29th January 2010
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s3/coronationstreet/interviews/a200010/keith-duffy-ciaran-mccarthy-corrie.html
After a five-year break from the role, Boyzone singer Keith Duffy returns to Coronation Street at the beginning of next week as ladies' man and ex-navy serviceman Ciaran McCarthy. The 35-year-old last appeared in July 2005 when Shelley Unwin's mother Bev made a drunken pass at him. Half a decade on and Ciaran's working in a fancy Cheshire restaurant, as Peter and Leanne turn up for lunch in the hope of scoping out the local eatery competition while they prepare to open their new bar. Unbeknown to the pair, however, Ciaran's the head chef and Peter's complaints cause the Irish womaniser to lose his job. How will Peter cope with his wayward mate back in his life? And who'll become the first notch on Ciaran's bedpost? We gave Keith a bell to find out more!
How did the return come about?
"Well when I left back in 2005, it was always the plan at some stage to try and get back on the Street after spending a bit of time at home and whatever. The boys and I got back together in 2007 and I was busy for a few years but when we started going on tour again and played the MEN in Manchester, I sent an invitation over to the cast and crew of Corrie for anyone who wanted to come across to the show. A few of the guys came along and we hooked up at the Lowry Hotel afterwards for a few pints and got talking. A few were saying, 'Would you come back?' and I was like, 'I'd love to come back but I can't see it happening in the future because the band are so busy and one thing and another'."
Were you not ready to return back then?
"Going into 2009 we had a whole new show, a whole new tour and again I sent across an email inviting people if they wanted to come along, and all the while I'd kept in touch with a few people from the press department, and Kieran Roberts who was then the producer and is now the exec producer. On that night we were chatting and I was saying I'd done [Dublin soap The Clinic and Irish soap Fair City] and that I'd got my trade - my apprenticeship if you like - with Coronation Street. If it wasn't for Corrie, I wouldn't have got these other jobs. I said I'd love to return knowing the game a lot better and knowing what I'm doing is a lot better - being a lot more confident with the character. Things just started from there, really."
What happened after that?
"There were a few emails back and forth between me and Kieran Roberts, then Kim Crowther (producer) got in touch with my agent and asked me to fly to Manchester for a meeting regarding nothing, really. At that stage, I hoped it must mean something because I'd told them that the lads in the band were taking some time off - possibly six or seven months - to finish the album. I hate having time off, I much prefer being busy so this was my chance to get back on the Street again. We all agreed and here I am!"
How do we see Ciaran again?
"Peter and Leanne were reading a review of a restaurant in Cheshire that got rave reviews and decide to go over and treat themselves to a lunch meeting to discuss their new wine bar. They're waiting a very long time for their food and Peter goes out to the maître d' and tells him that if he wanted bread and water, he'd have gone to Strangeways. The maître d' apologises and tells him the head chef's a bit of a perfectionist and goes out to the kitchen, pushes him out the door and starts screaming and shouting at him - the chef happens to be Ciaran McCarthy! The maître d' says, 'Don't make me fire you!' and Ciaran says, 'I won't, I resign!' and gets out a bottle of whisky for him and Peter not realising that Peter's on the wagon."
How long are you around for this time?
"A minimum of six months. Enough time to get into some trouble, I'd say!"
Where's Ciaran been?
"All I know is that he's been working as a chef in this restaurant and he's been there for a while. I think he might have gone home to Ireland for a bit and over to the States for a while. He was over with his cousin Mick who owns a cocktail bar in New York and he was over working the cocktail bar for a bit - that bit was in my script along the way - but apart from that I really don't know what he was up to! He was AWOL from the Navy so he could have done a bit of jail time, too."
Who does he have his eye on when he's back?
"[He's] pretty much straight in for Michelle to be fair! It's a dirty job but somebody has to do it! Anything that walks by that's at all attractive or in a skirt he chats up to be honest. He chats up Carla, he chats up Michelle, he's very charming to Liz McDonald who sees it as a come-on - that's a funny scene in itself - Kelly from the factory... no-one is safe!"
Does Ciaran have much to do with Sunita when he's back?
"Yeah - he's been back chatting her up as well. He's under the illusion that herself and Dev are together and obviously he and Dev left on bad terms, so she's on her own in the pub and he goes over and starts chatting her up and charming her again. Sunita was quite up for it because they nearly got married - I think I left her at the altar if I remember rightly."
If you could pick anyone on the Street for him to be involved with, who would it be?
"I don't really mind and I don't think Ciaran McCarthy would mind too much, either - if they're attractive and they like a drink he's happy enough."
31 January 2010
New Boyzone album is "tribute to Gately"
29th January 2010
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a199977/new-boyzone-album-is-tribute-to-gately.html
Boyzone star Keith Duffy has declared the group's new record a "tribute" to late member Stephen Gately.
The Irish boyband release Brothers, their first collection of entirely new songs since 1998, on March 8.
"It's all completely original material. There are no covers on it and there's not really any ballads on it either," he told Digital Spy. "It's a whole new sound and it's a whole new dynamic for Boyzone."
Duffy, who reprises his role as chef Ciaran McCarthy on Coronation Street next week, also revealed that Gately was heavily involved in shaping the album's direction.
"Stephen was a big part of picking the tunes that are on the album. I think Stephen would really want us to continue and to release the songs and the album," he said.
However, Duffy also admitted that the group have yet to make any long-term plans.
"I don't know what's going to happen after the album," he said. "Whether we tour again and whether we perform together again, I really don't know. For now we're going to release this album as a tribute to Stephen.
"I'm on Corrie for six months as well so I'm not going to be available for any kind of promotion. I'm just going to let the album work itself - if it's a hit, it's a hit, and if it isn't, it isn't."
Duffy returns to Coronation Street on Monday night.
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a199977/new-boyzone-album-is-tribute-to-gately.html
Boyzone star Keith Duffy has declared the group's new record a "tribute" to late member Stephen Gately.
The Irish boyband release Brothers, their first collection of entirely new songs since 1998, on March 8.
"It's all completely original material. There are no covers on it and there's not really any ballads on it either," he told Digital Spy. "It's a whole new sound and it's a whole new dynamic for Boyzone."
Duffy, who reprises his role as chef Ciaran McCarthy on Coronation Street next week, also revealed that Gately was heavily involved in shaping the album's direction.
"Stephen was a big part of picking the tunes that are on the album. I think Stephen would really want us to continue and to release the songs and the album," he said.
However, Duffy also admitted that the group have yet to make any long-term plans.
"I don't know what's going to happen after the album," he said. "Whether we tour again and whether we perform together again, I really don't know. For now we're going to release this album as a tribute to Stephen.
"I'm on Corrie for six months as well so I'm not going to be available for any kind of promotion. I'm just going to let the album work itself - if it's a hit, it's a hit, and if it isn't, it isn't."
Duffy returns to Coronation Street on Monday night.
Keith Duffy teases Graham about 'DOI'
29th January 2010
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/dancingonice/news/a199994/keith-duffy-teases-graham-about-doi.html
Keith Duffy has admitted to teasing his Boyzone bandmate Mikey Graham about his Dancing On Ice outfits.
However, the singer, who returns to Coronation Street next month as Ciaran McCarthy, claimed that Graham had always been a better dancer than him during their boyband days.
"I couldn't wait for the show to start so I could start slagging the clothes he was wearing!" Duffy told DS.
"I went to see him yesterday - they get the day off on Monday so I was in London with him and he was taking it easy and very happy with his success so far.
"I can't judge his dancing - have you seen mine?! Put it this way, he was a lot better than I was!"
When asked whether he would consider taking part in the reality show, Duffy said: "I could never see myself being on it to be honest. I'm a big bloke, I've played a lot of Irish football in my time and I'm a big-boned type of guy.
"I just think I'd look awkward. I don't think I'd look in any way suited to the discipline. You stick me on a set of skates at 34 years of age and it's not going to be very pleasant! I'll probably crack the ice around me!"
Duffy and Graham's late bandmate Stephen Gately took part in Dancing On Ice in 2007
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/dancingonice/news/a199994/keith-duffy-teases-graham-about-doi.html
Keith Duffy has admitted to teasing his Boyzone bandmate Mikey Graham about his Dancing On Ice outfits.
However, the singer, who returns to Coronation Street next month as Ciaran McCarthy, claimed that Graham had always been a better dancer than him during their boyband days.
"I couldn't wait for the show to start so I could start slagging the clothes he was wearing!" Duffy told DS.
"I went to see him yesterday - they get the day off on Monday so I was in London with him and he was taking it easy and very happy with his success so far.
"I can't judge his dancing - have you seen mine?! Put it this way, he was a lot better than I was!"
When asked whether he would consider taking part in the reality show, Duffy said: "I could never see myself being on it to be honest. I'm a big bloke, I've played a lot of Irish football in my time and I'm a big-boned type of guy.
"I just think I'd look awkward. I don't think I'd look in any way suited to the discipline. You stick me on a set of skates at 34 years of age and it's not going to be very pleasant! I'll probably crack the ice around me!"
Duffy and Graham's late bandmate Stephen Gately took part in Dancing On Ice in 2007
New! Magazine interview
26th January 2010
http://www.new-magazine.co.uk/posts/view/17194/Boyzone-star-Keith-Duffy-I-still-can-t-believe-Stephen-Gately-is-dead-/
The past four months have not been easy for Coronation Street actor and Boyzone singer Keith Duffy.
The death of Keith Duffy's Boyzone bandmate Stephen Gately at just 33 shook the world last October.
And for Keith, who had been friends with Stephen for 17 years, the loss is still very hard to come to terms with.
Stephen died from heart failure, while on holiday in Mallorca with his partner Andy Cowles.
His death was devastating for Keith and his bandmates, Ronan Keating, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch, and the band will release their new single – featuring Stephen on lead vocals – as a tribute to him.
Meanwhile Keith, 35, is about to return to Coronation Street as Ciaran McCarthy. He joined the show in 2002 and stayed for two years, before returning to Ireland to spend time with his family.
The singer now divides his time between a flat in Manchester and the home in Dublin he shares with wife Lisa, their son Jordan, 13, and their daughter Mia, nine.
Here Keith talks about how he is coping without Stephen, and how Corrie is helping him slowly move forward…
How have you coped since Stephen’s tragic death?
It was a massive loss and there are times when I still can’t believe it happened. Stephen was the glue between us in Boyzone and when he passed, a lot of my confidence went. But apart from how sad I feel, I feel sorry for Stephen. He was so young and had his whole life ahead of him, and he was absolutely robbed.
How did you hear the news?
I was on the way to a night club when Ronan rang me. Everyone came back to mine and there were dozens of people just walking around my house all night, sipping whisky to keep us sedated. Mikey and Shane came round, but the three of us couldn’t stick it, so we went to Dublin airport at 4.30am to catch the first flight to Gatwick to fly to Mallorca.
That must have been a very sad journey…
Usually when we’re all at the airport together, we get people coming up to us, but there were TV screens all around the airport. It was all over the news and nobody said a word to us because everyone knew what had happened. Mikey got some Irish breakfasts and Shane got six bottles of beer, and nobody would charge us for anything. We were doing our best to keep it together, but when that happened, we were in bits with tears streaming down our faces.
Has Corrie helped to take your mind off your grief?
It’s really helped. I’m busy filming and learning my lines, which gives me something else to focus on.
What is your character up to?
Peter Barlow and Leanne Battersby have read rave reviews about a restaurant, and visit in order to pick up some ideas for the wine bar they plan to open. They bump into Ciaran and he ends up returning to Coronation Street with them. It’s not long before he’s eyeing up the ladies!
He is a bit of a Romeo…
He was originally meant to be a bad guy, attempting to seduce Peter’s then girlfriend Shelley. But the way I played it was more charming and it worked, so this time, he’s even more of a charmer.
Do your kids watch Corrie?
There was a scene where I was snogging Shelley’s ma. I’d asked Lisa to make sure my son didn’t see it. But he went round to his grandma’s house and as soon as the show finished, my phone rang. It was Jordan, saying “What the hell do you think you’re doing kissing that granny? I’m going to tell Mum!”
Does Lisa watch it?
No, she doesn’t like seeing me with different women.
You have a single Gave It All Away out in March featuring Stephen on vocals. How does that feel?
It’s annihilating but beautiful. On our original recording, Ronan sang lead vocals on the first verse, which begins, “I want to learn to live before I die”. After Stephen died, we found the original sessions, so it is Stephen singing that line.
How did the song originate?
Mika wrote the song and the band recorded it two years ago, but due to a publishing dispute, it was never released. After Stephen died, Ronan bumped into Mika. The song wasn’t mentioned, but two days later, we got a call saying that we had the song. Stephen sang it all the time and he was raging that we never got to release it, so I’ve no doubt in my mind that he was up there pulling strings. I believe he’s all around us, looking after us.
You are also finishing off the album you began last year…
We felt Stephen wouldn’t have wanted us to stop, and basically, if it never sells a copy, it doesn’t matter – it’s our dedication to Stephen.
Will Boyzone tour again?
The rest of the lads want to, but right now, I couldn’t do it without Stephen.
Would you ever go solo?
I don’t believe my voice would be strong enough for a solo album. Ronan has had a great solo career, but he has no interest in doing anything without the rest of us at the moment. A bit of that is down to Stephen passing, but he’s also seen how much more fun we have when we are together.
You are obviously close…
We have been friends since the age of 17 and I could not fall out with any of them, because our relationship is beyond anything I could do to upset them. It’s the closest bond anyone could have – there’s nobody in the world closer than we are.
Mia has autism. Has her condition changed you?
One good thing that has come out of it is that it has given me more self-belief. I wasn’t very academic at school and the only time I spoke in public was on stage with the band, but Mia’s situation means I do a lot of fund-raising and public speaking on autism. She’s made me grow up and be responsible.
http://www.new-magazine.co.uk/posts/view/17194/Boyzone-star-Keith-Duffy-I-still-can-t-believe-Stephen-Gately-is-dead-/
The past four months have not been easy for Coronation Street actor and Boyzone singer Keith Duffy.
The death of Keith Duffy's Boyzone bandmate Stephen Gately at just 33 shook the world last October.
And for Keith, who had been friends with Stephen for 17 years, the loss is still very hard to come to terms with.
Stephen died from heart failure, while on holiday in Mallorca with his partner Andy Cowles.
His death was devastating for Keith and his bandmates, Ronan Keating, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch, and the band will release their new single – featuring Stephen on lead vocals – as a tribute to him.
Meanwhile Keith, 35, is about to return to Coronation Street as Ciaran McCarthy. He joined the show in 2002 and stayed for two years, before returning to Ireland to spend time with his family.
The singer now divides his time between a flat in Manchester and the home in Dublin he shares with wife Lisa, their son Jordan, 13, and their daughter Mia, nine.
Here Keith talks about how he is coping without Stephen, and how Corrie is helping him slowly move forward…
How have you coped since Stephen’s tragic death?
It was a massive loss and there are times when I still can’t believe it happened. Stephen was the glue between us in Boyzone and when he passed, a lot of my confidence went. But apart from how sad I feel, I feel sorry for Stephen. He was so young and had his whole life ahead of him, and he was absolutely robbed.
How did you hear the news?
I was on the way to a night club when Ronan rang me. Everyone came back to mine and there were dozens of people just walking around my house all night, sipping whisky to keep us sedated. Mikey and Shane came round, but the three of us couldn’t stick it, so we went to Dublin airport at 4.30am to catch the first flight to Gatwick to fly to Mallorca.
That must have been a very sad journey…
Usually when we’re all at the airport together, we get people coming up to us, but there were TV screens all around the airport. It was all over the news and nobody said a word to us because everyone knew what had happened. Mikey got some Irish breakfasts and Shane got six bottles of beer, and nobody would charge us for anything. We were doing our best to keep it together, but when that happened, we were in bits with tears streaming down our faces.
Has Corrie helped to take your mind off your grief?
It’s really helped. I’m busy filming and learning my lines, which gives me something else to focus on.
What is your character up to?
Peter Barlow and Leanne Battersby have read rave reviews about a restaurant, and visit in order to pick up some ideas for the wine bar they plan to open. They bump into Ciaran and he ends up returning to Coronation Street with them. It’s not long before he’s eyeing up the ladies!
He is a bit of a Romeo…
He was originally meant to be a bad guy, attempting to seduce Peter’s then girlfriend Shelley. But the way I played it was more charming and it worked, so this time, he’s even more of a charmer.
Do your kids watch Corrie?
There was a scene where I was snogging Shelley’s ma. I’d asked Lisa to make sure my son didn’t see it. But he went round to his grandma’s house and as soon as the show finished, my phone rang. It was Jordan, saying “What the hell do you think you’re doing kissing that granny? I’m going to tell Mum!”
Does Lisa watch it?
No, she doesn’t like seeing me with different women.
You have a single Gave It All Away out in March featuring Stephen on vocals. How does that feel?
It’s annihilating but beautiful. On our original recording, Ronan sang lead vocals on the first verse, which begins, “I want to learn to live before I die”. After Stephen died, we found the original sessions, so it is Stephen singing that line.
How did the song originate?
Mika wrote the song and the band recorded it two years ago, but due to a publishing dispute, it was never released. After Stephen died, Ronan bumped into Mika. The song wasn’t mentioned, but two days later, we got a call saying that we had the song. Stephen sang it all the time and he was raging that we never got to release it, so I’ve no doubt in my mind that he was up there pulling strings. I believe he’s all around us, looking after us.
You are also finishing off the album you began last year…
We felt Stephen wouldn’t have wanted us to stop, and basically, if it never sells a copy, it doesn’t matter – it’s our dedication to Stephen.
Will Boyzone tour again?
The rest of the lads want to, but right now, I couldn’t do it without Stephen.
Would you ever go solo?
I don’t believe my voice would be strong enough for a solo album. Ronan has had a great solo career, but he has no interest in doing anything without the rest of us at the moment. A bit of that is down to Stephen passing, but he’s also seen how much more fun we have when we are together.
You are obviously close…
We have been friends since the age of 17 and I could not fall out with any of them, because our relationship is beyond anything I could do to upset them. It’s the closest bond anyone could have – there’s nobody in the world closer than we are.
Mia has autism. Has her condition changed you?
One good thing that has come out of it is that it has given me more self-belief. I wasn’t very academic at school and the only time I spoke in public was on stage with the band, but Mia’s situation means I do a lot of fund-raising and public speaking on autism. She’s made me grow up and be responsible.
23 January 2010
Keith Duffy: I'm not sure I could sing in Boyzone without Stephen..
23rd January 2010
http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2010/01/24/keith-duffy-i-m-not-sure-i-could-sing-in-boyzone-without-stephen-115875-21990101/
Grief-stricken Keith Duffy has revealed that he may never be able to perform on stage with Boyzone again.
“The rest of the lads want to, I’m the only one at the moment who is uncertain,” admits Keith, still struggling to cope with the tragic death of Boyzone bandmate Stephen “Steo” Gately.
“The dynamics on stage without Stephen would be very different. Time is a healer and we’ll see how I feel, but at the moment I couldn’t step on stage without him – no way.”
Keith returns to Coronation Street next month as cheeky barman Ciaran McCarthy – and he says that is helping him come to terms with Stephen’s death.
“That’s what is so great about coming back to Corrie,” he says. “It’s separate to what I did with Stephen and it also helps take my mind off my grief – I’m busy filming during the day and reading my lines at night time.
“I’m living in Manchester, close to the studios, and my wife and kids are in Dublin, so I spend a lot of time on my own, which has given me a lot of time to deal with my inner demons.
“I still get waves of grief and moments when Stephen’s death hits me like a ton of bricks and disbelief kicks in again.”
It is only four months since Stephen died from heart failure at the age of 33 while on holiday in Majorca with his partner Andy Cowles.
The news shocked the music world and while the band is about to release new single I Gave It All Away – featuring Stephen’s vocals – Keith, 35, admits he is still coming to terms with what happened.
“We were friends from the age of 17 and travelled the world together – it is just a massive loss,” he says.
“I looked after him and minded him and we had a great relationship. He was a very spiritual person and he’d get freaked out in hotels and come and stay in my room a lot of the time.
“He preferred company and he’d sleep a lot better if he knew someone was in the room with him.
“But apart from how upset I am, the biggest thing is I feel sorry for him. He had his whole life ahead of him and he’s been robbed. He was so happy and vibrant and friendly and talented and gorgeous and he had so many things he wanted to do.
“He was so excited about the new Boyzone album and so happy we had got back together. He’d had a tough life, but for once everything seemed so clear for him and there was nothing standing in his way.”
When Stephen died Keith and his fellow band mates – Ronan Keating, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch – flew straight to Majorca. When they returned to Dublin they visited Stephen’s grief-stricken parents, who asked the group to take over the funeral arrangements.
Keith says: “I said, ‘Right, let’s give our mate a send-off that we’ll never forget.’ We wanted to make sure that it was dignified and respectful. Unfortunately part of organising the funeral meant going into a showroom full of coffins.
“That was so horrible and surreal – picking a box your friend is going to lie in.”
The night before the funeral Keith and the rest of the band slept inside the church with Stephen’s body.
Keith says: “His mum Margaret said he didn’t like being on his own, so we said we would stay in the church with him overnight.
“I was terrified, but we had a lovely night. It was the last night the five of us were together and it was really special.
"The guy who ran the local camping shop sent us sleeping bags, the local pub sent down a crate of beer and some wine and the local chip shop delivered fish and chips and we sat around chatting and talking and laughing about things we knew Stephen would’ve found funny.
“There were pictures of him up all around the church and we all had little chats with him. We did feel he was with us that night.”
While Stephen is still never far from his thoughts, Keith is preparing himself for his second stint in Coronation Street.
He initially joined in 2002 and was only meant to stay for three months, but viewers quickly fell for the charms of Irish barman Ciaran – and he ended up staying for three years.
Keith quit to spend more time with his family, but on February 1 Ciaran returns to the cobbles when Peter Barlow and Leanne Battersby accidentally bump into him in a restaurant.
“He walks in to the Rovers and spots Michelle and the Irish charm and blarney start coming out and my goodness do the scriptwriters write blarney for him!” Keith laughs.
In his five years away from Coronation Street, Keith appeared on screen in two Irish dramas, and after Boyzone reunited in 2007 toured with the group.
But the devoted dad spent much of his time with his wife Lisa, son Jordan, 13, and daughter Mia, nine. Mia was diagnosed as autistic when she was 18 months old and Keith admits it initially threatened to tear his family apart.
He says: “It was very hard for me and Lisa – it was a massive blow and we were young and didn’t know much about autism. It became clear very early on that there were no services available so that’s when I started campaigning and that took away my frustration at not being able to help Mia directly; I was helping her on a grander scale.
“It was different for Lisa. She was in denial for a while and couldn’t deal with it. Obviously that caused some problems between us but we fought through it.
“We had the rows and the fights, but it was honest and now we’ve come out the other side stronger.”
Keith’s campaigning has been nothing short of phenomenal.
He initially wanted to raise enough money to fund more places at Ireland’s only school for autistic children, to ensure Mia and 11 other children on the waiting list could all have places.
But he has gone on to raise nearly £5million in seven years and, with other parents in the same position, has helped to open 13 other special schools. Now he is hoping to turn his attentions to Manchester and raise money to open a school there.
Thanks to the specialist help, Mia improved enough to attend a mainstream school, where she has been for the past three years... and Keith is delighted at her progress.
“Academically she’s doing well and socially she’s doing much better – she did tend to spend a lot of time alone doing what we call silly talk, where she recites things she has seen on TV or in a book and gets completely lost in her own world.
"On her seventh birthday she wanted a ballet party but she had no friends and I would have put on a tutu myself for it to have happened. But two years later for her ninth birthday we had 14 friends over to Hamleys toy store for a Barbie party. That’s the level of progress she’s made, so we’re very lucky.”
Cheerful, friendly, passionate and with bags of energy, Keith Duffy comes across in many ways as the archetypal Irishman – much the same as his screen character, former Navy sailor Ciaran.
Yet as his passion for helping autistic children shows, there is a much deeper level to him. And he admits the death of Steo has made him even more reflective – and more appreciative of his friendships with Ronan, Mikey and Shane.
“God forbid anything should go wrong in my life, but nothing can take away the bond I have with the other lads,” he says. “Stephen’s death has made us realise it and be grateful for it.
“It’s the closest bond anybody could ever have in life – I have two brothers and I love them dearly, but this brotherhood with the band is just amazing and a fantastic feeling of security.
“There’s nobody in the world as close to us as we are when we are together.
“We didn’t realise what we had until we were lying on the floor in the church with our mate that night.”
19 December 2009
'It feels like Stephen is in the room with us when the four of us are together'
19th December 2009
http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/it-feels-like-stephen-is-in-the-room-with-us-when-the-four-of-us-are-together-1981629.html
At the end of his toughest year, Keith Duffy talks frankly to Declan Cashin about the death of his Boyzone bandmate, coping with his daughter's autism and having to confront grief again on his return to Coronation Street
Keith Duffy is a busy man. He has just wrapped a long day of filming -- more of that anon -- and manages to squeeze in a chat with Weekend before making a Home Alone-esque dash to Manchester airport to catch the last flight home to Dublin that night.
Others might moan about stress or complain of tiredness, but, by his own admission, the 35-year-old Boyzone star prefers to approach his career and life with a positive mental attitude, and to make the best of everything he does. Such an outlook has hitherto stood Keith in good stead, and it's fair to say that he relied on it heavily -- with varying degrees of success -- to get through the most difficult and emotionally draining year of his life.
It might explain why Keith is so happy to surround himself with the familiar right now: eschewing the regular festive family holiday abroad to spend an intimate Christmas with his close relatives and best friends, and also making a welcome return to the first TV acting role that brought him a whole new legion of fans, Coronation Street.
Keith is back on television's most famous cobbled street as barman and lady-killer Ciaran McCarthy, a role he originated back in 2003, and left behind some two years later. "I can't believe how I've adjusted back in -- it's like I never left," he reveals, laughing softly. "I was a bit wary walking back into the green room on the first day, but the cast and crew have been so welcoming and made me feel like part of the family again.
"I can't talk about the upcoming storylines, but I will say that Ciaran is brought back to the Street by his old pal Peter Barlow. Ciaran was a womanising cheeky charmer before and that person is back, up to his old tricks. My first scenes will be screened in February."
The door was always left open for Keith to return, but it was only towards the end of this year that the timing was right for his Corrie comeback. For the past two-and-a-half-years, his time was completely occupied by the Boyzone reunion tour, and indeed it was during the band's headline act at the MEN Arena in Manchester last year that the seeds for Keith's return were planted.
"I always wanted to come back to Corrie and I was in contact with the producers all the time,"
he says. "I invited the cast and crew to our show in MEN and quite a few came along. We met up afterwards, and that's when we started talking seriously about it."
Keith's first week back on the set was tinged by sadness, however, due to the death of the great Maggie Jones, who played acid-tongued harridan Blanche Hunt. "Maggie was an absolute lady, and so distant from the character of Blanche that it shows how brilliant an actress she was," Keith recalls.
"Everyone in the cast was always jealous of her one-liners. I was lucky to work with her many times when I was on the show before. Chris [Gascoyne], who plays Peter Barlow, has been really cut up since. The whole cast are very upset. But because I'd been through everything with Stephen [Gately], I could really empathise with people here. I find that what I've gone through has helped these guys a little bit, and I try to keep their spirits up."
That's the first time in our conversation that Keith mentions his late friend and bandmate Stephen Gately, who died suddenly in October aged just 33. Keith talks about Stephen freely, and with evident affection, but several times it sounds as if he needs to concentrate to keep his voice steady. The shock hasn't really worn off. The reality of the loss is still only sinking in.
"When I'm in here working on Corrie, and keeping myself busy, I'm fine," he says. "But when I have moments on my own, I can't help but think about it, and those moments can be very difficult. Initially it was non-stop: constantly going over everything in my head, emotions running wild and feeling very sad all the time.
"Now that's not as often, but you have waves of emotion that hit you when you're not expecting it during the day, and it knocks you off your feet. I don't think any of us have come even close to dealing with it.
"He was so young, and we looked out for him like a little brother," he continues. "It's absolutely devastating. But we have to pick up the pieces and move on; that's what Stephen would have wanted. He wouldn't want us to be down. He was a very happy person and he always brought out the best in us, so we have to use those memories to bring out the best in ourselves now."
Two weeks ago, the four remaining members of the band met in London to work together for the first time since their friend's passing. "Stephen had put vocals down on a couple of tracks and there's one song in particular that he loved," Keith says.
"We've just recorded the video for this song, and it was very difficult. Stephen's vocals are magnificent on it and the video is a memorial to him." Boyzone's album, tentatively entitled Together & Forever, will be released in March, and the single should be out in January.
Right after our interview, Keith is making his way home to Ireland to host the Masquerade Ball at the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham, along with wife Lisa, son Jordan (13) and daughter Mia (nine), in aid of Irish Autism Action. Over the past seven years he has worked tirelessly to build up and develop the charity, which provides support and education to children and families affected by autism.
It's a cause dear to Keith's heart: his daughter was diagnosed with the disability at age two. It was a difficult process for the Duffys to even get a diagnosis, and Keith has said they were shocked by the inadequacy of the services provided for, and lack of information about, children with autism. This is what propelled him into action with the organisation.
"Mia is 10 in March and she's doing great -- so fantastic from where we started," he says. "She spent five years in ABACAS [Applied Behaviour Analysis Centre for Autism Schooling] in Kilbarrack, which gave her one-to-one education, and she responded really well to that. We've done everything we can to help Mia to reach her own potential.
"That's what we try to do for all the kids through the charity -- to reach their potential. In the past there were misdiagnoses, and kids not getting the appropriate early intervention. Mia is now in her third year in mainstream school, albeit from time to time with a special needs assistant in the classroom, but the majority of the time, she's standing on her own two feet."
Autism is a complex condition, and every child affected by it is affected differently. "With Mia, her socialising skills weren't very good," Keith explains. "She spent a lot of time on her own. She likes her own company a great deal. Because of that she wasn't making friends, and having an ordinary little girl's life.
"Then there were academic and concentration problems, and sensory issues, which is why an ordinary classroom setting is often not sufficient for kids with autism. That's why it's important to put kids into a one-to-one environment where they can concentrate and get that attention."
Through her education in school and at home, Mia has mastered her verbal skills and her socialising capabilities have improved immensely. "To give you an idea, when Mia was seven she wanted a ballet party for her birthday," Keith says. "It came close to me wearing a tutu myself because she really didn't have that many friends to invite. We had her 9th birthday in March this year and we had 14 children over in Hamley's in Dundrum for a birthday party, which was a huge change. We were so happy for her."
Keith was due back on the Corrie set the day after the Dublin fundraiser. "It's tough at the minute, but it's tougher on my family than it is on me," he concedes. "My son Jay [Jordan] is missing me a lot. He's had me home for the past few years and he's a teenager now, so he likes having his dad around the place. We both have Skype so we chat on our computers at night to try to make it a bit easier."
Luckily, the Corrie filming schedule gives Keith two full weeks off for Christmas, before he returns to Manchester for another six months in the New Year.
"For the past few years we've been going away for Christmas because I've been so busy, and so has Lisa for that matter," he says. "With me being away so much, Lisa is run ragged between school runs with the kids and all their extra curricular activities, such as football, rugby, ballet, drama, and piano lessons.
"This year, I just want to stay at home. The year that we've had, I want to be close to the other boys. So I'm spending Christmas Day with Ronan [Keating] and his family. Ronan's kids and my kids get on like a house on fire, and all our families are coming too.
"We're staying in the one place for Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner. Then on St Stephen's Day, appropriately enough, we're having a party for Stephen in his memory. It's just going to be all the lads from the band, their families and good friends, and we're going to celebrate Stephen. Andrew, Stephen's husband, is invited too, but he has his own family so I'm not sure if he'll make it.
"I'm really looking forward to that. When the four of us guys are together, we have great strength. It just feels like Stephen is in the room with us when we're together."
Samuel L Jackson will co-host the Night Of Love Ball with Keith Duffy, on Saturday 13th February in the O'Reilly Hall, UCD. For more details see www.autimsmireland.ie
http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/it-feels-like-stephen-is-in-the-room-with-us-when-the-four-of-us-are-together-1981629.html
At the end of his toughest year, Keith Duffy talks frankly to Declan Cashin about the death of his Boyzone bandmate, coping with his daughter's autism and having to confront grief again on his return to Coronation Street
Keith Duffy is a busy man. He has just wrapped a long day of filming -- more of that anon -- and manages to squeeze in a chat with Weekend before making a Home Alone-esque dash to Manchester airport to catch the last flight home to Dublin that night.
Others might moan about stress or complain of tiredness, but, by his own admission, the 35-year-old Boyzone star prefers to approach his career and life with a positive mental attitude, and to make the best of everything he does. Such an outlook has hitherto stood Keith in good stead, and it's fair to say that he relied on it heavily -- with varying degrees of success -- to get through the most difficult and emotionally draining year of his life.
It might explain why Keith is so happy to surround himself with the familiar right now: eschewing the regular festive family holiday abroad to spend an intimate Christmas with his close relatives and best friends, and also making a welcome return to the first TV acting role that brought him a whole new legion of fans, Coronation Street.
Keith is back on television's most famous cobbled street as barman and lady-killer Ciaran McCarthy, a role he originated back in 2003, and left behind some two years later. "I can't believe how I've adjusted back in -- it's like I never left," he reveals, laughing softly. "I was a bit wary walking back into the green room on the first day, but the cast and crew have been so welcoming and made me feel like part of the family again.
"I can't talk about the upcoming storylines, but I will say that Ciaran is brought back to the Street by his old pal Peter Barlow. Ciaran was a womanising cheeky charmer before and that person is back, up to his old tricks. My first scenes will be screened in February."
The door was always left open for Keith to return, but it was only towards the end of this year that the timing was right for his Corrie comeback. For the past two-and-a-half-years, his time was completely occupied by the Boyzone reunion tour, and indeed it was during the band's headline act at the MEN Arena in Manchester last year that the seeds for Keith's return were planted.
"I always wanted to come back to Corrie and I was in contact with the producers all the time,"
he says. "I invited the cast and crew to our show in MEN and quite a few came along. We met up afterwards, and that's when we started talking seriously about it."
Keith's first week back on the set was tinged by sadness, however, due to the death of the great Maggie Jones, who played acid-tongued harridan Blanche Hunt. "Maggie was an absolute lady, and so distant from the character of Blanche that it shows how brilliant an actress she was," Keith recalls.
"Everyone in the cast was always jealous of her one-liners. I was lucky to work with her many times when I was on the show before. Chris [Gascoyne], who plays Peter Barlow, has been really cut up since. The whole cast are very upset. But because I'd been through everything with Stephen [Gately], I could really empathise with people here. I find that what I've gone through has helped these guys a little bit, and I try to keep their spirits up."
That's the first time in our conversation that Keith mentions his late friend and bandmate Stephen Gately, who died suddenly in October aged just 33. Keith talks about Stephen freely, and with evident affection, but several times it sounds as if he needs to concentrate to keep his voice steady. The shock hasn't really worn off. The reality of the loss is still only sinking in.
"When I'm in here working on Corrie, and keeping myself busy, I'm fine," he says. "But when I have moments on my own, I can't help but think about it, and those moments can be very difficult. Initially it was non-stop: constantly going over everything in my head, emotions running wild and feeling very sad all the time.
"Now that's not as often, but you have waves of emotion that hit you when you're not expecting it during the day, and it knocks you off your feet. I don't think any of us have come even close to dealing with it.
"He was so young, and we looked out for him like a little brother," he continues. "It's absolutely devastating. But we have to pick up the pieces and move on; that's what Stephen would have wanted. He wouldn't want us to be down. He was a very happy person and he always brought out the best in us, so we have to use those memories to bring out the best in ourselves now."
Two weeks ago, the four remaining members of the band met in London to work together for the first time since their friend's passing. "Stephen had put vocals down on a couple of tracks and there's one song in particular that he loved," Keith says.
"We've just recorded the video for this song, and it was very difficult. Stephen's vocals are magnificent on it and the video is a memorial to him." Boyzone's album, tentatively entitled Together & Forever, will be released in March, and the single should be out in January.
Right after our interview, Keith is making his way home to Ireland to host the Masquerade Ball at the Royal Hospital in Kilmainham, along with wife Lisa, son Jordan (13) and daughter Mia (nine), in aid of Irish Autism Action. Over the past seven years he has worked tirelessly to build up and develop the charity, which provides support and education to children and families affected by autism.
It's a cause dear to Keith's heart: his daughter was diagnosed with the disability at age two. It was a difficult process for the Duffys to even get a diagnosis, and Keith has said they were shocked by the inadequacy of the services provided for, and lack of information about, children with autism. This is what propelled him into action with the organisation.
"Mia is 10 in March and she's doing great -- so fantastic from where we started," he says. "She spent five years in ABACAS [Applied Behaviour Analysis Centre for Autism Schooling] in Kilbarrack, which gave her one-to-one education, and she responded really well to that. We've done everything we can to help Mia to reach her own potential.
"That's what we try to do for all the kids through the charity -- to reach their potential. In the past there were misdiagnoses, and kids not getting the appropriate early intervention. Mia is now in her third year in mainstream school, albeit from time to time with a special needs assistant in the classroom, but the majority of the time, she's standing on her own two feet."
Autism is a complex condition, and every child affected by it is affected differently. "With Mia, her socialising skills weren't very good," Keith explains. "She spent a lot of time on her own. She likes her own company a great deal. Because of that she wasn't making friends, and having an ordinary little girl's life.
"Then there were academic and concentration problems, and sensory issues, which is why an ordinary classroom setting is often not sufficient for kids with autism. That's why it's important to put kids into a one-to-one environment where they can concentrate and get that attention."
Through her education in school and at home, Mia has mastered her verbal skills and her socialising capabilities have improved immensely. "To give you an idea, when Mia was seven she wanted a ballet party for her birthday," Keith says. "It came close to me wearing a tutu myself because she really didn't have that many friends to invite. We had her 9th birthday in March this year and we had 14 children over in Hamley's in Dundrum for a birthday party, which was a huge change. We were so happy for her."
Keith was due back on the Corrie set the day after the Dublin fundraiser. "It's tough at the minute, but it's tougher on my family than it is on me," he concedes. "My son Jay [Jordan] is missing me a lot. He's had me home for the past few years and he's a teenager now, so he likes having his dad around the place. We both have Skype so we chat on our computers at night to try to make it a bit easier."
Luckily, the Corrie filming schedule gives Keith two full weeks off for Christmas, before he returns to Manchester for another six months in the New Year.
"For the past few years we've been going away for Christmas because I've been so busy, and so has Lisa for that matter," he says. "With me being away so much, Lisa is run ragged between school runs with the kids and all their extra curricular activities, such as football, rugby, ballet, drama, and piano lessons.
"This year, I just want to stay at home. The year that we've had, I want to be close to the other boys. So I'm spending Christmas Day with Ronan [Keating] and his family. Ronan's kids and my kids get on like a house on fire, and all our families are coming too.
"We're staying in the one place for Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner. Then on St Stephen's Day, appropriately enough, we're having a party for Stephen in his memory. It's just going to be all the lads from the band, their families and good friends, and we're going to celebrate Stephen. Andrew, Stephen's husband, is invited too, but he has his own family so I'm not sure if he'll make it.
"I'm really looking forward to that. When the four of us guys are together, we have great strength. It just feels like Stephen is in the room with us when we're together."
Samuel L Jackson will co-host the Night Of Love Ball with Keith Duffy, on Saturday 13th February in the O'Reilly Hall, UCD. For more details see www.autimsmireland.ie
26 November 2009
Keith is back on set
26th November 2009
Keith Duffy was back on the Corrie set with Chris Gascoyne yesterday as they filmed Peter and Ciaran rekindling their old friendship.
For those of you who can’t remember, Ciaran and Peter were old navy mates who lost touch when Ciaran was arrested for going AWOL.
Ciaran will return to our screens in February when Peter and Leanne find him in a Manchester restaurant and offer him a job as a chef in their new bar.
Ciaran’s return to the Street will surely have a few female hearts fluttering. Will Michelle take a shine to the Irish rogue or perhaps he'll stir old feelings in his ex-girlfriend Sunita?
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