Keith Duffy's romance with wife and kids before split after 25 years of marriage
Boyzone fans have been left stunned by the sudden collapse of singer Keith Duffy’s marriage - after he was married to his wife for decades.
The 49-year-old Irish singer has been living in the spotlight since 1994 when the boyband he is a member of burst onto the pop scene with debut single Working My Way Back To You. Keith shared the spotlight with Mikey Graham, 51, Shane Lynch, 47, Ronan Keating, 46, and the late Stephen Gately - who tragically died in 2009 at the age of 33 due to health complications caused by an undiagnosed heart condition.
But there was someone else at Keith’s side through all this time; Lisa Smith - who Keith met soon after finding fame, would go on to marry, and affectionately referred to as “Smithy”. Fans were stunned in January this year when it was revealed the pair had separated and are preparing to divorce.
Here we look inside the couple’s once solid marriage to discover the beginnings, family days, and sad end.
Keith Duffy and Lisa Smith met in a nightclub in 1995 soon after he found fame (Robert Doyle/REX/Shutterstock)
The romance began soon after Boyzone found fame (Getty Images)Early romance
Boyzone propelled Keith into fame in 1994 with the release of their debut single Working My Way Back To You, which reached number 3 in the Irish charts. Later that same year, the band broke out internationally with their song Love Me For A Reason - which hit number 2 in the UK and charted strongly around Europe.
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It was the following year that Keith met his future wife, Lisa Smith, while in a nightclub in Dublin called The Pod. Speaking about their initial encounter, Keith explained that his future wife gave him “the right run around” before they got together.
The pair did fall for each other, however. And fell for each other hard - quickly starting a family and going on to swap vows. Reflecting on the start of their romance during an interview released just last year, Keith declared: “I loved Lisa and I fancied her.”
Wedding
The two love birds were married on 24 June 1998 - with a ceremony taking place in Las Vegas. While the pair had been dating for three years ahead of the marriage, their engagement was incredibly short as Keith reportedly proposed just two days before they walked down the aisle together.
Boyzone bandmate Ronan Keating acted as best man at the nuptials and it seemed the pair were still desperately in love when they marked their 25th anniversary in July last year. Sharing a romantic photo on Instagram at the time, Keith wrote: “Celebrating 25 years in Style. The French Riviera doesn’t disappoint.” He also thanked personal shopper Sinead Keary “for decking out Smithy in such Sexy attire”.
And Lisa wrote: “Celebrating 25 years married to my bestie, longest time ever I’ve had him home all to myself! Love him even more, thanks for the laughs and the joy of being loved, feeling very blessed #still going strong.”
Keith is a proud father of two - including rising actor Jay Duffy (FILE)
Kieth is also proud dad to daughter Mia and has carried out charity work inspired by her (officialkeithduffy/Instagram)Family life
Keith and Lisa became parents soon after their relationship began - with their son, Jay, arriving in April 1996, just nine months after they first got together. They went on to welcome a daughter named Mia in March 2000, and the singer is proud father to both.
Jay is now carving out a career as an actor - having appeared in hit comedy show Derry Girls, historical drama Vikings and fantasy show The Wheel of Time. Keith has helped raise awareness of autism after his daughter was diagnosed with the condition.
The chart topping star established the Kieth Duffy Foundation in 2015 in order to expand his charitable work. His charity website states: “With a strong link to autism awareness in Ireland, the Keith Duffy Foundation is working to raise funds for a number of children’s charities throughout the country… Support will be provided for people on the ground and will directly help individuals, families and schools, in particular.”
Marriage end
News broke on Saturday 20 January 2024 that the couple’s marriage had come to an end after a quarter of a century together.
A stunned source told the Mirror: “It has come as a shock to everyone. Back in July, they appeared happier than ever while celebrating 25 years together on a trip of a lifetime to the French Riviera.” The source also said they were “trying to keep the divorce civil” for the sake of their son and daughter.
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In a Weekend magazine interview in 2020, Keith spoke about what it takes to keep a marriage together. He said: “Number one, you have to want it to work. Number two, it takes a lot of compromise. Number three, it takes forgiveness. Some people can’t make it work, though. I’d never judge, but I do think sometimes people give up too easily. It’s easy to walk away. It’s harder to stay.”
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