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Twenty years of Westlife being in a world of their own

GREET: Carlisle friends Ellie Graham and Sarah Tod meet the band with mums Tina and Gillian
GREET: Carlisle friends Ellie Graham and Sarah Tod meet the band with mums Tina and Gillian

Twenty years ago today, Westlife achieved their 10th UK number one single with their 12th release, ‘World of our Own’.

The Irish boy band first appeared in the charts in 1999, one year after future X Factor judge Louis Walsh offered Nicky Byrne and Brian McFadden the chance to join Shane Filan, Kian Egan and Mark Feehily to join a new group following auditions. The three were already in a group with three other men from Sligo, however a record label boss going by the name of Simon Cowell ordered Walsh to sack half the group due to being ‘the ugliest band he had ever seen in his life’.

Now a four-piece, Westlife have released 11 studio albums and have seen 16 singles reach the top of the charts, as well as having 34 top 50 singles.

The band have performed around North Cumbria on numerous occasions during their 23-year existence, including a headline performance at Carlisle’s Bitts Park in 2007. Today, we look back at Cumbrians who have seen the group.