Artist Profile - Brian McFadden, member of the Irish boyband Westlife

Brian Nicholas McFadden (12 April 1980), is an Irish singer-songwriter who rose to fame in the late 1990s as a member of the Irish boyband Westlife. He is now a judge on Australia's Got Talent.

Following his departure from Westlife, McFadden released his debut solo album, Irish Son which peaked within the top 5 on both the Danish and Irish Albums Charts, and produced his first two No. 1 solo singles "Real to Me" in four European countries and also "Almost Here", a duet with his now ex-fiancée Delta Goodrem which gained a platinum accreditation in Australia. "Like Only a Woman Can", the lead single from his second album, Set in Stone (2008), became his third No. 1 single as a solo artist. In 2010, McFadden scored his fourth No. 1 with the hit single, "Just Say So" featuring American rapper, Kevin Rudolf and gained his second Australian platinum accreditation. The single received a nomination at the 2010 ARIA Music Awards for Most Popular Australian Single.

McFadden was born in Dublin, Ireland and was raised Catholic. Throughout his younger years, he always had an interest in singing, dancing and football. Along with his sister Susan, McFadden attended the Billie Barry Stage School in Dublin which led him to doing stage and TV roles, including a role in the Irish TV show Finbar's Class, a comedy revolving around a group of student-swingers. In early 1998, he formed a pop-R&B group with his friends, Tim and Darragh called Cartel, and performed live gigs in Dublin pubs.