Westlife’s Mark Feehily gives a health update in his first Instagram post in a year after pulling out of the band’s 25th anniversary tour

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Mark Feehily recently gave his fans an update on his health. He’s been dealing with several illnesses for the past few years and has been recovering.

Okay, so I was so excited to see Westlife’s Nicky Byrne back on social media! It’s been over a year since his last post, and he just shared that he’s planning a career comeback – his fans are absolutely thrilled, and honestly, I am too! It’s always inspiring to see artists reinvent themselves and get back to doing what they love.

Mark has openly discussed his health struggles over the last few years, which have made it difficult for him to tour and perform.

Mark, who recently posted a picture of himself at RTE Radio 1 in Ireland with headphones on, has announced he’ll be hosting three shows on the station.

The Irish native revealed that he will be hosting radio shows on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

Just wanted to send a quick note to say I’ve been thinking of you! Sorry I haven’t been in touch for a while – I’ve really missed you!

It’s been really tough watching my band’s world tour start knowing I can’t be there to celebrate with everyone.

It’s been truly wonderful to see our band continue to thrive, and we’re so grateful for the amazing support we still receive from fans around the world – that means you!

The incredible support you’ve given us since the very beginning, back in Sligo in the late 90s, means the world to me. Building the Westlife story over the last three decades – through countless days and nights on stage, in recording studios, and while traveling – is something I’m still amazed by and incredibly proud to have been a part of.

This 25th anniversary tour is going to be a fantastic way to celebrate everything we’ve accomplished together!

Mark expressed his gratitude to his fans for their continued support, but unfortunately shared that he’s still not healthy enough to begin his world tour.

He explained that he isn’t prepared to go on a large world tour right now.

I need some time to rest and recharge, but I’m really grateful that doing a radio show is much less physically and mentally demanding than going on a huge world tour. I feel lucky to be able to do this new show on RTÉ Radio 1.

This isn’t a massive arena concert, but it’s a really important milestone for me! Taking a break right now would actually be detrimental to my health and well-being, so I’m diving in.

Mark’s health problems began after he underwent routine surgery in August 2020.

Several days after the procedure, he developed intense pain and had to be hospitalized. His condition quickly worsened, leading to sepsis.

He was critically ill with COVID-19 and spent months in the ICU, needing urgent surgery.

In late 2021, he became seriously ill before a scheduled concert and was diagnosed with pneumonia. 

A chest infection caused him to miss several concerts on Westlife’s Wild Dreams Tour and unfortunately hindered his progress in getting better.

After recovering from pneumonia, Feehily still dealt with ongoing health issues related to previous illnesses and operations.

He developed a bulge at the site of a previous surgery, which happened because the tissues there had weakened or torn. This required another, major operation to fix.

Reports state he has undergone four major surgeries related to these health battles since 2020.

Westlife honored Mark during a performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall in October, celebrating their 25th anniversary, and confirmed he remains a member of the group.

The band, featuring Shane Filan, Kian Egan, and Nicky Byrne, marked the special occasion with a concert, but Mark Feehily wasn’t able to participate due to health issues.

During the concert, where the band performed with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, Shane honored their bandmate, who won’t be touring with them but is featured on their latest songs.

When the group performed their 1999 hit “Flying Without Wings,” they had Kirsten Joy, a singer known from The Voice and Clean Bandit, perform the parts originally sung by Mark – often considered the best vocals in the band’s career.

Lead singer Shane addressed the audience, sharing that Mark couldn’t be with them tonight. He expressed their love and longing for Mark, and said they’re eagerly anticipating his return to the stage.

Great news – he’s really into the new music, including ‘Chariot’ which you’ve already heard. Plus, we’re releasing a new album in February!

We’re going to play a song now that Mark loves – it’s actually his favorite! We’d like to dedicate this performance to him, and we’re thrilled to have Kirsten Joy join us on stage to sing it.

‘This song is probably the song that changed our whole career.’ 

Earlier this year, it was announced that Mark wouldn’t be able to rejoin his band because of health problems.

Even though the singer wasn’t present, Shane recently emphasized how valuable it was to have him on the song and praised his excellent vocals, particularly on the track ‘Chariot,’ which came out on Friday.

Shane recently told RTE News that Mark won’t be able to participate in the tour, as he previously stated. However, Shane also shared that Mark was still able to contribute to their new song, which was important to him.

He’s definitely still with the band and sounds fantastic on our new tracks. We’ve recorded four new songs and plan to release an album shortly after Christmas.

This album is a collection of the artist’s biggest hits, plus four brand new tracks. One of those new songs, which will be released next Friday, is a particularly energetic and positive track, and we’re thrilled to have him featured on it.

A happy fan posted a video from an RTE interview, noting that Shane confirmed Mark remains a member of Westlife and sounds fantastic on their new music.

He announced that the upcoming greatest hits album will include four new songs, with the first one being released this Friday. The album is scheduled to come out after Christmas.

After two incredibly popular shows in London, the band announced a world tour, exciting fans everywhere. They shared a sneak peek on Instagram on Thursday.

The short preview showed an airport departures board, the kind that lists flight times and gate numbers. This is a reference to the music video for their 2000 song “My Love,” where the band members were stuck at an airport.

The video also includes a reference to their album, ‘Coast To Coast,’ with the words ‘Coast To Coast Airlines’ appearing on a prop. Throughout the short clip, the dates for the tour briefly flash on screen.

Westlife celebrated 25 years as a group, saying it feels like their journey is just beginning.

We’re incredibly grateful for all the support from our fans! We’re so excited to celebrate with you all by hitting the road for a world tour, and sharing our new music and album. We can’t wait to see you and experience this next part of our journey together.

With new music on the way and a world tour planned, it’s a really exciting time for Westlife and fans alike! We’re all eagerly anticipating what’s next.

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2025-12-31 12:20