Boyzone's Shane Lynch quits entertainment industry

After three decades spent in the limelight, Boyzone's Shane Lynch has announced that he has finished with the band and showbusiness permanently.

Lynch revealed last year that he left the public eye as it was taking a negative toll on his family life.

The singer said he has no issue if his former bandmates - Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham and the late Stephen Gately - take to performing without him and that there are no hard feelings. "They can absolutely crack on without me," he told the Irish Independent. "I love the boys, so I’ll watch them. Don’t be gutted."

His latest and final television appearance on Pilgrimage, airing on BBC, sees him undertake the trek from northern Portugal to Fatima alongside six other celebrities. Lynch however, left the show on Day 14.

He told his fellow stars in a voice message published by Express, "this journey has been so incredible, I've loved every minute of it and thank you guys for being a part of that. I've come to the end of my journey and I'm very complete and satisfied with what I've done. So, listen, love you all and see you soon."

Pilgrimage. Credit: BBC.

Lynch explained that he feels he has evolved past the image of the public, and that moving out of the public eye is the best move for him and his family.

“I think for me there is certain head spaces in life we all need to transition to. You can’t just become an adult and be the same adult for the rest of your life,” he said.

“My life for 30 years had been one particular Shane Lynch from Boyzone, and I’m done with that. Everything I’ve done up to this last TV show was the same repetitive lifestyle. I don’t want to do that any more. It’s as simple as that.”

He and his actress wife Sheena, along with their two daughters, now reside in Cheshire in northern England.

Marrying in 2007, the couple are as close as ever, despite a brief spilt during lockdown. The family have featured on ITV’s reality show The Real Housewives of Cheshire, however Lynch says he will no longer appear on the show.

The singer will celebrate 16 years of marriage on the August 22nd, although he and his wife won't be renewing their wedding vows, saying, "I think maybe we’d need to get a few more years under our belt."