Shane Lynch and Keith Duffy on filming new docuseries Boyzone: No Matter What - 'It was like an extended counselling session!'

It's over 30 years since five Dublin singers burst onto the music scene as Boyzone, quickly dominating the charts and living up to manager Louis Walsh's vision for them to become an Irish version of Take That.

Now, Sky Documentaries series Boyzone: No Matter What sees surviving members Ronan Keating, Keith Duffy, Shane Lynch and Michael 'Mikey' Graham look back at their rise to stardom, the cost of fame, and the behind-the-scenes rivalries that led to the band splitting in 1999.

The three-parter will also see them reflect on how the tragic death of bandmate Stephen Gately, who passed away in 2009, at the age of 33, has shaped their lives.

Here, Shane, 48, and Keith, 50, reveal why they wanted to share their stories...

No Matter What features archive footage of your auditions for Boyzone. How did it feel being part of this new boyband?

Keith: "We were very innocent and naive to the industry we were about to get into. We were only kids - but Louis Walsh was confident we were going to be the next Take That. It was a very exciting time."

Boyzone’s first performance as a group was on RTÉ One’s The Late Late Show, a TV appearance that’s since gone viral…

Keith: "The night they chose the final Boyzone line-up, Louis said to us: ‘Lads, tomorrow night you’re going on The Late Late Show’. This is the most infamous talk show in Ireland! We said: ‘What are we going to do? We've no songs, no music, we haven't recorded anything yet.’ Louis replies: ‘Just do a bit of dancing. You'll be grand.’ We had no direction… and obviously no stylist! We didn’t know that little dance would become so big…"

Does that clip still haunt you?

Keith: "Ha, ha! That clip is aired in every country in the world we've ever visited; every time we’d do a TV interview, it’s the first thing they’d show. Back then, we thought we were superstars and people were laughing with us - not at us!"

Each band member is filmed individually throughout, giving their account of Boyzone’s journey as they remember it. Did anything shock you about each others’ testimonies?

Keith: "We didn't say anything to purposely be shocking, we just spoke honestly and explored the same memories but from our own individual perspectives. It gave me great insight into how Shane remembers something that happened differently to the way I remember it, and how Ronan remembers it differently to the way Shane does and the way Mikey does. It’s been an education to watch the documentary and understand the other boys."

The series features archive footage from tours, TV appearances and video shoots. What was it like looking back?

Keith: "It was lovely, a real trip down memory lane. It was a nice reminiscing about all the things we have done - and forgotten we had done - like being flown to Modena in Italy to perform on stage with Pavarotti. It all sounds too far-fetched - but it’s what happened for us."

As well as exploring Boyzone’s many highs, the series also focuses on harder times, not least the death of your much-loved bandmate Stephen Gately in 2009…

Keith: "While this series gave us the opportunity to talk through our memories, not all of them were joyful; like when we lost our ‘Steo’. It was devastating - we were young and didn’t have the emotional tools to deal with it. A lot of the memories only become vivid when you speak about them, so filming was almost therapeutic - like an extended counselling session."

Boyzone initially split in 1999 after six years. What contributed to the break-up?

Shane: "Physically, it was gruelling. We didn’t have social media, you had to fly to a country to see people. That’s probably the most pressure we were put under; another plane, another airport, another TV show. Just as well we were younger then - I couldn't do it now!"

Keith: "The recent BBC2 documentary, Boybands Forever, highlighted how bands like ours are a sellable commodity. The record company makes sure it’s utilising all of your time to sell, sell, sell; they don't see us as human, they see us as a brand. All those bands from back then, like Five and East 17, say the same: it’s like a pressure cooker; a conveyor belt of radio interviews, photo shoots, TV shows and performances that just keeps going and it’s unsustainable. So there’s a shelf life for boybands - Boyzone broke up after six years because the pressure cooker becomes so intense and you stop enjoying it."

In a later episode, the two of you reunite alongside Ronan. What was that like?

Shane: "While the series focuses on us individually, the magic of Boyzone is when we're together, so it’s important that we finally get to see each other in that pool room at the end. We actually like each other, we’re friends."

Keith: "Speak for yourself! Ha, ha, just kidding. Myself, Shane and Ronan will enjoy a steak and a glass of wine from time to time - and we had the odd pint of Guinness during filming!"

Boyzone re-formed in 2007, splitting for good in 2018. Now you’re older and wiser, what advice would you give your younger selves starting out?

Keith: "Well, we’re definitely older. I don’t know how much wiser we are!"

Shane: "For me, talking about the journey has been far more satisfying than actually being on the journey. You might look back and go: ‘Do you remember when we were in Hong Kong doing this? But when we were actually in Hong Kong, we were far from home and always in a rush. So I’d tell myself to chill out more and try to enjoy, culturally, what you're surrounded by, as opposed to just another dressing room."

Keith: "Making this series has been an emotional roller coaster. As we’ve looked back at those memories, it’s hit home how none of us are perfect and how we all make mistakes, especially when you’re young. Filming this doc has allowed us to reminisce and spend time together. We're a huge part of each other's lives and always will be."

Boyzone: No Matter What airs on Sunday February 2 at 9pm on Sky Documentaries & Sky Showcase, with all three episodes available as a box set.