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Boyzone looked like private jets and millions. Keith Duffy says the truth was the opposite.
In this episode, Keith joins Matt Haycox in Dubai to talk about what fame actually costs, confidence, identity, relationships, and (often) the money people assume you’ve got.
Keith opens up about Louis Walsh’s control and how being labelled “the big lad in the back who can’t sing” shattered his self-belief, even while the band was dominating charts.
Want to know about the music business lie? How expenses get recouped, how artists get billed for the lifestyle, and why Boyzone “hadn’t a penny” when the world thought they were loaded.
And in one of the most powerful parts of the conversation, Keith shares the family journey with his daughter Mia, the shock, the waiting lists, building support when none existed, and what early intervention changed over time.
This is a conversation about fame, money, manipulation, grief, resilience, and what life looks like when the arena lights go off.
Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro
1:44 – From Irish grafter to meeting Louis Walsh
7:56 – Debut to international stardom
15:24 – The “master manipulator” and control behind the scenes
18:27 – Confidence crisis: “suppressed” + not being allowed to sing
26:16 – Losing Stephen Gately
29:57 – The birth of Boyzlife
34:22 – Arenas vs theatres (and why intimacy wins)
37:26 – Hollywood dreams
43:11 – The music business lie: “we had no money”
48:01 – Mia: A journey through autism
1:00:18 – Final thoughts
Follow Keith Duffy
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialkeithduffy/
Boyzlife: https://www.instagram.com/officialboyzlife
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