Ronan Keating opens up about therapy: ‘I get help whenever I am feeling fragile’

Former Boyzone star discussed his mental health on International Men’s Day

Ronan Keating has opened up about seeing a therapist when he is “feeling fragile”.

The former Boyzone star discussed male mental health on Loose Women's first all-male panel on International Men's Day (19 November).

Keating, who was joined by JLS star Marvin Humes, Love Island narrator Iain Stirling, and radio presenter Roman Kemp, spoke openly about his mental health struggles.

The father of five said: “It's easy to just ignore it and move away from it. Live your own life. But it's there in black and white.

“And our generation, we can be at the forefront and make the change and not be scared to speak about it.

“We have young kids in our household and to be able to be more open about it and be able to tell your kids you love them. My parents, my dad in particular, he came from a generation where he found it hard to say he loved us and put his arm around us.”

But Keating added that things have changed for his generation. He added: “Please God, today we can be big enough to be able to speak about it in the household.”

Keating, 43, who shares two young children with his wife Storm, 39, said she often suggested he should visit his therapist when he was stressed.

He said: “I get help whenever I am feeling fragile, if I need to lean on somebody. My wife can tell if I am overstressed, working too hard, things are getting on my back or maybe it's a certain date that reminds me of something that's happened, someone who has passed away.

“I talk to my therapist Dan. I will say to Storm, 'Do you think it's time to speak to Dan?'”

Capital Breakfast DJ Kemp, 27, agreed and called for better mental health education for schoolchildren.

He said: “We need to be teaching boys at school to open up. It's important to learn to defend yourself against your own brain.

“I was at school not long ago and I didn't once get taught how to deal with stress and my own mental health.

“There needs to be more done for the kids,” he added. “50 per cent of schools these days don't have any form of counselling and that for me isn't good enough.”

In 2019, male suicide rates in England and Wales reached their highest for two decades. In a comment piece for The Independent, Matt Murphy wrote about why International Men’s Day has never been more critical.  

“It may be laughed off as a waste of time that exists simply to keep ignorant ‘meninists’ from asking, on International Women’s Day, when ‘their day’ is,” he wrote.

“But today isn’t a sham celebration of male rights. It’s a vital chance to address a number of issues that predominantly affect men – issues that can’t be collectively pigeonholed into other days or weeks of awareness alone. It is an excuse to benefit from talking to each other about the things that might be awkward or uncomfortable.”

Additional reporting by PA.

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