Ronan Keating on his New Year’s Eve show and reuniting Boyzone in 2026

Ronan Keating said he hoped his New Year’s Eve concert, shown either side of fireworks at midnight on BBC One, would help those finding things difficult.

“It can be a very lonely time for a lot of people. It’s a very difficult time,” he told BBC News during rehearsals at Riverside Studios in London. “Especially when you think about a challenging year.

“So maybe you want to look optimistically towards 2026,” the Boyzone singer said, explaining his goals for the show.

“I hope I can bring some kind of joy to people so they feel like they’re not home alone tonight, that I’m with them.”

Ronan Keating wants to end 2025 with “a smile on your face,” as one of his best-known solo songs puts it.

It was Sophie Ellis-Bextor who performed on BBC One’s New Year’s Eve show last year. he describes the event as a “career highlight”.

Robbie Williams, Alicia Keys and Madness have also received the honor since the tradition began in 2013; the program generally attracted the largest TV audience of any music program broadcast that year.

“How does this happen?” Keating asks, turning his head to look around the studio. “I’m truly honored. The people who went before me. It’s ridiculous. And here I am, little old me. Be careful what you wish for.”

He says this while standing in front of a giant RONAN of golden lights, Elvis ’68 Comeback style.

“My head always swells,” he jokes.

Apparently, after the concert, he was wondering where the exhibition would end.

“In my bedroom?” he suggests mischievously. “That would be great.”

These annual New Year’s Eve shows became famous for their guest appearances.

Olly Alexander’s team line-up included Kylie Minogue and Pet Shop Boys; While Sam Ryder was accompanied by Justin Hawkins from The Darkness, Rick Astley performed a duet with Rylan.

Keating enlisted the help of his old flatmate Louise, with whom he shared digs in the early days of the Eternal band.

“Lou and me and Shano [his nickname for Boyzone’s Shane Lynch]”We were flatmates right next door to Ant & Dec in London in 1995,” he recalls.

“It was a pop house. We were on the Smash Hits Promotional Tour. We were all going on tour together and coming back to our apartment. It was so sweet.”

So who stayed in the bathroom longer, him or Louise?

“Shano,” he replies without hesitation. “He’s tearing his eyebrow off!”

Another special guest is former EastEnders star and this year’s I’m A Celebrity finalist Shona McGarty.

“What a sound,” enthuses Keating.

“She was singing every night on the show, and I thought, we should take her to New Year’s Eve. This was her audition.”

There will be no presentation of his campground work Feeling Good in the Jungle tonight. Instead, she will perform a duet on Boyzone’s Tracy Chapman song Baby Can I Hold You, which reached number two on the charts.

Calum Scott, whose Bridges album was a Keating family favorite (“I love his voice. I love his songwriting”), will voice the role of the late Stephen Gately in No Matter What.

Exactly 30 years ago this week, Boyzone’s version of Father and Son was prevented from reaching number one by Michael Jackson’s Earth Song.

Two members of the band, Keith Duffy and Shane Lynch, will tonight give a glimpse of what to expect when Boyzone reunite for two massive shows at London’s Emirates stadium in 2026.

“Amazing,” smiles Keating.

“Boyzone has never been to a stadium before.

“The guest list is ridiculous. The phone doesn’t stop ringing. And yes, I got more Christmas cards this year than I normally do,” he chuckled.

One thing Keating won’t do is make New Year’s resolutions.

“If I have to make changes, I’ll do it now. I’m not going to wait until a certain date because I’ll just fail.”

He pauses, suddenly looking more wistful.

“For me, it’s really about spending more time with our loved ones, my family and friends. It’s been a tough few years. We lost my brother,” he explains.

In July 2023, his older brother Ciaran died in a car accident at the age of 57. traveling to watch his son Ruairí play for Cork City Football Club.

“It is now more important than ever for me to keep the family together,” he emphasizes.

It suddenly turns out that Keating is also talking about himself when he describes how difficult people find the new year.

Tonight he too will use music as part of his own healing process, singing the soundtrack of his 30+ year career as he journeys from Boyzone to family man.

Ronan and Friends: New Year’s Eve Party will be on BBC One and iPlayer from 11.30pm, except in Scotland, where it will feature music from sea shanty singer Nathan Evans, Michelle McManus and award-winning folk supergroup Mànran.