Discussing the many facets of being in a boyband and how the music industry has changed since he joined Westlife, Mark Feehily said he was told on a number of occasions "you're fat, lose weight".
In a wide-ranging interview with Ryan Tubridy on Friday night's Late Late Show on RTÉ One, the Sligo native shared some insights into what went on behind the scenes in the early days of his music career.
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"Before you go on TV shows [they tell you] you know there are 14 million people watching this, there are actually 15 million people watching that one.
Feehily continued: "Look it is the music industry, and things are a bit different now, but back then people would have no problem telling you, 'you're fat, lose weight', like just before you went on TV.
"Now, instead of it being somebody from the record industry it's Instagram or it's Twitter."
He went on to describe a particularly nasty magazine article that had a "circle of shame" highlighting "what was wrong with a celebrity" and Feehily said "it completely destroyed" him.
However, the Flying Without Wings singer was keen to say that while trolls exist on the internet, comments on people's appearance are not the norm from people working in the music industry.
He said: "The point is, a lot has changed and we no longer accept stuff like that. It is not seen as ok anymore, and that's the important thing."
Feehily also shared a story about how a newspaper article forced him to publically confirm his sexuality before he was planning on doing so.
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"One day I got a phone call from somebody who works around us and they said The Sun know you are going out with someone, a man, and basically they are going to print the story.
"They want to know if you want to go and talk to them and explain your situation or not, but it is going in the paper either way.
"It was unexpected, I don't look back in anger, but I don't think anyone should be forced to come out in that way.
"Thankfully in the media industry, they wouldn't even think about doing something like that now. It is something that used to happen twenty years ago, but it doesn't happen now."
Watch the full interview with Mark Feehily on The Late Late Show on RTÉ Player.
