Ronan Keating broke down in tears during a new Sky docuseries, 'Boyzone: No Matter What', as he recalled the night the band slept next to the coffin of their late bandmate Stephen Gately. The series features never-before-seen footage and interviews with the group's manager Louis Walsh and members Ronan, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, and Shane Lynch.
Stephen Gately died suddenly in October 2009 at his home in Mallorca from a pulmonary oedema caused by an undiagnosed heart condition. The night before his funeral, the remaining Boyzone members stayed with his coffin in the church. Mikey Graham explained: 'We didn't like the idea of him being alone in the church overnight.' Ronan added: 'He didn't like the cold.'
Mikey described the evening as peaceful and unifying, with the group sharing jokes reminiscent of their early days. Ronan was the first to learn of Stephen's death and informed the other members and Louis. The following year, the band embarked on the Brother tour in Stephen's honour.
The docuseries also delves into the toxic infighting that plagued Boyzone. Ronan's decision to pursue a solo career after his 1999 hit 'When You Say Nothing at All' led to tensions. He criticised Louis Walsh's management, saying: 'He didn't know where the f**k I was!' and accused Louis of prioritising TV appearances over his career. Louis responded that Ronan was a 'middle of the road artist' and that he called him 'talentless' after being fired.
