This is crunch day for my band WestLife as we all wait nervously for the UK
charts to come out.
The lads will be up early this morning as it's a real buzz time for them.
It'll be hard to sleep.
The good news is, we'll all be put out of our misery around 12.30 this
afternoon because that's when we get the word.
We'll know then whether Swear It Again has gone to No1 or not.
There's a lot of heavy competition as Fatboy Slim is in the running with
Right Here, Right Now.
I know the lads would love to have a No.1, but they are definitely going to
be in the top three and that's a major achievement at this stage of their
career.
Kian, Nicky, Shane, Mark and Brian are holding it together well, putting
their heads down and working flat out.
This was an amazing week for them....on Tuesday they flew to Boston to
showcase for all the record company bosses from around the world.
They performed live and blew everyone away. All the record company heads
around the world are now buzzed up for WestLife.
On Thursday morning they were back in London to record Top Of The Pops.
As you know, TOTP is recorded on a Thursday and then it goes out on Friday
evenings.
Kian tells me that he never thought he'd see the day that he'd fly to
America just for one day and night. But that's the way it is in this
business.
WestLife literally spent one day and night at the big record company
conference in Boston and then hopped on a plane and high-tailed it back to
London to realise a dream.
There are TV shows and there are TV shows, but Top Of The Pops is a bit
special. It's a really legendary TV pop show, one we have all grown up
with.
When WestLife put out their first single, Swear It Again, their biggest
hope was getting the chance to perform on TOTP's. Now that ambition has
been achieved.
They may have been jet lagged after getting off a plane from the States,
but the WestLife lads were in top form as they made their way to TOTP's.
I was busy rehearsing with Boyzone, but I was in contact with them by
phone, giving them encouragement and advice.
I just wanted to make sure that they were relaxed and confident and knew
exactly what to expect.
I did tell them to enjoy the experience, but also to treat it with respect
because it's not every pop band that makes it all the way to Top Of The
Pops...and WestLife have done it with their first single.
There are bands out there who would die to get that opportunity, so I just
emphasised to them how lucky they are, because it doesn't happen to
everyone.
I also stressed the importance of keeping their feet on the ground, and
that they shouldn't let their instant success go to their heads, but I know
they're good lads and that won't happen.
Kian was on the phone telling me how there were 200 young fans waiting out
side the Top Of The Pop's studio when they arrived.
The WestLife lads went over and signed as many autographs as they could
before going inside to rehearse.
Later on they came out again to meet the fans because, after all, it's the
fans who have put both Boyzone and WestLife where we are today.
Going in to the Top Of The Pops studio was a moment to savour for WestLife.
You see it on TV growing up and the first thing you notice is that it's a
lot smaller.
But it has a certain magic and it's pretty amazing. There are five stages
and you see all the other performers wandering around the corridors.
Kian told me he saw people like Texas and Suede, and Martine McCutchon came
over to wish WestLife the best of luck with their career.
It was a wonderful experience for the lads, something they'll remember for
the rest of their lives. So, it's fingers crossed now for today's UK chart.