30 March 2023 , 20:49
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Boyzone singer Keith Duffy and his family were "absolutely devastated" after a painful family loss.
The 48-year-old married his wife Lisa Smith in 1998 and the two welcomed two children - Jay and Mia.
He took to his Instagram page to tell his 156,000 followers that the family are grieving the loss of their family dog.
They had their "best friend" for nearly 15 years.
Along with photos of the dog, he wrote: "My children are absolutely distraught and devastated this morning as their best friend of nearly 15 years, their doggie Lenny (Len Len), passed away and is now gone to doggie heaven.
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"He was such a huge part of our family and played a vital role as their best friend as they grew up."
The Boyzone singer with one of his children in 2014 (Rex Features)"It’s amazing how human like he was," he continued.
"When either of the kids where sad or unwell he wouldn’t leave their side he was a huge support mechanism to them and us.
"All life is precious even our pets. So long Len Len."
Friends and fans took to the comment to pay their condolences, with fellow Boyzone star Ronan Keating writing: "So Sorry Dus. Heartbreaking."
He shared a few pictures of the family dog on Instagram (Instagram)
They had the dog for almost 15 years before he died (Instagram)"So sorry to read this. Dogs are absolute earth angels, they’re so good at minding us and the glue in the family, it’s a huge loss," one fan wrote.
"Hope Len Len meets up with Paul O’Grady, I’m fairly certain he’s gone go doggy heaven. All life certainly is precious, go gently."
Another follower commented: "So sorry @officialkeithduffy it’s horrible when we loose a pet. They are part of the family."
Keith rose to fame in Boyzone with Ronan, Stephen Gately, Mike Graham, and Shane Lynch.
They have released seven studio albums and nine compilation albums.
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Last year, Keith revealed he was "always pushed to the back" during the height of their fame.
Keith rose to fame in Boyzone (Getty Images)
He previously said he was always "pushed to the back" in the band (PA)Keith admitted it was "difficult" in the 90s when Boyzone first shot to fame, due to their huge success.
He said: "It was really difficult in the 90s being in Boyzone because we were so successful, but Shane [Lynch], myself and Mikey [Graham) probably would have been looked upon as not being there for our voices."
Keith concluded: "It was difficult when my mum and dad came to see us playing Wembley – I wasn’t up front as I was pushed to the back. I’m delighted I get to do what I do with Brian. My dad passed away [in 2021], but he came to a few of our shows and he got to see me up front."