Keith Duffy has warned that modern fame has become “dangerous” for young people, claiming social media and influencer culture are creating unrealistic standards for the next generation.
In an exclusive interview with GB News, the former Boyzone star reflected on more than three decades in the entertainment industry, admitting he is relieved social media did not exist when the chart-topping group first rose to fame in the 1990s.
Mr Duffy, 51, said the music industry had changed “in so many ways” since Boyzone released their debut single Working My Way Back To You in 1994, with streaming and downloads transforming the business entirely.
“It’s taken away a lot of the money,” he explained.
Keith Duffy spoke out on the dangers of fame
|GETTY
“Back in those days, you’d get on stage to promote and sell your album.
"Now you make an album to promote your ticket sales for a concert. So it’s completely flipped over.”
However, the singer stated that the biggest concern facing young performers today is the pressure created by social media platforms.
“It’s dangerous for the youth of today,” he said.
The former popstar rose to fame as part of Boyzone in 1994
| GETTY“It’s not real, it’s false, it’s fake. You don’t know what you’re looking at, whether it’s AI or whether it’s real.”
Mr Duffy, who was speaking to GB News on behalf of Zingo Bingo, a new, online bingo brand with several music-themed bingo rooms, warned that heavily filtered images and influencer culture were encouraging young people to chase unattainable standards.
“The younger generation is thinking that they need to aspire to be like these people on social media,” he said.
“Really, the people on social media are being false, so they’re trying to achieve a false front.”
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Mr Duffy said people on social media are false
| GETTYThe Irish performer also criticised the rise of celebrity culture built purely around online fame rather than traditional talent or achievement.
“Nowadays people are just famous for looking good or having a good body,” he said.
“Back in my day, celebrity was somebody who had a successful career as an actor, a sports person or a singer.”
Mr Duffy admitted he preferred “the world I grew up in” and said adapting to today’s entertainment landscape had been difficult.
The singer also reflected on the welfare of young stars entering the spotlight, saying performers from his generation were often “very innocent” when they first found fame.
He said: “We possibly could have been treated better.
"We possibly could have been respected more."
His comments come amid renewed scrutiny surrounding reality television and talent shows following the death of former One Direction star Liam Payne last year and ongoing conversations about mental health within the entertainment industry.
The actor has no plans to return to Coronation Street
| ITVDiscussing an upcoming documentary about The X Factor, Mr Duffy questioned whether enough support existed for young contestants suddenly thrust into global fame.
“Is there somebody there to break it down and help them understand how to live with that?” he asked.
“Being famous and being known everywhere, being followed everywhere, people having an unhealthy interest in everything that you do in your life.”
The performer also suggested some auditionees on talent programmes had historically been mocked for entertainment value.
“There’s been a lot of people that maybe struggled with mental health or possibly might have some sort of special needs, and they made fun of them in the audition scenarios,” he claimed.
Away from music, Mr Duffy said he has no plans to reprise his role as Kieran McCarthy on Coronation Street, despite continued fan interest years after his departure.
“I’d like to keep the memories where they were,” he said, explaining the ITV soap no longer felt the same after many of the show’s iconic stars left.