Westlife’s Shane Filan has been honest about his bankruptcy that left him fearing for his kid’s wellbeing.
He stated that when Westlife came to an end in 2012 he found himself bankrupt and had debts of €23 million. He also found himself in trouble as his property business with his brother Finbarr went bust
The brothers set up the business in the lead-up to Westlife’s hiatus as they planned to develop a nursing facility and a supermarket. However, their dreams came crashing down which led to the business’s failure and Shane’s increasing debts.
However, things got even worse six years later when Shane’s wife Gillian was also declared bankrupt. The couple then had to sell their home in Sligo and moved to Surrey with their children. Despite going through a tough time as a family, Shane said that it brought them closer and made them realize the true importance of family.
He told RTE Guide: “I learned so much about how important family is. It was scary because your band is over and you have kids and you’re thinking ‘What’s going to happen here?’ But Gillian was unbelievably strong. What happened also made me find the inner confidence to start again and go for it.
“So when I went solo, I knew that it just had to work, there was no other option. I feel a better and stronger person after it all and also a much more positive person. If you’re lucky in life, you’ll have a few good friends, maybe just one, and I do fortunately, but above all your wife and children are everything.”
During this time, Shane’s mum passed away, closely followed by his dad 10 months later. Shane has previously credited his mum for helping launch his initial singing career. He has said in the past that she convinced music manager Louis Walsh to take a chance on her son.
Shane has said celebrating their lives through music has helped him cope with his loss. He said, “I’m most proud of Always With Me, which is about my parents. It’s been cathartic talking about them. I’ll always have lost my parents, but I can process the positive parts of my life with them. I’m going to celebrate them and continue their legacy.”
Despite his difficult financial situation, Shane’s solo career paid off. He released three solo albums, which paved the way for the band’s resurgence in 2018. Since then, Westlife got back together and has set out on several tours. Their album Spectrum hit number one following their comeback, and they released Wild Dreams in November 2021.
