Mark Feehily steps back from Westlife over ongoing health issues

Mark Feehily, one of two lead singers from the Irish boyband Westlife, has announced that he will be stepping back from the group as they embark on their debut US tour due to ongoing health issues.

The 43-year-old was treated for sepsis during the lockdown of 2020 and has recently gone through hernia repair surgery.

Candidly sharing his struggles on social media, Feehily wrote, “Most of you are aware that I have had some health challenges over the past while. It actually all started 3.5 years ago in August 2020 when I had surgery. Within a few days of this surgery, I was in severe pain and was rushed into A&E. I eventually ended that awful day in ICU where I was informed that due to a complication with the surgery, I had developed severe 'Sepsis', a life threatening infection that would require immediate emergency surgery to rectify the problem and basically save my life. I spent the next few months in hospital.”

♥️♥️💪💪 pic.twitter.com/VKHY2xQpmK

— MarkusFeehily (@MarkusFeehily) February 28, 2024

Feehily went on to explain the physical and mental strain of the period, particularly with regards to his recent engagement to Cailean O’Neill and the birth of their first daughter, both of whom he was restricted from seeing during his time in the hospital.

Later in the post, the singer added, “ I was eventually discharged from hospital in December 2020 but I have had ongoing medical problems as a result of it all. In late 2021, I became very ill in Newcastle before a concert and ended up back in A&E, this time being told I had pneumonia. I was told I had to go straight home to recover and regrettably miss the rest of the concerts that December. I was referred to a consultant who told me I needed more surgery which I went ahead with in May 2022 meaning I was forced to miss more of The Wild Dreams tour.”

While Feehily attempted to rejoin the Westlife tour, the overwhelming physical demands of live performances and extensive travel proved to be too much for his condition.

"I developed a very large 'incisional hernia' and I was told that I needed further surgery to fix it,” he wrote. “This would be my fourth major surgery since the start of it all, but I had no option."

While the surgery was successful, Feehily was advised by his doctors to take time away from touring to fully recover.

“My recovery must now become my absolute priority at this time… Believe me, I wish things could be different! I would like to thank you so very much for your support and understanding of me and my health over the past few years.”

The statement closed as Feehily expressed deep gratitude towards his fans, bandmates, family and friends for their ongoing support as he continues to battle various health crises.