RONAN Keating shared his support for pal Rylan Clark at BBC Radio 2 In The Park at the weekend.
The Boyzone singer, 48, performed at the Chelmsford festival and made a special tribute to TV presenter Rylan onstage during his set.
Ronan Keating shared his support for pal Rylan Clark at BBC Radio 2 in the Park[/caption]
The TV presenter came under fire for his comments on migrants[/caption]
Just days ago, Rylan came under fire after he said housing migrants in four-star hotels was “insane” while presenting This Morning.
The ITV daytime show was hit with 576 Ofcom complaints following his comments on immigration.
Despite the backlash, some of his celebrity friends have defended him and now Irish singer Ronan has dedicated one of Number One tracks to the former X Factor star.
Ronan told the packed crowd: “This is a big gig tonight, a nice vibe, we’re in Chelmsford – also we’re in the home of Rylan.
“I thought I might do something nice for Rylan tonight, so I wrote a song, especially for you all.’
The singer continued: “No-one’s ever heard it before. This is brand new, it’s about Essex, it’s about Rylan.
“Just go with it – this is not the time to go to the toilet, or go to the bar. Look at all those people moving over there, you’ll regret it – come back.”
Ronan then sang his hit single When You Say Nothing At All as a cheeky nod to Rylan amid the uproar from his recent comments.
Following the set, Rylan told the Mail about the pop star’s tribute: “I’m not going to talk about anything today.
“I love Ronan, he’s a really good friend of mine.”
Rylan was filling in for Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard when he began to speak about how migrants saved his mum’s life.
He said: “I find it absolutely insane that all these people are risking their lives coming across the Channel.
“And when they get here, it does seem, and I think this is why a lot of Labour voters as well are saying there’s something wrong, it feels like, ‘Welcome, come on in’.
“That’s the narrative we’re being fed. Here’s the iPad. Here’s the NHS in reception of your hotel.
“Here’s three meals a day. Here’s a games room in the hotel. Have a lovely time and welcome.”
While he admitted that everyone would have an opinion about this and that he was “going to upset someone” with his views, he also revealed a heartfelt story just before on how migrant doctors had saved his mum’s life.
He said: “This country is built on immigration. Legal immigration — a lot of the nurses, the doctors that have saved my mum’s life have come over here from other countries.
“They’re living a great life, they’re paying into this tax system, they’re helping this country thrive.”
Adding on to his comments about the “insane” current system of housing migrants in hotels, Rylan said: “There are people that have lived here all their lives that are struggling. They’re homeless.
“Let’s not even discuss our homeless. There are people living on the streets, veterans, all of this.
“Let me be honest, everyone’s going to have an opinion about this and you’re going to upset someone. Something major needs to be done about this.
“The money that it’s costing us, the amount of people that are in this country that we have no idea who they are, what they’ve done, what they’re capable of – and clearly we see a lot of it in the press at the moment.
“Not all, but some, what some are doing to people in this country.”
Rylan faced social media backlash after his comments – before facing criticism again during a Good Morning Britain debate.
Yesterday Rylan looked happier than ever as he was joined by his new boyfriend Kennedy Bates at the festival.
One onlooker said: “Rylan and his new man looked seriously in love, they were having a great time together in the VIP.
“They were laughing and joking, and there was lots of PDA. At one point Rylan playfully smacked Kennedy on the bum when he headed off while his boyfriend stood in the queue for food.
“Kennedy was also chatting to Rylan’s mum Linda, he’s clearly been accepted by the family.
“Rylan appeared to be the life and soul of the party and looked happy to have his new man by his side.”
It is Rylan’s first serious relationship since his divorce in 2021 after six years of marriage.
He’s been credited for putting a smile back on Rylan’s face after years of heartache for the TV star.