBC One’s ‘The One Show’ sofa see him
chatting with countless other celebs.
Ronan’s also been a ‘Loose Man’ for the day, alongside
Marvin Humes, Iain Stirling and Roman Kemp, as popular ITV
lunchtime show ‘Loose Women’ rebranded for one day and
one day only for the first time in its 21-year history. Welcoming
its first all-male panel to mark International Men’s Day 2020,
the ‘Loose Men’ changed the conversation, inspiring fellow
males to talk about their feelings and not keep things bottled
up.
Alongside sharing their own personal experiences, the
Loose Men were joined by Hollywood legend Matthew
McConaughey as part of the programme’s ‘Stand by Your
Men’ award-winning mental health campaign ‘Lighten
The Load’.
HELPING MEN’S
MENTAL HEALTH
With a focus on male mental health, the campaign
shines a light on the importance of men asking for
help if they are struggling, to tackle the issues they
often shy away from talking about.
“It was great to go on the show with the other
lads and start the conversation to, hopefully, get
men talking about mental health issues,” says
Ronan. “I see Dan, my therapist, whenever I’m
feeling fragile and need help with my mental
health, whether I’m overstressed from working too
hard, or it’s a certain date which reminds me of
something sad that’s happened, such as someone
who’s passed away...”
“Men find it hard to talk, and suffer with depression
