Former Westlife member Brian McFadden admitted it was stepping out of the safety of a group and into the solo spotlight which led to his Atkins’ Diet weight loss.
“It was fine in Westlife when you have four other people around you, you could slack off,” he said at the launch of his debut solo single, Real to Me, in London.
“But when you’re on your own you get ridiculed for having excess weight and not looking great.”
“It does annoy me that I have to look my best in order for people to like my music,” added the 24-year-old Irishman.
Since quitting the group in March, Brian has been looking after his children while wife Kerry films the movie Showband and working on his solo album, which has been influenced by the Beach Boys, Nirvana and Bryan Adams.