Whoop!! MTV has uploaded a video of Westlife thanking fans for helping them win the Battle Of The Boy Bands crown.

Credit/Source: www.mtv.com

YAY!! Huge congratulations to the Westlife lads and all the fans, we made it! They won MTV’s Battle Of The Boy Bands crown with an incredible 74.25% against the Jonas Brothers. So proud of them! :’) Once their win was announced ‘Westlife WON‘ and ‘#WestlifeForever‘ became Worldwide Trending Topics on Twitter.

Irish boy band easily defeated Jonas Brothers in the championship matchup.

By Christina Garibaldi (@ChristinaMTV)

The fans have spoken. After two weeks of intense matchups and more than 12 million votes, Westlife have come out on top in MTV’s Battle of the Boy Bands. The Irish boy band easily defeated the Jonas Brothers in the final round, with more than 70 percent of the final vote. It was a hard-fought finale with both bands’ fanbases tirelessly voting in the hopes of giving their band the championship, but in the end, the international firepower of Westlife was too much for JoBros fans to handle.

Westlife may not have been favored to win this competition, but from day one they proved they were fighters and were out to make a statement. They got everyone’s attention early on when, amidst accusations of cheating, they fairly beat out fan favorites the Backstreet Boys in the first round. They had no trouble at all beating out their next two opponents, O-Town and the Beatles, and managed to get past newcomers the Wanted in the Final Four to ultimately take on the Jonas Brothers in the championship.

This win in the Battle of the Boy Bands seems to come at a perfect time for the group because their 14-year career is about to come to an end. Westlife have decided to go their separate ways after the conclusion of their Greatest Hits Tour, which kicks off later this week and wraps up at the end of June in front of a hometown crowd in Dublin, Ireland.

Congratulations to Westlife and to all their extremely loyal fans: You have certainly proved your devotion and didn’t let up no matter how tough the competition was. Thanks to all the bands that participated.

From newcomers One Direction, Mindless Behavior and Big Time Rush to veteran groups Boyz II Men and the Backstreet Boys, it was truly an epic tournament.

But it wouldn’t have been possible without all of you, the fans. All of your vigorous voting resulted in some shocking upsets, some heated matchups and some rally-from-behind wins, making this a true battle of the boy bands.

Credit/Source: www.mtv.com

N’aww Mark’s Westlife bandmate and friend Kian Egan recently gave an interview and we have to say we SO agree with what he said about Mark.

<3

Credit/Source: Irish Daily Mirror – published on 23 April 2012

Marky was on Midweek (TV3) on the 23rd of April talking about the ISPCC Anti-bulying campaign and his own experience of being bullied. So proud of him and everything he’s doing helping children as well as older people. :’)

Part 1

Part 2

Credit/Source: TV3 / youtube.com/MarkusfeehilyHQVevo

Westlife’s Mark Feehily has helped launch the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) Anti-Bullying Week in Ireland.

This week-long national campaign will emphasise that bullying should not be seen as ‘a rite of passage’ or a ‘normal’ part of childhood, it should not be tolerated and must be taken seriously. Bullying is a critical issue, the impact of which can be detrimental to a young person’s life and wellbeing; it can negatively affect self-esteem and feelings of self-worth, increase social isolation, lead a child to become withdrawn and depressed, anxious and insecure. In desperation, some young people even consider suicide.

To mark anti-bullying week, the ISPCC are urging the people of Ireland to join the fight against bullying and child abuse by wearing the ISPCC Shield. A number of stars have lent their support to the campaign by being photographed with the ISPCC Blue Shield, including Colin Farrell, Louis Walsh, Olly Murs, Cher Lloyd, The Wanted and more.

In recent years there have been some high profile and tragic cases, highlighting the harmful and sometimes fatal effect of ongoing bullying and harassment. Bullying can also have devastating long term consequences with some adults who experienced bullying in their teens having higher levels of depression and poorer self-esteem than other adults.

Mark said at the launch “having experienced bullying at first hand I know how devastating it can be and how much it can affect not only your childhood but your adulthood too. I am still dealing with issues that occurred years ago on a school corridor in Sligo”.

Mark was joined at the launch by The Voice contestant Kiera Byrne who has been vocal about being bullied which as she said “has left me completely scarred ” but has found solace in music which is a sentiment echoed by Mark.

In Ireland, bullying is something that children have to deal with all too often;

In 2011, Childline received almost 11,000 calls from children and young people in relation to bullying
26% of young people in secondary school have been victims of bullying, or know someone who has
22% of young people in primary school have been victims of bullying, or know someone who has
40% of 9 year olds were victims of bullying in the last year
Recent statistics and the volume of calls to ChildLine illustrate the breadth of this issue and the impact that it can have on young people’s lives. It can be very difficult to talk about but some brave young people who contacted Childline for support have described their experiences;

“Bullies have been ruining my life at school since September”
“I’m so scared I don’t know what to do”
“I hate the way I look. People call be names and make up rumours about me. I want it to stop!”
“I feel completely isolated”

The campaign will highlight the different types of bullying, the devastating impact it can have on children and young people and will provide information and support on how to deal with the issue.

CEO Ashley Balbirnie “Through the ISPCC’s Anti-Bullying Week we want all children in Ireland to know that bullying is not acceptable, and that we as a society are willing to fight for children”.

The ISPCC would like to thank Ogilvy for their support in the production of the ISPCC Anti-Bullying Week and their on-going commitment to the fight for children’s rights and award winning photographer Barry McCall who shot the ISPCC Shield campaign.

The ISPCC have a dedicated Bullying Support line – 1800 66 66 77 – available 24 hours a day for the full week of the campaign. Young people, parents, teachers and schools can ring this Freephone number for support and advice around the issue of bullying.

A microsite has been setup with downloadable resources offering tips and advice for young people, parents, teachers and schools. The site can be accessed at www.ispcc.ie

Mark Feehily and the ISPCC are urging people all over Ireland to join the fight against bullying. You can show your support today by wearing an ISPCC Shield (€2 from selected outlets nationwide).

Credit/Source: looktothestars.org

Westlife’s Mark Feehily launched the ISPCC’s Anti-Bullying Week running April 23rd-30th. This week-long national campaign will emphasise that bullying should not be seen as ‘a rite of passage’ or a ‘normal’ part of childhood, it should not be tolerated and must be taken seriously.

Credit/Source: ispcc.ie / rte.ie

By Dan Buckley

He may be one of the most successful pop stars of the past decade, but in school, Mark Feehily was bullied.

So much so that, despite his rise to fame and fortune, the scars remain, he admitted yesterday as he launched the ISPCC’s Anti-Bullying Awareness Week.

“Having experienced bullying at first hand, I know how devastating it can be and how much it can affect not only your childhood but your adulthood, too.

“I am still dealing with issues that occurred years ago on a school corridor in Sligo.”

Westlife star Mark was joined at the launch by The Voice contestant Kiera Byrne, who also experienced bullying which she said “has left me completely scarred”. Like Mark, she found solace in music.

The week-long national campaign will emphasise that bullying should not be seen or tolerated as “a rite of passage” or a “normal” part of childhood.

“Bullying is a critical issue, the impact of which can be detrimental to a young person’s life and wellbeing,” said the ISPCC yesterday.

“It can negatively affect self-esteem and feelings of self-worth, increase social isolation, lead a child to become withdrawn and depressed, anxious and insecure. In desperation, some young people even consider suicide.”

In recent years there have been some high-profile and tragic cases, among them the death of Irish schoolgirl Phoebe Prince who hanged herself in Jan 2010 after being bullied at a school in the United States.

Her death led to the prosecution of some of the bullies involved and the introduction of anti-bullying legislation in the state of Massachusetts.

To mark anti-bullying week, the ISPCC is urging people to join the fight against bullying and child abuse by wearing the ISPCC Shield, a badge of support for those affected.

A number of celebrities, including Olly Murs, Cher Lloyd, Colin Farrell, Westlife, Brian O’Driscoll, Jamie Heaslip, Jedward, Louis Walsh, Keith Barry, and Saoirse Ronan, along with Mark, are supporting the campaign.

The campaign will highlight the different types of bullying, the devastating impact it can have on children and young people, and provide information and support on how to deal with the issue.

ISPCC chief executive Ashley Balbirnie said: “Through the ISPCC’s Anti-Bullying Week we want all children in Ireland to know that bullying is not acceptable, and that we as a society are willing to fight for children.”

* The ISPCC has a dedicated bullying support line — 1800 666677 — available 24 hours a day for the full week of the campaign.

A micro-site has also been set up with downloadable resources offering tips and advice for young people, parents, teachers and schools.

The site can be accessed at www.ispcc.ie.

Credit/Source: irishexaminer.com

WESTLIFE star Mark Feehily has had counselling to deal with the severe bullying he suffered as a teenager.

The newly single chart-topper, who recently split from fiance photographer Kevin McDaid, confessed that the dark memories of what he endured during his school days still haunt him.

The 31-year-old told the Herald: “I’m not afraid to say that I’ve definitely had some counselling.

“It’s weird the stigma that can be attached to counselling, I don’t know where that came from, but as I say, yeah, I have done it and I think it’s a fantastic thing to do.”

Break-up

He was speaking at the launch of the first ISPCC Anti-Bullying Awareness Week in Dublin’s Westbury Hotel.

Mark also broke his silence on his relationship with Kevin and confessed he has found it difficult to get over the split.

“It’s still very fresh for me … Talking about it isn’t something I really want to do.

“It’s fresh and like anybody, you take everything as it comes.

“It’s my first major relationship and obviously my first break-up, so I’m dealing with it.”

The Sligo man is now setting his mind on reuniting on stage with Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan and Shane Filan for Westlife’s Farewell Tour.

labutler@herald.ie
- Laura Butler

Credit/Source: herald.ie

Westlife are gearing up for rehearsals for their final ever tour, which kicks off in Cardiff on May 10th.

Today, Nicky, Mark, Kian and Shane are pleased announce that the final band joining them on their farewell jaunt of the UK and Ireland will be ‘Lilygreen & Maguire’, who join the supporting bill of ‘Glenn Cal’ and ‘Vanquish’.

For a full list of all Westlife’s tour dates, click here.

Credit/Source: westlife.com

NEW FIGURES FROM the ISPCC show that more than a quarter of secondary school pupils have been victims of bullying, or know someone who has been bullied.

The news comes as the charity’s Anti-Bullying Week is launched by Westlife member Mark Feehily. The week runs until 30 April and aims to emphasise that bullying should not be seen as a ‘rite of passage’ or a ‘normal’ part of childhood.

The ISPCC said that bullying “should not be tolerated and must be taken seriously”.

“Bullying is a critical issue, the impact of which can be detrimental to a young person’s life and wellbeing; it can negatively affect self-esteem and feelings of self-worth, increase social isolation, lead a child to become withdrawn and depressed, anxious and insecure. In desperation, some young people even consider suicide.”

To mark anti-bullying week, the ISPCC is urging the people of Ireland to join the fight against bullying and child abuse by wearing the ISPCC Shield.

A number of well-known celebrities including Olly Murs, Cher Lloyd, The Wanted, Colin Farrell, Westlife, Brian O’Driscoll, Jamie Heaslip, Jedward, Louis Walsh, Laura Whitmore, Mrs Brown, Keith Barry and Saoirse Ronan, along with Mark, are supporting the campaign by being photographed with the ISPCC Blue Shield.

Mark said at the launch yesterday:

“Having experienced bullying at first hand I know how devastating it can be and how much it can affect not only your childhood but your adulthood too. I am still dealing with issues that occurred years ago on a school corridor in Sligo.”

Mark was joined at the launch by The Voice contestant Kiera Byrne who said bullying “has left me completely scarred”. Both Kiera and Mark said they had found solace in music.

Recent statistics and the volume of calls to Childline give a sense of the scale of the issue:

A number of young people who contacted Childline for support described their experiences:

CEO Ashley Balbirnie said:

“Through the ISPCC’s Anti-Bullying Week we want all children in Ireland to know that bullying is not acceptable, and that we as a society are willing to fight for children.”

The ISPCC’s dedicated Bullying Support line – 1800 66 66 77 – is available 24 hours a day for the full week of the campaign. Young people, parents, teachers and schools can ring this Freephone number for support and advice around the issue of bullying. They can also access a new microsite which has downloadable resources offering tips and advice.
The blue ISPCC Shield is available for €2 from selected outlets nationwide.

Credit/Source: thejournal.ie