Ronan Keating on life as a father-of-five, returning to music and dealing with loss
KISSING the head of his four-month-old daughter, Ronan Keating is clearly a doting dad.
He became a father for the fifth time in March when wife Storm gave birth to Coco.
But the former Boyzone singer insists they will not be expanding their brood further — and is grateful that lockdown has given him more quality time with his kids.
In an exclusive chat, the 43-year-old singer said: “No more babies. Both Storm and I have decided that’s it, done. We are very happy.”
Ronan is dad to Jack, 21, Missy, 19 and Ali, 14, with his ex-wife Yvonne Connolly, and Cooper, three, and Coco with Australian model and TV producer Storm Keating who he married at a Scottish country estate in August 2015.
On a video call from his London home, Ronan describes himself as a “hands-on, no nannies” dad as he chats with his adorable baby girl on his knee.
He has been enjoying an extended paternity leave because of the lockdown.
He says: “The plan was to take a three-week holiday, but it has turned into four months.
“It’s been amazing to be there for every single moment, from waking up in the morning, looking at her, to every bath and bedtime.
“It’s been a very special experience to witness her progress every single day.”
Ronan — whose new solo album Twenty Twenty was No2 in the charts last week — says his three older kids don’t consider him to be an embarrassing dad.
The Magic Radio presenter says: “Sometimes I am cool and sometimes I’m not cool, though they really love this new record.
“When they come to stay I will play the new music as I cook and they pick their favourite songs. They are incredibly supportive.
“And we are close. Jack had his 21st birthday at the house and all of his mates came over. We all partied and he loved it.
‘I WAS STANDING IN THE AIRPORT HEARTBROKEN’
“He’s great. I remember standing at the airport when he was off to Australia for a year when he was 18 and just being devastated.
“I was heartbroken, with tears streaming down my face, but you have to let them go.
“I have a very good relationship with all of them. They are very cool kids and very grounded.
“I am blessed and lucky to have them.
“I have an amazing family. I was one of five and it’s incredible to think I now have five kids myself.”
Ronan says he has always tried to teach his children right from wrong and show them they are loved unconditionally.
He says: “You can’t worry. The thing is to take each day as it comes and raise them properly to be good human beings, to be kind, honest and decent and be good to fellow humans. That is all you can do as a parent — show them love, as when kids are loved they get through stuff.
“It’s when they don’t feel loved that they take different roads and different avenues.”
Ronan, Storm and their children have just returned from a family holiday in France.
He says: “It was lovely. We drove and went through the Channel Tunnel and it was an easy, six-and-a-half hours door to door.
“Storm has always made it possible for us to be able to travel and work so we are together as a family.
“Even when I was touring, Coops came out to Asia on dates in China and Japan. It’s really special.
“And he’s a little bundle of energy, just non-stop. I love getting down on the floor, building Lego with him.
“I get up and do Magic Radio and he wakes up at 7.30am and I will have a cup of coffee and sit with him. He’s just the best, with a big heart of gold. He’s gorgeous.”
Ronan says he is over the moon that his new album is a success and that he is still top of his field two decades after launching a solo career.
He says: “Twenty years as a solo artist, I thought it was the right thing to tip the cap and say thank you with this album.”
‘I BOUGHT TAYLOR’S ALBUM’
The record features collaborations with a who’s who of superstars including Shania Twain, Emeli Sande, Ed Sheeran and Robbie Williams. As well as new songs, Ronan has included remastered classics Life Is A Rollercoaster and When You Say Nothing At All.
He says he isn’t upset about being beaten to No1 by Taylor Swift and reveals he even bought her album Folklore. Ronan says: “I can’t be peeved that Taylor released a surprise record and got to No1.
“It’s fine. I am so delighted that I was up there at the top. No2 after 27 years of music — I’m blown away.”
He is also overjoyed by how his single Little Thing Called Love became an anthem of the pandemic.
Ronan says: “This is the song that gave everyone a virtual hug. The support on the radio for it has been lovely and genuine.
“Around the globe, the support for that song has been amazing. I definitely did something right by putting that one out.”
Ronan and Storm, 38, are planning to set up home in Australia in the future.
It is where they met in 2011, when he was a judge on X Factor and she was a producer.
He says: “When Ali is a bit older we will spend more time there. We haven’t decided exactly where yet but Australia is a very important place in our lives. I love the way of life and the people.”
Finding love with Storm following his divorce has given Ronan a new lease of life.
He says: “You never know what the future has in store for you.
“I am absolutely blessed to have Storm in my life. I can always lean on her to give me the honest answer, even when it’s not the answer I want. But I will listen. I might not like the answer, but I respect it.
“She is a good, grounded, incredible human being and an incredible mother.”
Ronan was devastated when he lost his mum, Marie, to breast cancer in 1998, aged 51. It was a month short of his 21st birthday. Today he believes she is still guiding him. He founded the Marie Keating Foundation with his relatives in 2001 to raise awareness of cancer and the importance of early detection.
He says: “All the time I am hearing her.
“We set up the Marie Keating Foundation and that has been another driving force in our family so people don’t go through what we went through.”
‘YOU DON’T GET OVER LOSING SOMEONE’
Another death that still deeply affects Ronan is that of Boyzone bandmate Stephen Gately, 33, in 2009 due to a congenital heart defect.
He says: “You don’t get over it, you learn to deal with it. I still can’t believe Steo has gone. I miss him still terribly today. I hear him singing.
“When I hear Boyzone songs I can visualise him standing next to me in the studio and on stage. He’s still very alive in my head and my heart. It’s very hard.”
Boyzone officially split in 2019 after 25 years together. The foursome — including Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch — said farewell to fans with an album and Thank You & Goodnight Tour.
After the band appeared on Loose Women on the anniversary of Stephen’s death last year, former Take That star and pal Robbie Williams contacted Ronan about a duet.
The result is uplifting track The Big Goodbye, which is on Twenty Twenty.
Ronan says: “Robbie emailed to say he had a song that he’d written for Stephen after he’d passed. I listened to it having a glass of wine, tears streaming down my face, and I said, ‘Mate, we’ve got to do something’.
“Rob and I didn’t see each other as rivals. Boyzone were probably more in awe of Take That and what they achieved.
“When Rob left the band he spent time with us.”
Ronan says it was only after he released mega solo single Life Is A Rollercoaster, a year after Boyzone went on hiatus in 1999, that his music got noticed by music legends including U2’s Bono and R.E.M.
Ronan recalls: “The respect that Rollercoaster got me was incredible.
“I remember being at the MTV Awards and Bono saying how much he loved the song.
“The same with the R.E.M guys. I remember Michael Stipe saying how much he loved Rollercoaster. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.”
While Ronan has enjoyed the slower pace of life and wants to continue presenting his Magic FM morning radio show with Harriet Scott, he hopes to take on more acting roles in the future.
In 2017 he starred in Australian TV drama Love Child and British war film Another Mother’s Son.
He says: “Promoting the album, raising kids and doing Magic Radio I don’t have any free time.
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“I want to do more acting and there was a script on the table before lockdown. Hopefully we can lock it in for next year.
“I’ve been doing this for more than 20 years but it’s gone by so quickly. I’m ready to do it all over again.”
- Ronan’s new album Twenty Twenty is out now on Decca Records
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