Brian McFadden has opened up about reconnecting with a former Westlife bandmate, despite previously expressing regret over his decision to leave the group.

The singer, 44, who famously left the Irish boyband in 2004 to pursue solo projects, is currently making music and touring with Boyzone’s Keith Duffy as part of ‘Boyzlife’.

Despite confessing that he hadn’t spoken to his ex-bandmates for over 12 years, Brian has now revealed he’s back in touch with Nicky Byrne. The band is also made up of Shane Filan, Mark Feehily, and Kian Egan

Discussing his decision to leave the band, Brian explained: “I needed to just stop. I remember the day. I remember going, ‘Oh, no.’ We had just worked flat-out for like 300 days straight, finished the tour, blah blah blah, and we were in a recording studio in London.

“Our tour manager came out with an A4 sheet of what we were up to for the next few months. I looked at it. I was looking for a day off and I went through it. I went down through another month. My stomach just sank. I thought: ‘No. I can’t.’ It would be like playing a football match for 90 minutes and someone saying: ‘OK, lads, we’re going out for another 90’.”

Brian also reflected on the internal issues within Westlife, but was quick to clarify they never descended into Oasis-style physical altercations. “I’d rather have got a punch, because the actual mental torture of already being so down and so absolutely deprived of sleep and having no energy. And then, having the people around you bickering with each other – mentally I would rather get a punch in the face than that.”

Brian further reflected on the past, saying: “They were our young years as well. This is what people forget. Those 18 to 23 years – they are the college years for our friends.