Shane Filan was left red-faced as he forgot the lyrics to Westlife’s brand new single Chariot on Friday night, Daily Mail reports.
The Irish singer, 46, performed with Kian Egan and Nicky Byrne on Ireland’s Late Late Show – though Mark Feehily was noticeably absent.
As they sang new single Chariot, which forms part of the brand’s greatest hits album 25, Shane Filan forgot a verse and scrambled to come up lyrics on the spot, according to the report by Daily Mail.
While the blunder appeared to go unnoticed by the audience, host Patrick Kielty pointed out the mishap during the interview that followed.
He quipped: ‘You also surprised the two boys tonight with your new single!’
As Shane Filan joked it was his ‘new rendition’ he went on to explain: ‘So it was the world premiere of Chariot, but the second verse I actually sang the wrong line.
‘I actually made up a line tonight. I’m going to blame Mark on it cuz it’s Mark’s verse, but yeah.
‘So I’m reading through it and I’m going, “What’s the line?”, and then it didn’t come to me at all. Sometimes you just got to improvise. And I knew it was coming, but it was fun.’
While Mark’s vocals are heard on their new track, due to ongoing health issues he won’t be appearing on Westlife’s London shows at the Royal Albert Hall or the 25th anniversary world tour.
However, Shane Filan delighted fans by giving an update on Mark this week, saying: ‘He’s unable to join the tour unfortunately as he’s mentioned already but being on the new song is very important…
‘He’s still a member of this band obviously and he’s sounding great on the new songs. We’ve got four new songs and an album coming out after Christmas…
‘A greatest hits compilation with four new songs but the new song that’s out next Friday is a really upbeat tune and it’s great to have him on there.’
Westlife’s world tour announcement sent fans wild this week as a new teaser hit Instagram on Thursday.
It featured an airport departures board, typically used to show departures times, locations and boarding gates. The airport is a nod to the video for their 2000 single My Love, in which the group are stranded in an airport.
There is also a nod to their second studio album Coast To Coast, as the bottom of the shutterboard reads ‘Coast To Coast Airlines’. In the teaser the tour dates flicker.
In a statement, Westlife said: ‘This year marks 25 years since we started this incredible journey together and it still feels like only the beginning…
‘The support from our fans has been unbelievable, and to celebrate with this world tour, new music, and a brand-new album feels truly special. We can’t wait to see you all on the road and share this next chapter together.’
Westlife soared to fame in 1998 when they were formed in Dublin, with the original line-up also featuring Brian, who later left in 2004.
The group broke hearts of fans around the globe when they announced plans to disband in 2012 before all embarking on respective solo careers over the years.
A hugely successful return in 2018 saw the group reform with comeback single Hello My Love, and the announcement of The Twenty Tour for 2019.
In June, Mark’s absence from the coming shows was announced. In a lengthy post, Westlife penned: ‘To our amazing fans, We would like to take this opportunity to share some very important news with you all.
‘We are thrilled to announce the launch of our 25th Anniversary celebrations… On the 9th February 2001 we kicked off our first ever tour at the Newcastle Arena. Who would have thought we would still be here 25 years later?
‘We have so many exciting plans to share with you very soon which will include new music, an album, special shows and many, many more surprises along the way.
‘Sadly, Mark will be unable to join the celebrations. We hope he can join us back on stage when he is ready and able. He sends his love and positivity to you all as always.
‘The four of us can’t quite believe its been 25 years. We could only have dreamt of the continued love and loyalty you have consistently shown us around the world.
‘We are so lucky to have all of you with us and we can’t wait to celebrate together! Happy 25th To Us All! Love, Kian, Mark, Nicky & Shane x.’
Last year, Mark announced his temporary departure from the Irish boyband, just days before they were set to embark on their first ever tour of America.
Prolonged ill-health resulted in the singer withdrawing from the band in a bid to recover after being diagnosed with sepsis.