When BP Fallon first met Boyzone, he was promoting his book U2 Faraway So Close on the Pat Kenny show and the boys were doing their second TV programme ever. Fast forward to August of this year; BP sets off with the band on their tour of the Far East, watching, talking, hanging out and taking photos. A new book, Boyzone Go East, is the result.
"It was madness," said BP. "They're huge over there and the fans were everywhere. One time we had to hide in a men's bathroom because the crowd got too large, and even then the policemen were running in firing off cameras. They're very nice chaps - they may not play rock 'n' roll but they're rock 'n' roll in their hearts."
That's as may be, but lead singer Ronan Keating was due to ring me at 8.30 p.m. just before we went to press - but had to go to bed instead. Still, the poor lad has had a hectic schedule of late. There was a Wembley concert in London on Wednesday night, and the MTV awards in Rotterdam which he presented single-handed last week. MTV head Brett Hansen was so delighted that future TV work seems in the bag.
Closer to home, he's just recorded a duet with Dustin the turkey, written a song for the Carter Twins, to enter for Eurosong (so now you know who to blame when we have to host Eurovision again), and has come home to judge The Late Late Show fashion awards with John Rocha and model Sophie Dahl. Fair enough Ronan, I feel tired even writing about it.