Shane Lynch now makes the occasional appearance on The Real Housewives of Cheshire but before that, he rose to fame in the ’90s as the “bad boy” of Boyzone due to his tattoos and potty-mouthed outbursts. But Shane - who is married to Sheena Lynch - is now passionate about religion and says he jumped at the chance to take part in Pilgrimage.
He tells Closer, “I made the choice to get re-baptised in 2003, becoming a born-again Christian. Anyone who doesn’t have that direct line to God is missing out, in my opinion. Christianity is a relationship not a religion, and it just makes life so much easier to have that guiding hand.”
But Shane’s close relationship with God didn’t come easily. Describing himself as “sticking out like a sore thumb” in the squeaky-clean vibe of Boyzone, Shane said he played up to his rebellious role and partied hard, even admitting he “dabbled in the occult and danced with the devil” before finding Christianity.
Shane, 46, explains, “I used Ouija boards, took part in seances, did tarot readings and they are all doors that are open to demonic spirits. I was in a very dark place at the time and the spirits that I was engaging with were only serving to make things darker. People often dismiss the occult but it’s very, very real and I experienced that.”
He continues, “That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy my time on the dark side because I really did, but my life became better when I transitioned to the light and found God again. Having said that, it takes work and I think it’s right to question everything that you don’t know.”
Shane was one fifth of Boyzone alongside Keith Duffy, the late Stephen Gately, Mikey Graham and Ronan Keating, before the band took a hiatus in 2001.
During the break, Shane pursued a career in motor racing before turning to reality TV shows such as Celebrity Love Island and Celebrity Big Brother.
Now a father of two daughters – Billie Rae, 14, and Marley Mae, 10 – with wife Sheena, Shane enjoys a slower pace of life. He’s announced his plans to retire from the showbiz world, with Pilgrimage being his last TV appearance – other than occasional cameos on The Real Housewives Of Cheshire alongside his wife.
Speaking about finally leaving the limelight, Shane says, “I’ve had the blazes of glory performing to 20,000 people on stage, so I wanted to come out humbly. This journey was an emotional and perfect ending.”
