The sister of the late Boyzone singer Stephen Gately has opened up as she remembers her late brother, who died as a result of an undiagnosed heart condition in October 2009.
Michelle Gately is among those featured alongside Boyzone's Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating, and Shane Lynch in, the docu-series that is gripping the nation.
Stephen was just 33 years old when he passed away, Michelle told The Ray D'Arcy Show on RTÉ Radio 1 that she thinks he would be "very proud" of the documentary.
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Sharing that she also has the same heart condition that her brother unknowingly had, she said her family thinks their father may have had it too.
"I also have the same heart condition that Stephen had because it's hereditary," she said.
"My dad, we think, had it as well. My father died very young as well."
"I'm just on medication for it. Stephen, obviously, didn't know he had it.
"There's a specific test you have to get done. I only got it done after Stephen died, and they confirmed that I had it. You don't just go and get this test done; it won't be picked up - and his wasn't picked up."
The family mourn the loss of Stephen every day, and she shares stories about him with her children, who speak about him all the time.
"Stephen's 15 years gone and there's still pictures of him everywhere. We talk about him all the time. I've three children - they're always speaking about him. His music's on.
"Sometimes people say, 'Do you not get upset? Do you not feel sad?' And I say, 'No' because even in the documentary, they made him feel very much alive. You could hear his voice talking when you were watching it."
Michelle said she wanted to take part in the documentary to represent her brother and drew her courage from the want to honour him.
"I'm a quiet person... and I wanted to do it. I wanted to do it for him," she said.
"Stephen's not here anymore. The four lads, I knew they were all going to be in this. 'What are we going to do?' So when they asked me, of course, [I said] 'I have to get the courage to do this for him'."
"He'd be very proud. Very proud of the lads. He'd be very proud that I could do it, you know what I mean? [It] just keeps his memory alive."
The band said at the time that they were “completely devastated by the loss of our friend and brother, Stephen”.
They said in a statement@ “We have shared such wonderful times together over the years and were all looking forward to sharing many more.
“Stephen was a beautiful person in both body and spirit. He lit up our lives and those of the many friends he had all over the world.
“Our love and sympathy go out to Andrew and Stephen's family. We love you and will miss you forever, ‘Steo’.”
In the preview, a tearful Ronan Keating can be heard recalling how he “called the guys and give them the news” of Gately’s passing — before footage of the bandmates at his funeral is shown.
Keith Duffy told how he thought “no, no, no, not our Stephen” when he heard the news.
English (US) ·