After nearly 18 months away from the public eye, Mark Feehily, the beloved Irish singer and member of Westlife, has re-emerged with a heartfelt message and a new career venture, offering fans both relief and a dose of nostalgia. His return to social media on December 31, 2025, was met with an outpouring of support from fans who have followed his journey through a series of serious health challenges—challenges that have kept him off the stage and away from the band’s high-profile world tours.
Feehily, now 45, has been a cornerstone of Westlife since the group’s formation in 1998. Over the past three decades, the band has sold millions of records, released 12 albums, and embarked on 13 world tours. But behind the scenes, Feehily’s last five years have been marked by a string of life-altering health crises. According to Metro and Daily Mail, his ordeal began in August 2020 following what should have been a routine surgery. Instead, Feehily developed severe pain and was rushed to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with life-threatening sepsis. He spent several months in intensive care, isolated from loved ones due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I had developed severe sepsis, a life-threatening infection that would require immediate emergency surgery to rectify the problem and basically save my life,” Feehily later recalled.
His recovery was harrowing—physically and mentally. Feehily described the trauma of being alone in ICU, unable to see his fiancé, Cailean O’Neill, or their then 10-month-old daughter, Layla. The shadow of the pandemic made an already dire situation even more isolating. Despite the adversity, Feehily managed to pull through in time for Westlife’s Wild Dreams world tour in late 2021. But fate had another curveball in store: just before a show in Newcastle, he was diagnosed with pneumonia, forcing him to withdraw from performances once again.
Determined to return, Feehily attempted to continue with the tour. However, the physical stress led to the development of a very large incisional hernia at the site of his previous surgery, necessitating yet another major operation. Across these years, Feehily has endured a total of four major surgeries. The cumulative toll ultimately forced him to cancel all tour commitments in February 2025, just days before Westlife’s first-ever American tour was set to begin. “It is with the utmost 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,” he announced to fans, as reported by Metro.
Despite these setbacks, Feehily’s bond with Westlife remains strong. In October 2025, during a concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall to mark the band’s 25th anniversary, the trio—Shane Filan, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne—paid tribute to their absent bandmate. Shane Filan told the crowd, “I want to take a minute to talk about Mark, who unfortunately is not with us tonight. But we love him, we miss him, and we cannot wait to have him back on this stage with us.” During the performance, Kirsten Joy stood in to sing Feehily’s lines, a poignant reminder of his vocal legacy within the group.
Feehily’s absence from the band’s social media and public appearances had left fans anxious. So, when he posted a photo of himself at the RTE Radio 1 studio in Ireland, announcing that he would host three shows on January 7, 8, and 9, 2026, it was a moment of celebration. “Heya! A little message from me to you from the heart. It’s been so long, sorry about the lack of posting… I’ve missed ya!” he began, candidly acknowledging his struggles and the disappointment of missing the band’s world tour. “It’s been quite difficult to watch my band’s big World Tour launch knowing I won’t be able to be there with you all to join the party. However, it’s been really amazing to see our band still flying so high, and the incredible global support that’s still there for us. YOUR support!”
He continued, “That same phenomenal support you have blessed us with from day ONE in Sligo back in the late 90s & as we slowly but surely went on to build the Westlife legacy piece by piece for over 3 decades, literally thousands of days and nights together on stage and in studios and on trains, planes and automobiles, is something that blows my mind to this day, something I am so proud to be a part of. The 25th anniversary tour is gonna be a really special celebration of what we have all built and achieved together!”
Feehily was candid about his ongoing recovery, stating: “All of this really drives home the honest truth that I’m simply not ready to take on a massive world tour yet. My body and my mind need time. However, thankfully, sitting in a chair to do a radio show is a completely different physical and mental demand to doing a massive world tour and I feel very lucky to be able to do this new @rteradio1 show. It’s not quite a stadium show but it’s a HUGE deal and achievement for me! Right now, to sit back and do absolutely nothing would make things much worse for me both medically and emotionally – so here goes!”
Fans responded with overwhelming positivity, flooding his post with messages of encouragement. Comments like, “Waiting for the right time for you to return and join the band but most of all we fans are so happy just to see you post on here, to find you getting better. It’s like a New Year’s gift,” captured the collective relief and affection of Westlife’s global fanbase. Another wrote, “Well done Mark. Fantastic update on everything – wishing you nothing but happiness and health. Enjoy every moment of the radio show journey too. Mind yourself.”
Curiously, Feehily’s bandmates did not publicly acknowledge his post, a detail that sparked some confusion among fans. The only visible support from the Westlife camp came from Kian Egan’s wife, Jodi Albert, who commented with a string of heart emojis. Whether this silence is a matter of private communication or simply a missed opportunity, it didn’t go unnoticed. Still, the band has been clear in public statements that Feehily remains an integral part of Westlife. As Shane Filan told RTE News, “[Mark] is unable to join the tour unfortunately as he’s mentioned already but being on the new song is very important... He’s still a member of this band obviously and he’s sounding great on the new songs.”
Looking ahead, Westlife’s 25th anniversary world tour is set to kick off in September 2026, with shows across the UK and Europe. The band will also release a new album, 25 – The Ultimate Collection, featuring both classic hits and fresh singles. While Feehily won’t be on stage for now, his voice remains woven into the fabric of Westlife’s music, and his presence is felt in every note.
For Feehily, the chance to host radio shows is more than a professional pivot—it’s a lifeline, a way to connect with fans and stay creatively engaged while respecting his own health limits. His journey is a reminder of the resilience needed to weather both public and private storms, and of the enduring power of music and community. As Westlife’s legacy continues, fans everywhere are hoping for the day when Mark Feehily’s unmistakable voice will once again ring out in packed arenas.
