WHAT DO YOU USUALLY EAT FOR BREAKFAST?
Toast and cornflakes with just a little bit of milk on so they're all lovely and crunchy. I sometimes have egg, bacon and beans instead but I try not to eat fattening things. I really love melon for breakfast. It wakes me up and I feel kind of fruity!

WHAT IS THE BEST THING YOU EVER MADE AT SCHOOL?
A wooden go-kart with an engine on the back. My brother helped me; well, seven other people helped me but it was still all my own work as far as I was concerned. I was into wood when I was younger and I made a chair that was very good, if I say so myself. We've still got it at home in the back of the shed. (So it's not that good?) It's cool! There's a table in there to keep it company.

HOW SOON WOULD YOU INTRODUCE A GIRL TO YOUR MUM?
If I started seeing a girl tomorrow I'd give it a couple of months. I need to get a good base with a girl and know that it's a serious thing cos I wouldn't want to introduce her to my mum and then break it off the next week. I do tell my mum as soon as I meet a nice girl though and I'd love it if I had a girlfriend who got on really well with my mum and went off shopping and stuff.

CAN YOU DANCE?
Yes I can! When we presented MTV Select I did loads of Michael Jackson moves. (Demonstrates...) I did the kicks, the crotch-grabbing. I was deadly. I used to do loads of disco dancing when I was younger and I'd definitely give it a go on stage when we tour but as a band it's not really our style just now. You can hardly dance madly to ballads, can you?!

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU GOT YOUR HANDS DIRTY?
I had to change the tyre on my car just a couple of weeks ago. I was wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt and it was raining bad so the car was really muddy (Wincing at the thought) It was minging! I don't mind getting my hands dirty cos I've been brought up to muck out the horses and clear away the manure in the stables.

DESCRIBE THE MOST EMBARRASSING THING THAT'S HAPPENED MID-SNOG.
When I burped into a girl's mouth. We were in the cinema and I'd been drinking Coca Cola all night. I could feel this little burp inching up my throat but I pulled away too late. Lovely! Do you ever get a runny nose mid-kiss? That's another thing that's happened to me a couple of times!

WHAT CHARACTERISTICS HAVE YOU INHERITED FROM YOUR PARENTS?
My dad is a good singer and he's always humming in the shower. He's also taught me to be very patient. He says, 'Relax Shane, and wait for things to happen'. I take after my mum when it comes to being strong-minded. I always know exactly what I want and I always go for my goals. That's just what she's like.

WHAT PRODUCT WOULD YOU LOVE TO ADVERTISE?
A Mercedes Benz CLK 200 black convertible. It's my ideal car, very flash but not too sporty. Right now I've got a BMW which is gorgeous. It's a two-door car with all the perfect bodywork. I wouldn't buy a special number plate though cos I think they cost far too much money but I did see one the other day which was 99D, the Dublin reg, and then 911. That's cool.

WHO'S THE MOST ANNOYING IN THE BAND AND WHY?
I think we're all equally annoying. I'm annoying when I'm concentrating on something and the guys are trying to attract my attention. I won't listen to them cos I have to carry on with what I'm doing, whether it's watching telly or talking on the phone. It's almost like I can't actually physically hear them. We're all really grumpy in the morning too.

WHAT WAS YOUR MOST TREASURED POSSESSION AS A CHILD?
My first pair of white and yellow Reebok Pumps which my mum bought for my birthday. I had them before anybody else did in Ireland! They even had the special pumps on the front and I was sure that if I pumped tons of air into them I'd bounce right up into the sky!

WHAT'S YOUR BEST FASHION TIP?
Never wear white socks with black shoes. I used to do that when I thought I was Michael Jackson! If you're a girl, never wear tights with open-toed sandals. Yuk! It's horrible when you can see the seam of the tights across their toes. If a girl's wearing open-toed shoes you should be able to touch her toes.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU COULD BE A WOMAN FOR JUST ONE DAY?
(long, long pause.) I suppose I'd just study myself in front of the mirror. What else could I do?!

WOULD YOU LOVE TO DO A LATINO-INFLUENCED SONG?
Yeah! I love La Bamba and Ricky Martin's song was really cool. I don't think I could sing in Spanish but I'd give French a go cos I did that at school. I'd even wear Cuban heels but I wouldn't go as far as a poncho.

HAVE YOU EVER HAD A CRUSH ON A MAKE-BELIEVE GIRL?
Catherine Zeta Jones in Mask of Zorro. She played this girl who was falling in love with someone that she shouldn't have been getting involved with. She couldn't help herself so she followed her heart. Mind you, I think she's gorgeous in real life. Michael Douglas is a very lucky man.

CAN YOU TOUCH YOUR NOSE WITH YOUR TOES?
No I can't. (Lifts his foot about a metre away from his face.) See, I'm not very flexible. (Has another try.) Oh hang on, I'm nearly there (This time Shane's toes are just inches away from his nose!) I've never been able to get that close. It must be cos I've been going to the gym. I've been doing lots of running, sit-ups, rowing and steps.

WHAT WAS YOUR MOST IRRATIONAL FEAR WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER?
I always hated snakes. Sssssssssssssss... all that, urgh! I hate the sight of them (tries to turn his hand into a vague snake-head shape). Sssss, yuk! If one came near me I'd boot it as far away as possible.

EVER SEEN A GHOST?
No. Sometimes I think there have to be people who come back from the dead to look after their loved ones when things go wrong but I don't think you get ghosts that come along and harm you. At the end of the day I've never seen a ghost so I couldn't really comment. I prefer to be open-minded.

WHAT'S THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING IN WESTLIFE?
Getting No 1s, seeing the world, being on stage, meeting the fans. The whole experience has been a dream come true although it's a lot harder work than I imagined. I thought you did TOTP and then you went home until the next single. It's very, very rewarding though.

article © TOTP Magazine