Lockdown: Ronan Keating felt ‘anger and resentment’ over separation from family

Ronan Keating has admitted he felt “anger, resentment and bitterness” over being unable to see his family in Ireland during the pandemic.

The Boyzone star, who was born in Dublin, lives just outside London with his wife, Australian fashion designer Storm, and struggled with being disconnected from his relatives during lockdown.

Keating said he had listened to music that reminded him of Ireland as a way of staying in touch with his roots, inspiring his forthcoming album in the process.

He told the PA news agency: “After a year of being away from my siblings and my dad, you take it for granted that you can see your loved ones at the drop of a hat. You can jump in a car, you can jump on a plane. And that was taken away from us.

“As time went on anger, resentment and bitterness sets in and you miss them. We would have been celebrating my dad’s 80th last September. We had a family event planned and obviously it all went out the window like everybody else’s plans.

“It was through that that my connection with Irish music became even more relevant to me and important to me – because it was home.

“So these songs, when you have a glass of wine in the house, the music would go on. The choice of songs I would pick, I would gravitate towards these sorts of songs.

“It was through that, that really when we came out of this, I said I would love to make a record that reflects where I have come from as an artist, the songs I have grown up listening to.

“The songs that have moulded me as an artist and that I continue to listen to today.”