‘In the past I may have got too big for my boots’: Ronan Keating on Boyzone fame, the joys of being Irish and finally finding the love of his life

WE grind a few beans with the Boyzone frontman, 39, and discuss having babies with wife Storm, 34, and why he’s looking buffer than ever

Where? Ground Coffee Society, south London

How did you end up co-owning a coffee shop?

Storm and I started coming here four years ago and we fell in love with it – then the owner approached us about working together. We hope to open in Dublin and up north this year, too.

Are you a caffeine nut?

Two cups is my max. We do tastings where I’m meant to spit it out, but I keep going and I’m wired to the moon!

How does it feel living in London again after five years judging The X Factor in Australia?

I found it difficult being away, but eventually we’ll have a home in Australia. I’ll be doing The Voice there this year for two months.

What was it like working with Mel B?

Mel’s a good friend. They asked me to go on Lip Sync Battle [which Mel B presents], but it didn’t fit in my diary. It would have been fun to do Justin Bieber.

Why do you think the UK X Factor is losing viewers?

Maybe people lost interest because it started to become comical. Constantly changing the judges unsettles people.

Your new album is called Time of My Life – is that how you feel about things at the moment?

Thanks to Storm, I feel anything is possible – she’s the love of my life.

Aww. You have a son Jack, 17, and daughters Missy, 15, and Ali, 10, with your first wife Yvonne – are babies on the cards for you and Storm?

It’s definitely something we want. Finding the time to do it would be great!

Tell us something surprising about your album.

There’s a track called Think I Don’t Remember, which is a love song to Ireland. In the past I may have got too big for my boots, but I’m very proud of my country.

Storm clearly influenced a song, too…

My co-writer Dan [Healy] and I came up with the track She Knows Me. It’s about having somebody who knows you inside out – we all have those people that just know you. I hope it makes you remember someone you love. This album is definitely the greatest I’ve made so far. It feels like a re-birth.

You play guitar on the album. Why have you never played on a track before?

I wasn’t encouraged and was scared to. We fell into the groove [of being in a boy band] and were happy with that. I’m breaking the shackles and it feels good.

You’re in the film Another Mother’s Son, due for release later this year. How did you find acting?

I had the best time making it. It’s a true story set in Jersey in WW2. My character Harold Gould is the only surviving British person in the concentration camp. The whole experience was brilliant. I can’t wait for people to see the film.

You look like you live healthily. What’s your secret to looking good?

I try to stay fit. In the past I’ve trained six days a week, but it’s really hard. We eat well. I love to cook beef with vegetables, but I also love to have a glass of red wine.

Perhaps you could move into winemaking next?

Maybe! By no means can I retire [yet]. The next 10 years are about hard work, my career and family. 

Time of My Life is out now. Ronan’s UK tour starts in September.