Ronan Keating: Everything you need to know about Magic Radio's Breakfast presenter
We love Ronan!
Ronan Keating is one of the most charming men in showbiz and, luckily, we have him right here at Magic Radio to kick start your morning every weekday. If you've been living under a rock and don't know about the Magic Breakfast presenter, or you're a super-fan who just wants to find out more, read on for everything you need to know about Mr Ronan Keating himself!
Few singers have come to personify pop music in quite the way that Ronan Keating does. Shooting to fame as a member of Boyzone, along with Keith Duffy, Stephen Gately, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch, Ronan has released six albums with the celebrated boyband and a further 12 under his own name. Find out more about Ronan right here...
Who is Ronan Keating?
Ronan Keating is a singer/songwriter, musician and philanthropist... not to mention a presenter here on Magic Radio! With a music career spanning over 25 years, Ronan Keating has become one of the most loved and respected names in pop music across the globe.
How old is he?
Ronan Patrick John Keating was born on 3rd March 1977 in Dublin, Ireland. This makes him 47-years-old at the time of writing.
The youngest of five children, Ronan has one sister, Linda, and three brothers, Ciaran, Gerard and Gary.
Where does Ronan come from?
If you hadn't guessed by the accent, Ronan Keating comes from Dublin in Ireland!
When does Ronan Keating present on Magic FM?
You'll find Ronan Keating alongside Harriet Scott every morning from 6am-10am right here on Magic Radio presenting Magic Breakfast. With more of the songs you love and just a little bit of mischief, Ronan Keating certainly adds something special to every morning.
What band was Ronan Keating in?
Along with Keith Duffy, Stephen Gately, Mikey Graham and Shane Lynch, Ronan Keating was a member of Irish boyband Boyzone. They formed in 1993 when they were assembled by pop music impresario Louis Walsh, who’d previously managed Eurovision Song Contest winner Johnny Logan.
How successful were Boyzone?
Now you’re asking! Boyzone have scored 21 singles in the UK Top 40 charts and 22 singles in the Irish charts. Of those, they’ve had six Number 1 singles in the UK charts and nine Number 1 singles in Ireland, with 12 of their 24 singles in the UK going Top 2.
On top of that, they’ve also had five Number 1 albums and have sold over a staggering 25 million records worldwide.
What about Ronan Keating’s solo career?
Ronan’s solo career started in 1999 when he was still a member of Boyzone. Recording a version of the country song ‘When You Say Nothing At All’ for Richard Curtis’ box office smash hit Notting Hill, Ronan Keating rocketed to the top of the UK singles charts. His debut solo album, ‘Ronan’, was released a year later and it also went to Number 1.
The album spawned a further three singles, ‘Life Is A Rollercoaster’, ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ and ‘Lovin’ Each Day’.
Since then, he’s released a further 11 studio albums – ‘Destination’ (2002), ‘Turn It On’ (2003),’Bring You Home (2006)’, Songs For My Mother’ (2009), ‘Winter Songs’ (2009), ‘Duet (2010)’, ‘When Ronan Met Burt’ (2011), ‘Fires’ (2012), ‘Time Of My Life (2016)’, 'Twenty Twenty' (2020) and 'Songs from Home' (2021).
LISTEN: Ronan Keating - 'Life Is A Rollercoaster'
Is Ronan Keating on tour?
Ronan will be performing at Kew The Music on 10th July!
What are Ronan Keating's best songs?
1999 saw Ronan release his first solo work, the beautiful 'When You Say Nothing At All' and classics such as 'Life Is A Rollercoaster' and 'Lovin' Each Day' soon followed. Ronan Keating has been entertaining audiences as both part of Boyzone and with his hugely successful solo career.
Fans often argue about Ronan Keating's best song and it's very much a personal matter. However, featuring in the beloved romantic comedy Notting Hill, 'When You Say Nothing At All' is a firm favourite with so many people around the world.
WATCH: Ronan Keating - 'When You Say Nothing At All' (Official Video)
Who did Ronan manage?
Louis Walsh felt he didn't have enough time manage Westlife properly in their early days, so brought Ronan in to co-manage Westlife in 1997 when they were still called I.O.YOU.
It was Ronan who suggested changing the name to Westside as he thought I.O.YOU was too "boyband-esque", and it later became the Westlife we know and love.
Has he ever done any other presenting work?
Ronan presented the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest. He then presented the MTV Europe Music Awards in 1997 and 1999, and co-presented the MTV Asia Awards in 2002 with Mandy Moore. He also hosted Miss World 1998.
Proving popular in Australia, Ronan has also co-hosted The Morning Show and in 2010 he became a judge and mentor on the Australian version of The X Factor, where he remained for six seasons. He’s also been a coach on The Voice Australia.
In 2017, Ronan became a guest host on The One Show and in May 2021 the BBC announced that Ronan would become a permanent presenter on the chat show.
Ronan on Starstruck
Although he didn't host the show - that's the job of the one and only Olly Murs - Ronan appeared on ITV's Starstuck's panel for two episodes on Saturday 18th and Saturday 25th March 2023, sitting in for regular panellist Shania Twain!
Excited about his seat, Ronan gushed: “Honoured that Shania entrusted me with the task of being a judge on Starstruck and I happily took on the baton offering what I hope was constructive but yet supportive feedback. The contestants' performances blew me away, it's so exciting to see such wonderful singing talent and the fact that most of these contestants have never sung on a stage before is just incredible. I loved every second of it!”
Was Ronan's son on Love Island?
Yes he was! Jack Keating competed on series 8 of Love Island in 2022. Jack joined on day 26 but unfortunately he wasn't around for long with him leaving the villa on day 31.
Jack welcomed a baby daughter in February 2023, making Ronan a grandad! The family celebrated her first birthday in February 2024, with Ronan sharing a super sweet tribute to the little girl.
He wrote: 'Happy birthday to our little nugget. One year passed so quickly. You are a bright ray of sunshine and you bring so much joy to us all. ❤️ from Nana and pops 👴'. (sic)
What acting work has Ronan done?
Ronan appeared in the 2013 musical comedy film Goddess alongside Laura Michelle Kelly where he played the role of James Dickens. He provided the singing voice of the iconic Postman Pat in the 2014 film adaptation.
In November 2014, Ronan was on the West End playing the role of Guy in the musical Once at London's Phoenix Theatre taking over from David Hunter. He continued in the role until the production closed in March 2015.
In 2021 Ronan had a cameo role in the UK dub of PAW Patrol: The Movie alongside Richard Arnold, Sam Faiers and Tom Fletcher.
WATCH: Ronan Keating helps a contestant on The X Factor Australia:
Does he do a lot of charity work?
He does! Ronan dedicates a large portion of his life to his charity work, namely the Marie Keating Foundation in honour of his mother. Ronan launched the charity alongside his family in 2001 in Ireland to help raise awareness of early cancer detection.
As well as the Marie Keating Foundation, Ronan has completed several marathons for charity, been appointed a UN Goodwill Ambassador and climbed Kilimanjaro for Comic Relief alongside Gary Barlow, Fearne Cotton and Cheryl Cole to name but a few.
Have Boyzone ever reunited?
Boyzone reunited in 2006 after a break of six years. A successful 29-city tour was complemented by the release of the compilation ‘Back Again... No Matter What’, that also included a new song ‘Love You Anyway’.
Sadly, Stephen Gately passed away in 2009. Regrouping as a four-piece, Boyzone’s next album was called ‘Brother’ in honour of their late bandmate. He appears on the songs ‘Gave It All Away’ and ‘Stronger’.
‘BZ20’ followed in 2013 as a celebration of the group’s 20th anniversary while ‘Dublin To Detroit’ was Boyzone’s tribute to the Motown hits of the 60s and 70s.
They released album ‘Thank You & Goodnight’ to mark their 25th anniversary, and Boyzone opened up on their last Christmas as a band.
Watch Boyzone perform 'Picture Of You Live' at The Magic of Christmas 2018
Is Ronan Keating married?
Ronan married Storm Uechtritz in 2015 and their son Cooper Archer Uechtritz Keating was born in 2017. They welcomed daughter Coco Knox Keating on 27 March 2020.
He also has three children - Jack, Marie and Ali - from his previous marriage.
In March 2023, Ronan became a grandad for the first time, as his son Jack announced the birth of his daughter.
See Ronan Keating's biggest career moments through the years:
1994: Boyzone's beginnings
Manager Louis Walsh put out audition advertisements in 1993, looking for an 'Irish Take That'. After whittling 300 down to 50, the final band members were chosen to be Ronan Keating, Stephen Gately, Keith Duffy, Richard Rock, Shane Lynch and Mark Walton. When Richard left due to 'musical differences' with Ronan, he was replaced by Mikey Graham. Mark left a year later.
They got signed in 1994 after singing in pubs and clubs, releasing a cover of 'Working My Way Back to You' by Four Seasons, before putting out a cover of 'Love Me for a Reason' by the Osmonds, which peaked at Number 2 in the UK charts. Their debut album 'Said and Done' was released in August 1995 and went to Number 1 in the UK.
1996: Second album and Eurovision
The band's follow-up album 'A Different Beat' was released in 1996, and sold 2 million copies around the world as well as hitting Number 1 in the UK. Boyzone performed at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1997, singing 'Let The Message Run Free', with Ronan also co-hosting the show with actress Carrie Crowley.
That same year, Ronan was awarded the Ivor Novello Award for songwriting for 'Picture of You', which appeared on the band's third album 'Where We Belong', released in 1998. It sold over 3 million copies worldwide and went to Number 1 in the UK.
1998: Ronan lost his mother, Marie
1998 brought sorrow for Ronan in his personal life - he lost his mother, Marie, to breast cancer. However, her devastating death spurred Ronan to open the Marie Keating Foundation, and it became a registered charity in 2001. It's now one of the biggest cancer charities in Ireland.
Boyzone recorded a version of 'No Matter What' from Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Whistle Down The Wind' musical - it became the band's best-selling single and was voted Song of the Year in 1998. Meat Loaf also covered the song, and the band teamed up with him to perform it on stage at his 1998 concert in Dublin. They also sang it with Luciano Pavarotti in Italy.
1999: Boyzone's greatest hits and split
The band released their greatest hits album 'By Request' in May 1999, and Ronan released his first solo single - 'When You Say Nothing At All', recorded for the film Notting Hill which came out that year. It went to Number 1 in the UK.
In November 1999, Boyzone announced that they would be taking some time out of the band to focus on their individual solo efforts. During the next seven years, Ronan managed other bands and wrote music, putting out his debut solo album 'Ronan' in 2000 which has since been certified 4x Platinum.
2002: Four more albums
Ronan released his second solo album 'Destination' in 2002 which went to Number 1 in the UK, third album 'Turn It On' in 2003, compilation album '10 Years of Hits' in 2004 and 'Bring You Home' in 2006, working with the likes of Elton John, Lulu and the Bee Gees across the records.
Ronan performed in front of around 250,000 people at the opening party for the 2006 FIFA World Cup at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, singing a cover of 'Iris' by the Goo Goo Dolls.
2007: Boyzone reunion and Stephen Gately's death
In November 2007, Boyzone announced that they were reuniting for a Children In Need performance, and soon after announced a huge tour which began in May 2008, with the band performing 58 dates around the world and finishing in June 2009. The band released their comeback single 'Love You Anyway', peaking at Number 5 in the UK. Ronan released his fifth album, 'Songs For My Mother', and followed it up with 'Winter Songs' soon afterwards.
Band member Stephen Gately tragically passed away on 10th October 2009 from an unknown heart condition. Ronan, Shane, Keith and Mikey issued a joint statement which read, 'Stephen tragically died yesterday whilst on holiday with his partner Andrew in Majorca. We are completely devastated by the loss of our friend and brother, Stephen. We have shared such wonderful times together over the years and were all looking forward to sharing many more. Our love and sympathy go out to Andrew and Stephen's family. We love you and will miss you forever, Steo.'
2010: 'Brother' album tribute to Stephen
Ronan, Shane, Keith and Mikey released their album 'Brother' in March 2010, a few months earlier than planned following Stephen's passing. It was released as a tribute to Stephen, and featured his vocals on 'Gave It All Away' and 'Stronger'. The album debuted at Number 1 in the UK and the band went on the 'Brother Tour' in February 2011.
Ronan also released his seventh solo album, 'Duet', in November 2010, and joined the panel of The X Factor Australia. Also in 2010, he split from his wife Yvonne and met fashion designer Storm Uechtritz, who he began a relationship with. In 2011, Ronan released his eighth album, 'When Ronan Met Burt', made up of covers and produced by Burt Bacharach. He toured Australia and New Zealand in 2012, and released his ninth album 'Fires', which he toured throughout the UK and Ireland in 2013. That year, he also appeared in film Goddess as the main character's husband.
2013: BZ20 and 'Dublin to Detroit'
Boyzone released album 'BZ20' in November 2013 to celebrate 20 years since the band formed, saying, "It seems crazy that 20 years have passed since we first got together but we are as excited now with the new album as we were back then. Bring on the next 20 years!" They went on the 'BZ20' tour to support the album's release, playing 48 shows in total.
The band released compilation album 'Love Me for a Reason – The Collection' in February 2014, and brand new album 'Dublin to Detroit' in November 2014 containing covers of Motown songs, including 'The Tracks of My Tears', 'You Can't Hurry Love' and 'This Old Heart of Mine'. Boyzone toured the album in the UK in 2015 and 2017, and Ronan took to the stage, performing as Guy in 'Once' the musical in London from November 2014 to March 2015. He married Storm in August 2015.
2016: The Voice Australia
Ronan was announced as a new judge on The Voice Australia, taking over from Ricky Martin in 2016. In February that year, he released his 10th album, 'Time of My Life', which went to Number 4 in the UK. In April 2017, Storm and Ronan welcomed their first child together - a son named Cooper. In September that year, Ronan joined Magic Radio as our Breakfast presenter alongside Harriet Scott!
Ronan returned to acting in 2017, having a small role in Australian drama Love Child as Lawrence Faber. In November 2019, Storm and Ronan announced that they are expecting their second child together - a baby girl.
2020: The 'Twenty Twenty' album
Ronan announced his 11th album 'Twenty Twenty' would be released on Friday 24th July 2020 - although he was set to go on tour to promote it in June 2020, it was unfortunately pushed back due to the global pandemic. It was initially rescheduled to January 2021, with Ronan set to perform at venues in Belfast, Dublin, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and London amongst many others. This has now been rescheduled to June 2021.
Ronan has released singles 'One of a Kind' featuring Emeli Sandé and 'Love Will Remain' with Clare Bowen from the album.
2021: The One Show
Ronan took to The One Show's famous red sofa as a co-host in 2017, and became a regular guest presenter in 2020. In April 2021, he was confirmed as a new permanent presenter alongside Alex Jones and Jermaine Jenas, and now hosts with Alex on Thursdays and Fridays.
Ronan said: "I'm so delighted to officially be a part of The One Show family. It's a show I've loved for many years as both a guest and a host and I can't wait to get started alongside Alex, Jermaine and the wonderful team behind the scenes."
2021: PAW Patrol: The Movie
In July Paramount Pictures announced that Ronan will make a cameo in PAW Patrol: The Movie as the voice of Harris. The film also stars Samantha Faires, Richard Arnold, Tom Fletcher, Kim Kardashian West and Jimmy Kimmel.
The film is currently in cinemas.
2022: Ronan receives an Honorary Degree
In May 2022 Ronan was awarded an Honorary Degree by the Open University in recognition for his charitable work over the past 25 years.
Speaking about his degree, Ronan said: "I feel extremely proud to accept an Honorary Degree from the Open University, especially as it is in recognition of the charity fundraising I feel so passionate about on behalf of the Marie Keating Foundation and Cancer Research UK."
2023: Ronan joined the panel for ITV's Starstruck
In March 2023, fans were delighted when it was revealed that Ronan would be stepping in to join the panel for ITV's hit show Starstruck! Ronan kept regular panellist Shania Twain's seat warm for two weeks, as he appears on the show on Saturday 18th and Saturday 25th March 2023.
On joining the panel, Ronan said: "Honoured that Shania entrusted me with the task of being a judge on Starstruck and I happily took on the baton offering what I hope was constructive but yet supportive feedback.
"The contestants' performances blew me away, it's so exciting to see such wonderful singing talent and the fact that most of these contestants have never sung on a stage before is just incredible. I loved every second of it!"
Where I can listen to Ronan Keating?
Catch Magic Breakfast with Ronan and Harriet weekdays 6am - 10am!
You can also listen to Ronan Keating on Saturdays with Disney+ on Magic Radio between 5pm and 7pm.
How do I contact him on Magic?
Give us a follow on Twitter - you'll be able to tweet Ronan Keating and see all the fun the team get up to behind the scenes!
Read more:
Ronan Keating and wife Storm share doting tributes on 5th wedding anniversary ❤️
10 of Ronan Keating's biggest career moments in pictures
Ronan Keating's son Jack becomes a dad for the first time