The best moments from Ronan Keating's week on The Breeze

Ronan Keating took over the airwaves on The Breeze this week from 2 pm to 3 pm, treating Kiwi listeners to an hour of classic tracks, big laughs, and genuine heartfelt yarns.

Between announcing his return to Aotearoa for two arena shows in March 2027, the Irish pop superstar opened up about his wild early days in Boyzone, his deep love for New Zealand, and the unexpected stories behind his biggest hits.

Here are five of the best moments from Ronan's week in the studio:

1. Swapping out George Michael at his Boyzone audition

When auditions for Boyzone kicked off 33 years ago in Dublin, every hopeful was asked to sing George Michael's classic ballad, 'Careless Whisper'. Ronan knew his limits and boldly asked for a swap.

"George makes it sound effortless, but trust me, that is not an easy song to deliver, and he makes it sound like butter," Ronan admitted. "I actually went in the room and said, 'Can I sing Father and Son instead?' 'Cause I knew I wouldn't sound very good singing Careless Whisper."

2. Dodging beer bottles in the early Boyzone days

Long before selling out stadiums, Boyzone spent their first year on the road touring the length and breadth of Ireland in an old white transit van. Playing rowdy nightclubs proved to be a real trial by fire.

"We had everything thrown at us: beer bottles, cigarette butts," Ronan remembered. "The guys wanted to punch us, the girls wanted to kiss us. It was a riot, but it was a baptism of fire, and it's kind of where we learnt our craft."

3. Breaking a three-year grief block with Ed Sheeran and a hangover

Following the tragic loss of his brother in a car crash, Ronan struggled with a severe creative block for nearly three years. That all changed earlier this year when a writing session with Ed Sheeran and Weezer's Brendan Brown unlocked his passion again.

Shortly after, a lazy morning at home in Sydney with his wife Storm sealed the deal. "Storm and I had a big boozy night out with friends... and the next day we were a little bit hungover," he revealed. Storm hummed an earworm melody, Ronan picked up the guitar, and out poured a cathartic tribute song for his late brother that will feature on his upcoming album.

4. The undercover Lions supporters in Christchurch

Ronan is a massive rugby fan, but one visit to Christchurch during the British and Irish Lions tour put his poker face to the ultimate test.

Guests of the Crusaders, Ronan and his son Jack watched the game from a host box while keeping a very cheeky secret hidden under their coats. "Jack and I, we had jackets on with Lions shirts underneath, and we were afraid to take our jackets off," Ronan laughed. "It was brilliant."

5. Owning 'Muff Liquor' with Russell Crowe

Outside of music and judging on The Voice, Ronan revealed he is part-owner of an award-winning Irish spirits company alongside Ed Sheeran, Jimmy Carr, and Russell Crowe.

Named after the town of Muff in County Donegal, the venture came about after Russell discovered the craft distillery while shooting a movie in Ireland. "Russell called me one day and he said, 'Hey man, I found it,'" Ronan said, adding that the tipple will be arriving in New Zealand soon.

6. Bonus extra - when Ronan called a Breeze listener to give them $1000 and tickets to his concert!

Imagine getting ready for a long weekend, and then Ronan Keating calls you to not only tell you that you have won $1000, but also tickets to his concert next March! What an amazing memory for Tessa.

Watch him make the call below!

Ronan Keating hits New Zealand in March 2027, playing Christchurch's Wolfbrook Arena on March 16 and Auckland's Spark Arena on March 18. Tickets and tour details are available at breeze.rova.nz.

Listen to the full highlights podcast below to hear all of Ronan's stories: