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‘The Boyzone lads ask me how I’m getting on. If I ever EXCLUSIVE do need advice, I know they’re very capable fathers, BOYZONE STAR and they’ll always be there’
hane Lynch had expected to miss S the birth of his first child, who was SHANE LYNCH due while he was on a promotional tour of Australia with Boyzone this November. But his adorable daughter Billie-Rae had other ideas – and made AND WIFE SHEENA her appearance two weeks early on 25 October. Today, with charming honesty, Shane admits that he had secretly INVITE US HOME TO MEET THEIR hoped that he would be away for the birth. “I had so many mixed emo- tions,” explains Shane, 32, who BEAUTIFUL NEW DAUGHTER BILLIE-RAE married singer Sheena White in August 2007. “I’m a very hands-on guy and I like to make everything correct and Ro [bandmate Ronan Keating] had told me that when you’re at a birth, you can’t do a flipping thing and you just feel useless. And it’s not nice to see your wife in pain.” He is now very thankful that he was there. “Watching Sheena… it’s funny, I never thought I could love her more, but seeing her do that I was like, ‘Oh my God, you’re amazing,’” he reflects. “I never thought birth could be so excellent. I think if you, as a father, can witness such a thing, I T
T then do it. To see your wife be so A L powerful is just mind-blowing.” U B
: Shane clearly dotes on his daughter, G N
I who sleeps soundly in her mother’s R
. arms during the HELLO! interview, but S
O she was just five days old when he had N R
A to go on the planned Australia trip. “It H
C was horrible leaving,” he admits. “But : S
T once I got away, because I’d only had a H
G few days with Billie-Rae, I felt like, ‘Do I T
. I have a kid?’ – it was almost unreal. S I
W But I’m more thankful to Sheena E
L obviously, she played an absolute N
H stormer.” O J Shane’s mum and Sheena’s sister Y B came to stay at the couple’s Surrey L J
: home while the singer was away. S S
E “Obviously you want your husband R
D there, you want that time with your S ’ new child, but that’s Shane’s job,” A N
E Sheena says. “I married Shane with E
H this job, and if he’s got to go away, S .
S he’s got to go.” M
A It’s certainly been a busy year for H
N the Irishman. As well as experiencing E B
E first-time fatherhood, he is enjoying a D
T renaissance with Boyzone – since A reforming, they have been promoting R E
F their greatest hits album Back Again… F
U No Matter What and their single Love D
Y You Anyway reached No.5 in the UK B
E charts. “We’re absolutely loving it,” he G R says. O E
G Here, Shane and Sheena, 29, tell T
S HELLO! all about the arrival of their : S baby daughter, and reveal how they N A
E plan to bring up their little girl when J
D Boyzone head off on their world tour N
A next year. T
A Congratulations on the birth of Billie- O C
T Rae. Sheena, what has Shane been S I
A like as a dad? W
Shane and Sheena . “Amazing, very hands-on. He’ll tell R
show off their E me to go to bed at ten and he’ll be K A up till two in the morning with adorable baby girl, B
D her. He’ll give her her last feed who arrived six weeks E T ago – a fortnight early : before she goes to bed, change her T R – weighing 6lb 14oz. I nappy… oh, he’s brilliant. I couldn’t H S
They are now looking - ask for more. He’s really, really good T S
forward to celebrating ’ with her. It’s just a shame his E
Billie-Rae’s first N schedule is so crazy.” A H
Christmas S HELLO1052p088-093.qxd 13/12/08 17:23 Página 90
‘Shane has been amazing, very hands-on. He’ll give her her last feed, change her nappy… He’s really, really good with her; I couldn’t ask for more’ S I C N A R F A R A L C : Y R E L L E W E J . E N I A T N O F R E S : S N A E J . R E C N E P S & S K R A M T A N O I T C E L L O C D E T I M I L : P O T
S The couple in their spacious oak kitchen. Their four-bedroom, four-bathroom house in Surrey is currently in ’ A Shane, you’ve admitted to keeping “Oh yeah. You know, it was beautiful, upheaval – they moved in five years ago, but are now renovating it. New mother Sheena is surprisingly calm about N
E Billie-Rae awake so you can spend I couldn’t help but cry. Then when I E the work. “What do you need to live?” she reasons. “You need electricity, hot water… that’s all here. It’s lovely” H
S time with her. came home I was watching some . H S “Absolutely! I’ve been away for so U racing on telly, drinking some beer H M A much that when I’m here with her C and eating Hula Hoops, and I kept S H N and she’s sleeping, I’m not happy! T having flashbacks of my daughter, E A B N E Not only that, it’s also been so and holding her. Every couple of O D S
T Sheena can sleep, do her thing, and minutes I’d have a flashback and I’d D A U R I can just enjoy the baby.” H just cry.” : E F S
F Sheena: “I think when he’s here, he Who came up with the name Billie- E U O D
tries to make up for being away. H Rae? S Y .
B These months go by so quickly, and Sheena: “Shane did. I had my heart S E T G within the space of a month you’ve N set on Poppy – we were calling her I R A O
missed so much, the first giggle, S Poppy in my belly.” E L G smile, everything.” L Shane: “But then we realised that the A T : S
Billie-Rae was born two weeks early… S name was really common. Billie-Rae : S N N Sheena: “I’d been having stomach A is an interesting choice for a girl, E A J E
cramps for three days, and I went to . and it’s unusual but it’s not weird. I J X . U H the hospital just to check that every- thought it sounded American, and I S O E thing was okay, but I thought I was R love the whole honky tonk America R U F A X coming home that night.” thing.” E O T B
Shane: “But they went, ‘No, you’re A Most of your Boyzone bandmates : H R C E staying in. You’re in labour.’” are fathers, have they offered any : P T
M Sheena: “I was like, ‘What? I’ve got a advice? R I U H J hair appointment tomorrow!’” “It was more the early days of S S - ’ T E How was the birth? Sheena’s pregnancy, all the lads said, . N D A
Sheena: “Unbelievable! All the books E ‘She’s hormonal, she’s going to go H T S F
) tell you it’s gonna hurt, but when mad.’ But Sheena was amazing, and I A T R H
you’re actually there… you’ve never C used to tell her that, because I never G : I T R experienced anything like it. It’s got it in the ear, I never had the R I E H V actually the most painful time but yet stress, and she never went crazy. S O B S
the most amazing time as well. But ’ “Other than that, now that the A E (
once I started pushing she was out in N baby’s here, the lads ask me how I’m 91 A H
The Irishman enjoys a quiet moment with his daughter – he has had many work commitments since her birth. The 20 minutes.” S getting on but there’s no real )
sports-loving star once said that he hopes his girl will grow up to be a tomboy. “I’d love her to be an outdoorsy kid,” Shane, were you emotional? T advice needed. If I ever do need F E L
he admits. “My family are very outgoing and me and my sisters, we jet-ski, we water-ski, we ride motorbikes…” ( HELLO1052p088-093.qxd 13/12/08 17:23 Página 92
‘I never thought birth could be so excellent. I never thought I could love Sheena more, but seeing her do that I was like, “Oh my God, you’re amazing”’ Y L F R E T T U B : E C A L K C E N . R E S A R F F O E S U O H T A L E S E I D : S N A E J . R E S A R F F O E S U O H , E
M advice, I know they’re very capable Sheena, will you join Shane on the “When we were out in Australia, we M
E fathers, and they’ll always be there.” Boyzone world tour next year? had such a good flipping time. We F
D Shane, do you think you’ll be more “Obviously I’ll go and see him when were like ‘It works, we’re back, let’s go E
T protective because you’ve got a girl? he’s England and he’ll want to see to a studio, let’s make a new album.’ C E
L “In the boyfriend sense, 100 per cent Billie-Rae as well. But I think it’s too And there’s a lot to be said for just E
S yes. I think I’m going to be awful. I’ll much for a little one to start going on being older. We as adults have : P
O be all axes and shotguns! I’ve got five the road.” realised, ‘Enjoy ourselves, do it for the T ) . S sisters, and I’ve seen them growing up, Shane: “It’s not a family lifestyle. You do craic’. I think years ago we did take ’ K X A U X . N going to nightclubs and stuff – and my A a concert, you come off stage 11pm ourselves too seriously. We wanted to O E M C . E father not being happy about it but and your adrenaline’s buzzing, your be a credible band, we wanted to cross K E H T N S : A
. not stopping them. I don’t know how body’s awake. So you have a little over to the next market, but we’re a S L S P W T
he did it.” O drink, settle down, and before you boy band, we’re not trying to be Oasis. O N I P R I A H You’re both Christians, will this play a L know it it’s three or four in the We absolutely love what we do S T L O L D
part in Billie-Rae’s upbringing? L morning. So you’re up till 4am for two and it’s an honour to be back.”
L H ( N A A E : Shane: “We both attend church and or three months. Obviously the next N S S A N N L
have a relationship with God. I was O day you need to stay in bed till noon. A I INTERVIEW: DAWN EMERY P E H O J born and raised a Catholic and it’s put S Sheena will be up, with the baby, PHOTOS: NICKY JOHNSTON P . I U S L C
a lot of things in perspective. We’ll L bored in her room. And I like to deal . M HAIR & MAKE-UP: ALICE THEOBALD AT E O A L R JOY GOODMAN, USING PAUL LABRECQUE
H definitely get her baptised and have a with work by myself, I don’t like A M N
C AND ESTEE LAUDER O E blessing on her life. If our Billie-Rae distractions.” R R B
E CLOTHES STYLING: BOO ATTWOOD F E ends up coming to church and enjoy- H Are you enjoying being with Boyzone AT JOY GOODMAN D T N O O T ing it, then great. If she doesn’t that’s I second-time round? HOME STYLING: JANIS MORRISON AT PROP-IT A T M C R M fine. It’s her decision.” E E O L F L R F F
Sheena, you are going to be a stay-at- O U C Y
D Even though he has been away with Boyzone for much of his baby’s first weeks, L
home mum… Y E Y R V I E B “I grew up with my mum at home and the pop star sees many benefits with his work. “It’s a blessing I don’t have a S S E U R nine-to-five job, so it doesn’t matter if she’s up all night long,” Shane explains G L it was brilliant. I know there are U R C N X O Y
thousands and millions of women out E E S , G S there who can’t do that and I know O S P T A S E I L : we’re in a great position.” S K T O E R I
Shane: “I’d prefer her to be at home R N H E E S E anyhow. Mainly because we spent a few H L T S ’ Y D E years together where Sheena worked M N N Y A A
and I’d come back from being away and B E H R K S ) all I wanted to do was spend time with U Y T T I B H A her, but she was in work. Once we got N G B R I : U R married I said, ‘Look, if we’re going to S F E E N H V have kids, I want you to stay home and T O O D O B L be a mummy.’ We’re blessed that we Y A A C ( L S ’ can do that. When I go away, and I get C 93 E : A Shane’s Boyzone bandmates are yet to say hello to the new arrival: “Only our families have met her,” explains back at whatever time of night, my wife Y R R - E E S Sheena. “She’s only six weeks old.” However, they have been inundated with gifts. “We’ve received the most is there and that’s important to me.” I L R L U I N beautiful things – exquisite clothes,” says her doting mother. “She’s a spoiled little baby,” agrees Shane B