Kian Egan - Ill do X-Factor but only with Louis blessing
YOU could forgive Kian Egan for resenting the fact that he has to work on The Voice of Ireland for the next four months. Since he won I’m A Celebrity..., the toughest reality show on TV, he has become seriously hot property, with mega-bucks offers flooding in every single day. Along with his stunning wife, former Hollyoaks actress Jodi Albert, and their two-year-old boy, Koa, the asthetically-appealing Egans have have been on the cover of most of the major glossy mags over the last month. The former Westlife star can now pretty much name his price for offers of high-profile jobs in television and music. And if his manager had his way, the 33-year-old would have had a book, a calendar and even a perfume in the shops for Christmas. “It has literally been non-stop since I got out of the jungle,” the Sligo man reveals to sundayworld.com in an exclusive interview. “It’s true,” he says of the list of Kian Egan-emblazoned gimmicks there could have been released in time for Christmas.
They actually wanted me to shoot an entire calendar in a day to get it out into the shops. And a perfume. I mean... come on.
“The serious offers were definitely worth considering, and still are. But all that tacky stuff was not for me. “I was so happy to be able to just say no to a lot of them. Within a week of getting back to Ireland [after his three-week stint in the Australian jungle] I was filming the battles for The Voice. “I absolutely love this show. I am determined to make a star of the winner this year. I am so disappointed with Pat Byrne [2012] and [last year’s winner] Keith Hanley’s lack of success so far. Especially Pat. He should be filling out stadiums and venues all over Ireland and the UK. “He should be playing all the major festivals. He should not be back doing what he was doing before he entered this show. “I think everyone agrees that the format has far more credibility than The X Factor because it is all about the voice. No gimmicks or decisions based on looks.
"However, I do think we are losing some of the credibility because Pat and Keith haven’t gone on to do better things. “I genuinely don’t care if I win or not. It is not about the mentors anymore. We have to just make sure that the winner is the one with the best voice and that he or she gets a proper career out of it,” says Kian, who has been a judge on The Voice since it first aired in 2012. This year, he reclaims his red chair alongside Bressie, Jamelia and Dolores O’Riordan. The show is hosted by Kathryn Thomas. “The standard this year is remarkable. There are some serious unknown singers out there waiting to be discovered. “I was never able to say this before, but I genuinely believe I have the winner in my group of six. I don’t want to say anymore, but I have someone very special who can make a real difference. Kelly [Mongan] was the closest I had to a finished article last year. ”And it seems there will be more love on the judges’ panel this year as Kian and Bressie have, unbelievably, kissed and made up.
“When we were filming on day one, I took him aside and we decided that we would cut out the sh*t between us. We had that talk. Both of us agree that the most important thing is to find an act who has a future in the business. “So I think viewers this year will see the banter as more comedy than fighting. In the past, it was more bickering. There was only one proper, big argument between us – in the blind auditions – so it’s not a complete love-in,” he laughs.
Speaking of the newcomer, Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordan, Kian reveals: “Dolores has been an amazing addition to the panel. She’s mental, but in a good way. I only met her once before when we performed a duet for Pope John Paul II. She is a total pro. “I remember we found out at the last minute that the entire song we were due to sing was an octave higher than we were used to. We [Westlife] were a little put out by that, but Dolores basically just told us to cop on, and nailed the new version. ”Having beaten fashion designer David Emanuel (61) into second place to win the crown of flowers on last December’s I’m a Celebrity finale – which pulled in 11.3 million viewers, making the series one of the most-watched ever – Kian is loving being home in Strandhill in Sligo with Jodi and Koa. But he is raring to go with the live shows of The Voice next month.
“It was really relaxed over Christmas and New Year. I did nothing except for hang out with Jodi and Koa. We watched movies and put our feet up,” he says. “I did my best to put back on the stone I lost while in the jungle. Christmas definitely helped that along. ”Producers hid a serious health scare that Kian suffered from viewers. The singer – who lost a nine pounds during his jungle incarceration– suffered extreme exhaustion that left him bedridden for two days and on the brink of being hospitalised.He was offered a doctor’s services during the show, and upon leaving was given a full medical check-up and eventually got the all-clear. “Living rough, like we did, means I don’t take my bed or my grub for granted any more. When you are sleeping in a makeshift hammock-type thing for three weeks and you have to eat kangaroo anus, you find yourself appreciating the little things in life,” he laughs.
So, would he do another jungle jaunt again? “Ah yeah, I reckon I would struggle to say no, although I am not sure Jodi would be on for me heading off for another three weeks. I have suggested she put her name forward for next year,” he laughs (we reckon the stunning ex-Hollyoaks actress would clain Myleene Klass’s best-bikini-shower title. Quick, someone send her a white two-piece). Walking out of the jungle after his heroic hiatus, the singer-songwriter was overcome with emotion when he saw Jodi (30) waiting for him. The pair broke down in tears as they hugged and kissed each other. Kian later revealed that the pair, who got hitched in a paradise wedding in Barbados in 2009, missed each other so much during their time apart, it has convinced them to have a second child to seal their love.
“Being away [in the jungle] from my family made me look at our lives. I’d love to have a mini Jodi. I’m so lucky to have her and Koa, and if we can give him a brother or sister, why wait?” he gushes. One of the many big-paying jobs Kian has been mooted as being in contention for is a spot on the new-look X Factor later this year. He worked on The Voice from the start, and with a music career that smashed record after record for more than a decade, coupled with the fact that he has just won the biggest celeb reality show in TV, means he would be an ideal candidate to replace Gary Barlow.
“Yeah, I would love that, obviously. Who wouldn’t? But I would never replace Louis. He is too close a friend, so I’m not going to be part of a reshuffle if it means replacing him. “If he was to step down and hand the job over to me, that would be different, obviously. But I haven’t been offered anything, so it is all a pipe dream. I would seriously consider it though if Simon came knocking,” he says.
The Voice of Ireland continues on RTE One every Sunday at 6.30pm.
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