So you thought you knew everything about STEPHEN BOYZONE.

It's been another bonkers year for STEPHEN GATELY. We talk shopping, dolphins and riverdancing with the cutest bloke in pop...

So Stevo, it's been quite a year for Boyzone, we can hardly believe how much you guys have managed to cram in! What have been the highlights of 1998 for you??

Singing on stage with the Bee Gees and being in the U2 video for The Sweetest Thing. It was such a great honour to be involved with those two bands because they’ve both been so successful and they're so big world wide. In both cases they approached us and that was a great feeling!

Which other pop people have you hung out with this year??

I know Shaznay quite well, we go out together now and again but mostly we just talk on the phone because we're both really busy and quite often in different countries. I bumped into Emma Bunton at the Disney awards and we had a really good chat and then she came to one of our Wembley shows!

You said last year that you’ve never taken a day off sick from your Boyzone commitments. How do you stay so healthy??

Oh, my goodness. I take homeopathic stuff, multivitamins and try to eat healthily which is especially difficult when you're on tour. It's very tempting when you stop off to have a McDonald’s or Burger King - you go “ Hmmmmmm, maybe I'll just have a chicken sandwich!”

How would you spend a day off on your own??

Go home and sit in my hammock! I've got this huge, free standing, 12-foot hammock which I bought in Harrods and I'd just lie there and read a book!

What would you be doing if you weren’t in the entertainment biz??

To be honest with you I don't think I could do anything else! I often get asked what I'd be doing if I wasn't in Boyzone and I always say that I'd be involved in the entertainment business in one form or another. I'd be quite happy doing something behind the scenes, maybe managing a band like Ronan is now doing, but what I'd really like to do is produce or maybe record a solo album. I'll definitely stay in the business though!

Where do you call home at the moment??

I've moved into a house just outside Dublin. It's really private and there’s a river running through the grounds and there’s even a forest!

How many wardrobes do you have now??

Ummmmmm. (Thinks for a while) I have seven wardrobes and they're all pretty full! How do I know where everything is? I don't! I just go in and have a root around and see what I feel like wearing that day. I'm like “Oooh, look, I haven't seen this for 20 years!”

What’s your speciality in the kitchen??

Chicken curry or tandoori chicken or stir-fried chicken. I also do excellent stir-fried king prawns with a ginger dressing which is really nice. Mmmmm!

What does your answerphone message say??

I haven't got it set up at home yet because I'm not there often, But on my mobile it says “Hi, I can’t get to the phone at the moment, but if you leave a name and number I'll ring you back as soon as I can. Take care and God bless!” There’s music playing in the background as well, I can’t remember what it's called but it's ambient, feel good kind of music.

Is there anything you still can’t do that you wish you could??

There are lots of things I'd like to do. One of them is fly fishing and I'd really like to get back into sailing. I used to sail many year ago and I'd love to give it another go!

How have your relationships with the other guys changed over the year, what with them getting hitched all over the place??

It's just got better and better to be honest! We’re doing a job that’s very, very tough at times but we respect each other a lot more now and understand each other’s moods and know when to keep out of each other’ way. There are hardly any arguments these days!

You're always travelling to some far-flung exotic place or other. What’s the most amazing place you’ve been to so far??

Bahrain, in the Middle East, is spectacular! It's so beautiful. I remember chilling out on a beach out there the sun was really warm and there was a cool breeze blowing. We grabbed a few beers, went out on a boat and watched dolphins jumping up and down. It's just lovely!

Ronan has said that he'd still like to visit Africa. Where in the world would you still like to go??

Well, I'd really like to visit Africa too and I'd also like to go to Jamaica because it's supposed to be really nice there and I'd like to get back to Bahrain. Chill out on that beach and see the dolphins again!

Where would you say is your favourite place in the States??

I had a lovely time in New York, the shopping’s excellent there! Actually while I think about it I'm going to have to buy a new suitcase today because the one I'm travelling with at the moment is so full, I'm having to literally stand on it so that it will close!

Which is your favourite new pop act of 1998??

Definitely BWitched! They’ve done incredibly well this year and their songs are well good! I know the girls quite well and they really deserve it because they’ve been working so hard for the last three years. BWitched have brought riverdancing into the spotlight.

Can you manage a few steps??

No, but I think B*Witched are very good at it and it's best left to them! They could do it much better than I ever could!

What ambitions do you have left??

There are so many things I want to do and people I want to work with! I'd love to sing with Janet Jackson, Shaznay and Mel C. I think Hinda Hicks has an amazing voice, I'd love to record something with her! I want to sing for Disney again and there are lots of producers I want to work with.

Is 1999 the year of the Boyzone Greatest Hits album??

Oh yeah, 1999 will definitely be the year! Probably in May. There's so much else we'll be up to as well. We're going back to the States, another tour and probably working on another album too. Phew!

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So you thought you knew everything about STEPHEN BOYZONE.

It's been another bonkers year for STEPHEN GATELY. We talk shopping, dolphins and riverdancing with the cutest bloke in pop...

So Stevo, it's been quite a year for Boyzone, we can hardly believe how much you guys have managed to cram in! What have been the highlights of 1998 for you??

Singing on stage with the Bee Gees and being in the U2 video for The Sweetest Thing. It was such a great honour to be involved with those two bands because they’ve both been so successful and they're so big world wide. In both cases they approached us and that was a great feeling!

Which other pop people have you hung out with this year??

I know Shaznay quite well, we go out together now and again but mostly we just talk on the phone because we're both really busy and quite often in different countries. I bumped into Emma Bunton at the Disney awards and we had a really good chat and then she came to one of our Wembley shows!

You said last year that you’ve never taken a day off sick from your Boyzone commitments. How do you stay so healthy??

Oh, my goodness. I take homeopathic stuff, multivitamins and try to eat healthily which is especially difficult when you're on tour. It's very tempting when you stop off to have a McDonald’s or Burger King - you go “ Hmmmmmm, maybe I'll just have a chicken sandwich!”

How would you spend a day off on your own??

Go home and sit in my hammock! I've got this huge, free standing, 12-foot hammock which I bought in Harrods and I'd just lie there and read a book!

What would you be doing if you weren’t in the entertainment biz??

Where do you call home at the moment??

I've moved into a house just outside Dublin. It's really private and there’s a river running through the grounds and there’s even a forest!

How many wardrobes do you have now??

Ummmmmm. (Thinks for a while) I have seven wardrobes and they're all pretty full! How do I know where everything is? I don't! I just go in and have a root around and see what I feel like wearing that day. I'm like “Oooh, look, I haven't seen this for 20 years!”

What’s your speciality in the kitchen??

Chicken curry or tandoori chicken or stir-fried chicken. I also do excellent stir-fried king prawns with a ginger dressing which is really nice. Mmmmm!

What does your answerphone message say??

Is there anything you still can’t do that you wish you could??

There are lots of things I'd like to do. One of them is fly fishing and I'd really like to get back into sailing. I used to sail many year ago and I'd love to give it another go!

How have your relationships with the other guys changed over the year, what with them getting hitched all over the place??

It's just got better and better to be honest! We’re doing a job that’s very, very tough at times but we respect each other a lot more now and understand each other’s moods and know when to keep out of each other’ way. There are hardly any arguments these days!

You're always travelling to some far-flung exotic place or other. What’s the most amazing place you’ve been to so far??

Bahrain, in the Middle East, is spectacular! It's so beautiful. I remember chilling out on a beach out there the sun was really warm and there was a cool breeze blowing. We grabbed a few beers, went out on a boat and watched dolphins jumping up and down. It's just lovely!

Ronan has said that he'd still like to visit Africa. Where in the world would you still like to go??

Well, I'd really like to visit Africa too and I'd also like to go to Jamaica because it's supposed to be really nice there and I'd like to get back to Bahrain. Chill out on that beach and see the dolphins again!

Where would you say is your favourite place in the States??

I had a lovely time in New York, the shopping’s excellent there! Actually while I think about it I'm going to have to buy a new suitcase today because the one I'm travelling with at the moment is so full, I'm having to literally stand on it so that it will close!

Which is your favourite new pop act of 1998??

Definitely B*Witched! They’ve done incredibly well this year and their songs are well good! I know the girls quite well and they really deserve it because they’ve been working so hard for the last three years. B*Witched have brought riverdancing into the spotlight.

Can you manage a few steps??

No, but I think B*Witched are very good at it and it's best left to them! They could do it much better than I ever could!

What ambitions do you have left??

There are so many things I want to do and people I want to work with! I'd love to sing with Janet Jackson, Shaznay and Mel C. I think Hinda Hicks has an amazing voice, I'd love to record something with her! I want to sing for Disney again and there are lots of producers I want to work with.

Is 1999 the year of the Boyzone Greatest Hits album??

Oh yeah, 1999 will definitely be the year! Probably in May. There's so much else we'll be up to as well. We're going back to the States, another tour and probably working on another album too. Phew!

Definitely BWitched! They’ve done incredibly well this year and their songs are well good! I know the girls quite well and they really deserve it because they’ve been working so hard for the last three years. BWitched have brought riverdancing into the spotlight.