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Mark Feehily has been a part of Westlife since the band first picked up microphones in 1998. However, the talented singer announced that he would be stepping back from the group to recover from several serious health problems. Since then Nicky Byrne , Shane Filan and Kian Egan have been carrying on the group’s legacy, but it has left fans wondering how Mark is doing. Mark announced that he needed to step down from Westlife’s touring schedule in February 2024 after suffering a series of health problem. He released a statement that read: “Hello and much love to you all! It's Mark here.. 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 (Intensive Care Unit) 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. It was during lockdown. “For months, due to strict Covid restrictions, I was not allowed any visitors including my fiancé and my then 10-month-old daughter. It was physically and mentally a very difficult time, not to mention traumatic having to spend so long in ICU. 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. “Three months after that surgery, I tried my best to soldier on for you guys and to go back on tour but unfortunately the physical demands of the concerts and extensive travel were proving too much for me. I developed a very large 'incisional hernia' and I was told that I needed further surgery to fix it. This would be my fourth major surgery since the start of it all, but I had no option.” Mark continued: “That surgery took place recently and thankfully it went according to plan but with that, my recovery must now become my absolute priority at this time. It is with the upmost level of regret that I must now temporarily stand down from all Westlife touring until a time that I have had the chance to fully recover from the turbulent journey I have been through as an individual. Believe me, I wish things could be different!” He thanked his family, friends, fans and bandmates and shared that he does intend to return to Westlife. “I would like to thank you so very much for your support and understanding of me and my health over the past few years,” Mark said. “To my parents, brothers, close family and friends, thank you for the relentless support as always. Thank you to my beautiful daughter for giving me constant daily motivation and inspiration to keep fighting through all of this and to get better asap and to my partner Cailean for being there through the most challenging of times. “To Shane, Kian and Nicky, I love you three and I know you'll knock it out of the park. I'll be there with you in spirit for each and every show whilst you continue to fly the Westlife flag around the world. To all the medical staff who held my hand and kept my spirit lifted (you know who you are!), my heartfelt thanks goes out to each and every one of you. “I'm so devastated that I won't be there to celebrate the upcoming concerts with you and the 3 lads. I hope you know and understand that I should have been there (I was so excited to be there!) and that I look forward to seeing you all again to make some more magic in the future. “But for now, I have to make the right decision for my health and wellbeing, for my family, and for myself as a person. Please don't worry. Sending the most positive vibes in your direction, I will see you very soon beautiful people! WESTLIFE FOREVER!” Since posting the statement on Instagram, he has kept incredibly quiet online. His most recent post is from June 2024, with Mark speaking about Pride Month. More recently the Westlife Instagram account shared a funny video where Shane recreated the start of their song ‘Flying Without Wings’. While the video only starred Shane and Nicky, they also tagged Mark and Kian. Mark or the other members of Westlife haven’t confirmed when he will return and perform with them again. However, Shane, Kian and Nicky recently appeared on The Late Late Show and opened up about how he’s still involved with the group. Shane shared: “He's fine, now unfortunately he's not able to join us which is obviously sad, it's a tough decision for him to make but I suppose we have to respect that. He is on the new music, he's on that song [Chariot] and he's on all the other songs on the album which is great, this is the most important thing for us. “But we got to keep it going, obviously it's the 25th anniversary and he wishes us well. We can't wait to have him back as soon as possible,” he added. Shane also shared how amazing it was to have Mark involved in recording their latest album. He told Reuters: “It was great to have Mark on there. Obviously, he can't tour with us at the moment, he's unable to, but it was very important, obviously, that he was on the songs, and he's singing better than ever. “One of the songs coming out is some of his best vocals. We can't wait to have him back, obviously, as well when he's ready.” Mark recently offered to perform at a couple’s wedding as part of his donation for Neurodiversity Ireland. The charity held a fundraising event at the Dublin Intercontinental Hotel on 16 October and had a silent auction, which included a wedding performance by the Westlife star. Mark spoke about the incredible gesture ahead of the event, saying: “I am super excited to help raise money for Neurodiversity Ireland, a charity from which my own family, along with so many others across Ireland, constantly benefit.' “The work they do to drive inclusivity for everyone is so important, so please do whatever you can to support this great cause!”
