In August 2005, he publicly revealed he was gay during an interview with the British tabloid The Sun.[8] Feehily had recognised his sexual orientation when he was 14 or 15 years old.[9] His family, band mates and close friends knew his sexual orientation.[2][8] Westlife's manager Louis Walsh, however, was unaware of Feehily's sexual orientation when he began managing the group.[10] As the only gay member in Westlife, Feehily had kept his sexual orientation private and never had a boyfriend.[1] Unlike his band mates, Feehily did not discuss his private life in interviews, although he had dated women prior to his coming out.[1][11] In yet another interview, he told The Sydney Morning Herald that despite the fact that the majority of Westlife's fans are female, there had really been no negative reaction.[12