One-time singer with Boyzone SHANE LYNCH spoke to Ben Spurr about life as a believer.

Shane Lynch

Seven years ago Shane Lynch was one fifth of chart topping Irish boyband Boyzone. With a string of number one hits, thousands of screaming fans and all the materialistic possessions money could buy you would think life couldn't get any sweeter for the former mechanic from Dublin. As I found out though when I met up with Shane, the singer wasn't truly happy until he found the one thing that was missing in his life.

Ben: What have you been doing since I last saw you?

Shane: For the last year I have been continuing on my journey of God, coming to certain places, be it youth groups, be it churches, be it whatever talking to people about God. All that aside, which is kind of hard to say - 'all that aside' - because it's involved in my life every day and the decisions I make, I have been involved in my own clothing label which is called Evolution Fightwear which is to do with martial arts, cage rage and that kind of stuff. I'm still kind of involved in music, no plans for release at the moment. I've come back in to motor sport this year; panto, I've been doing panto over Christmas.

Ben: What were you playing this time? I know you've done Prince Charming a few times

Shane: I play the prince again, I guess I've only got a couple more years to play that then I will be doing the baddy or the ugly sister or something, you know what I mean?! At the moment I'm getting away with doing prince, I don't know how! So yeah, the last year's been quite incredible and positive in my life that's for sure, it's been really, really good.

Ben: Tell me more about your music: the latest tracks I've heard seem to have an Irish folk influence.

Shane: Yeah, the kind of tracks I've put on myspace at the moment are the earlier stuff that I've done and the reason why it's quite Irish folk is because I've just returned to my roots as a man. I've kind of searched through music the way I've searched through life in terms of I've gone through the road of pop, I've gone through hip-hop, I've gone through rock/rap and I've kind of settled on something which is just me. I love Irish folk music and I guess I just wanted to release my stories in such a way which is mellow, chilled out, fun. Nothing too serious, not this singer/songwriter trying to be mad credible - I just enjoy music and I enjoy the songs that I do.

Ben: What do you hope to achieve from these talks - is therr something you hope the audience will take away with them?

Shane: I'll tell you the truth; I'm not a preacher, I'm a witness. I'm not kind of expressing my beliefs by all means, I'm just telling people about my story and my story is how God changed my life. I was a man who deserved no God, I mean I was anti-god at one point, I was against God and what he had to stand for. When everything was brought to the bare nitty-gritty he was the only one I could turn to. What blew my mind the most was that God allowed someone like me to be part of his family, he allowed me to be able to say 'yes' to him. I'm just here to tell people about the amazing journey I've had and how God has just incredibly blown my mind and there's nobody out there who's too bad for God, there's nobody out there who has done too much wrong for God. We kind of come to a point were we often think 'I'm not good enough for God' and 'let me sort this little point out in my life and then come to him.' Well, in the first place you need God to sort out that little point in your life. So a lot of people are kind of confused about what God is and you kind of think you have to be righteous to come to him; whereas when you come to him he will make you righteous. That's the difference and when you realise that then you will realise nobody is too bad for God.

Ben: Have you kept in touch with the other lads from Boyzone since they came to see you at The Games (Channel 4 celebrity sports show) a couple of years ago?

Shane: Yeah, me and most of the boys are absolutely bang on. We don't see each other as often as I suppose I'd like to anyway. I'm trying to get Ro' at the moment, Ronan Keating, to drive a race car with me. I know he's releasing a record pretty soon but schedules are always tight. Same with Keith, I mean we're all contracted to so many different things and especially when it comes to the question of touring and are we getting back together; yeah, we'd love to. I personally one hundred per cent, I'd be there tomorrow, but I guess if we decided to do that that's five people; you still have contracts which you have to get over before we can get back together. So if we decided to do it today, it wouldn't happen for another six to eight months or a year anyway but maybe it's on the cards, maybe it's not; I have no idea.

Ben: Seeing groups like Take That and East 17 re-form recently must spark the thought in your mind "these guys are from our era."

Shane: Yeah, they've got a few years on us actually, I mean we've got a two year, three year grace. They can come back and do it now, maybe we will come back and do it in two or three years. I've no idea. But it's great to see them back that's for sure.

Ben: What are your plans for the future?

Shane: Take each day as it comes at the moment and whatever opportunities are there I'll have a good look. I'm an opportunist, whatever it is. I never wanted to be a singer or an actor and so far I've been a singer and I've been an actor. Y'know, I'll take whatever comes, I'll have a go and nothing will keep me down.