November 5th 2024.
Up Next, we have the unfortunate case of Ronan Keating being targeted by online trolls for his performance in Melbourne. The 47-year-old Boyzone star took to the stage at the Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday to kick off the thrilling Melbourne Cup race alongside the talented singer Ricki-Lee Coulter. With his signature smooth vocals, Ronan delivered a flawless rendition of his beloved 1999 hit, "When You Say Nothing At All," getting the crowd involved in a lively sing-along.
However, to everyone's surprise, the 90s heartthrob became the target of unfair criticism from trolls who laid into him without any valid justification. They called the event's decision to have him perform "embarrassing" and "desperate." One user, @wendy_chucky, took to social media to express their confusion, saying, "Ronan Keating...I've always wondered who makes these decisions. The racing industry is trying to attract a younger crowd, but they chose a man whose last hit was in 1991. Embarrassing." Another user, @shrimpsquiggles, asked, "How desperate is the #MelbourneCup2024 to get Ronan Keating? Was no one else available?"
Some users even questioned the need for Ronan's presence at the Melbourne Cup, with @MattThomas1405 asking, "Do we really need Ronan Keating? #MelbourneCup," and @_goldenlaura adding, "Ronan Keating is such random entertainment." It seemed like @aussiechic81 couldn't wrap their head around the entertainment choices for the event, asking, "I'm sorry, but who organized the entertainment for the Cup? Like, really? Ronan Keating???" Meanwhile, @SamTomlin539, who had lived in the UK during Boyzone's prime, found Ronan's current status as an Australian B-lister very surreal.
Despite the slightly frosty reception from some Aussies online, Ronan is determined to spend more time in Australia. In an interview with 9News ahead of his performance on Tuesday, he revealed, "We are mainly in Sydney, and we will be here until next year. We've re-evaluated life a bit, and the plan is to spend more time here in Australia, close to family. We love being here." Ronan's wife, Storm Keating, is a native Australian, and they got married in 2015 after meeting on the X Factor in 2011. The couple wanted to give their two kids, Cooper (7) and Coco (5), an "Aussie lifestyle," inspired by Storm's childhood growing up on a cattle station in Far North Queensland. Before Storm, Ronan was married to Yvonne Connolly from 1998 to 2015, and they have three children together: Jack (25), Missy (23), and Ali (19).
It's worth mentioning that Ronan's journey to stardom began at the young age of 16 when he joined Boyzone. He recently reflected on his own experience after the tragic death of One Direction star Liam Payne at the age of 31, who fell from his hotel balcony. In 1993, at the same age as Payne when he joined One Direction on the X Factor, Ronan formed Boyzone with Keith Duffy, Michael Graham, Shane Lynch, and the late Stephen Gately. "I joined a boyband at 16. These lads were put together at such a young age, and the industry is a really difficult, tough place," he shared. "There's nobody there to manage that for all of us kids when we were kids, to guide us through it." Ronan also revealed that they didn't receive any media training or support to deal with the sudden fame and pressure.
Despite the challenges, Boyzone achieved international success and topped the UK charts six times. They officially split in 2000 but have reunited for landmark tours, including their Back Again... No Matter What shows in 2009. This was the last time the five members shared the stage before the tragic passing of Stephen Gately at the age of 33 due to a congenital heart defect.
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