Ronan Keating’s performance at the 2024 Melbourne Cup has been brutally criticized by disappointed Australian fans.
The Boyzone singer, 47, took to the stage at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday to perform alongside singer Ricki-Lee Coulter ahead of the big Melbourne Cup race.
He sang his hit When You Say Nothing At All before New Zealand-Australian star Ricki-Lee, 38, joined him to sing Lovin’ Every Day.
However, fans watching at home criticized the performance as “desperate” and took to social media to share their disappointing reactions to Ronan’s appearance.
‘How desperate is the #MelbourneCup2024 for Ronan Keating? Was there no one else available?’ one person wrote to X, formerly known as Twitter.
‘As an Irishman, I apologize to Melbourne for Ronan Keating making random noises. You are welcome to stay with him. We really don’t want him back,” wrote another.
“Ronan Keating is such random entertainment,” another added.
However, others seemed to enjoy the performance and defended him on social media.
Ronan Keating’s performance at the 2024 Melbourne Cup has been brutally criticized by disappointed Australian fans.
The Boyzone singer, 47, took to the stage at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday to perform alongside singer Ricki-Lee Coulter ahead of the big Melbourne Cup race.
“Great performance by Ronan Keating and @TheRickiLee,” said one.
Ronan will take to the stage for the second time at the VRC Crown Oaks Club luncheon on November 6 and again as part of the Crown Oaks Day festivities on November 7.
Ronan’s Melbourne Cup appearance comes after he confirmed he has moved to Australia with his family.
The Irish singer said he and his wife, Australian television producer Storm, moved to Sydney with their children Cooper, seven, and Coco, four.
“We are mainly in Sydney and we will be here until next year,” he told 9News.
“We’ve re-evaluated life a bit and the plan is to spend more time here in Australia and close to family. We love it here.”
The couple, who married in 2015 after meeting while the former Boyzone star was a judge on The X Factor in 2011, wanted to give their children an “Australian lifestyle”.
However, fans watching at home criticized the performance as “desperate” and took to social media to share their disappointing reactions to Ronan’s appearance.
Ronan’s appearance at the Melbourne Cup comes after he confirmed he has moved to Australia with his family (pictured with wife Storm).
The Irish singer said he and his wife, Australian television producer Storm, moved to Sydney with their children Cooper, seven, and Coco, four.
Storm is originally from Australia and grew up on a cattle station in Far North Queensland before moving to Los Angeles, where she interned at HBO.
“Storm and I generally love being in Australia, first-hand, but being here this week and particularly in Melbourne and the Melbourne Cup,” he said.
‘The effort everyone makes and the pure beauty of this place is very special. It’s quite magnificent.’
Ronan also shares three more adult children – Jack, 25, Missy, 23, and Ali, 18 – with his ex-wife Yvonne Connolly, to whom he was married for 12 years.
