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Dublin Live
National
Kim O'Leary

Keith Duffy recalls touring the country in 'rusty transit van' and leaves RTE viewers in stitches

RTE viewers were left in stitches after Boyzone star Keith Duffy revealed to Angela Scanlan how the band used to travel in a limo before hoping into rusty van.

As Angela Scanlon's popular show Ask Me Anything made its big return tonight, she welcomed first guest Dublin native Keith Duffy. When asked about his full name, an amused Keith revealed that it is actually Keith Peter Thomas Francis Julian John Duffy, and that he was named for his uncles and grandfathers.

He said on Saturday night's show: "I don't use it a lot. For the big £30,000 answer for a game show a few years bac l even my wife didn't know it."

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Keith recalled Boyzone's early days, when manager Louis Walsh used to tell Boyzone fans where the five lads were before they performed on stage.

Keith explained: "We used to meet outside the Royal Dublin Hotel on O’Connell Street on a Thursday or Friday night to go off and do gigging for the weekend and all the fans would ring his office, he (Louis)would tell them where we were going to be so we would turn up and there would a load of kids waiting on us."

However, Keith Duffy, Stephen Gateley, Ronan Keating, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch didn't have a clue about how their fans would always know their location. He told Angela Scanlon on Ask Me Anything: "We’d be thinking how did they know – Louis told them!"

Jarlath Regan, Majella O' Donnell and Keith Duffy on Angela Scanlon's Ask Me Anything on Saturday night (Andres Poveda)

Keith went on to say how Louis would also organised luxury transport for Boyzone, but it was all perception before they made the journey around Ireland every weekend. He said: "Louis would get us picked up by a limo outside the Royal Dublin to go to the gigs, the limo would drive down O’Connell Street, down Parnell Street, outside the Ilac Centre and there would be a big rusty white transit van.

"We would get out of the limo, into the transit and off we go!” laughed Keith. He also revealed to Angela how the band's outfits that they wore on stage during their early days were "boiler suits" given to them by Shane's father, who worked as a mechanic.

When Angela then asked Keith how he beat Colin Farrell to a coveted spot within Boyzone, Keith joked:"I say he's disgusted he didn't make it. I always fancied Colin, I still do, he's a ride!"

Donaghmede native Keith also spoke about touring with pal Brian McFadden and how they formed Boyzlife. Keith also talked about his fitness schedule, and how he recently benched 120 kilos.

He said: "I train to stay healthy and to stay fit. I've got really bad knees now, I had knee transplants fifteen years ago and it's time to get them done again and I've got arthritis in them as well, so I'm getting old.

"I'm 50 next year and still in a boy band!" he joked to cheers from the crowd. Taking to Twitter, Boyzone fans raved about the interview with Keith.

One person wrote: "Always loved Keith Duffy, what a legend. Had me in stitches laughing tonight about that transit van story."

A second added: "Actually remember seeing them go by the Ilac centre in a limo when I was a kid lol." A third added: "In solidarity with Keith Duffy...parents also made a c""t of me with two middle names at birth."

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