My secret life: Ronan Keating, musician, 32

(Immo Klink)

The home I grew up in ... was a three-bedroom semi-detached, which my dad converted into a four-bed, by building a wall in the middle of one of the rooms. My brother and I had a bunk in one, and my two older brothers were in the adjacent room.

When I was a child I wanted to be ... an Olympic sprinter. My brother got an athletic scholarship to an American university. I had an Irish sprint record.

My greatest inspiration ... is my children. Every day as a father I see life through their eyes. The world would be a much better place if we all retained the passion of youth.

The moment that changed me for ever ... was the death of my mother, 11 years ago.

I drive ... a silver 1968 Porsche 911. I love it.

If I could change one thing about myself ... I would be a couple of inches taller. My wife and I are the same height, and when she puts on high heels I become the shorter person. That's just a little bit weird.

At night I dream of ... I love to fly in my dreams.

What I see when I look in the mirror ... a father, a singer and an entertainer.

My style icon ... Steve McQueen.

The shop I can't walk past ... is Colette on the Rue St-Honoré in Paris. It is the best shop in the world. They sell shoes, iPods, perfume, anything you can imagine.

A book that changed me... was 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthy. It is the story of man and his son, set in a time after a nuclear war. The planet has been destroyed, and there are no resources left. It's about their everyday survival, and shows how vulnerable we are as human beings.

The last album I bought ... was 'Day and Age' by the Killers. It was the first album I'd bought in three weeks, but it is very rare for me to go that long without buying new music.

The person who really makes me laugh ... is David Walliams. The rest of the members of Boyzone and I were having dinner at Nobu, and Walliams came over to our table. He said: "Hello boys, I just wanted to say that I love your work."

It's not fashionable but I like ... golf. Actually, it wasn't fashionable when I started, 15 years ago, but it's becoming so now.

My favourite work of art ... I love Jackson Pollock, and would love to get my hands on some of his prints.

My favourite item of clothing ... is a small, black leather biker jacket, which I bought in Paris a month ago. It's a cross between an aviator and a biker jacket. As a man, you're always in search of the perfect jacket, and I have a wardrobe full.

You may not know it but I'm very good at ... cooking. I love Jamie Oliver, his recipes are very simple to follow. I do a good hotpot and sweet and sour chicken.

You may not know it but I'm no good at ... paying attention.

All my money goes on ... cars. At the moment I have four.

If I have time to myself ... I like to get on the golf course and clear my mind.

My house ... is a six-bedroom, very comfortable, detached mock-Georgian. It is well beyond the size of the house I grew up in.

My most valuable possession is ... a limited-edition print of Steve McQueen, which I bought at a gallery in Los Angeles. It's one of only two in the world, and I keep it in the music studio at my house.

My favourite building ... I love the architecture in New York. It's not exactly steeped in history, but I love the Gothic vibe of the buildings there.

Movie heaven ... is a great epic. I love it when you find a good movie with a great actor like Tom Cruise. You can always look forward to his films as he never makes a bad one.

The best invention ever ... is the mobile phone.

I wish I'd never worn ... a pair of white trousers with red flowers on them by Gucci. A totally bad move, and not that long ago!

In 10 years' time, I hope to ... have slowed down a bit.

My greatest regret ... is letting the band break up the way it did. We fell out for a while, which should never have happened.

My life in six words ... I feel very lucky and fulfilled.

A life in brief

Ronan Keating, born in Dublin in March 1977, is the lead singer and sometime songwriter for the multi-platinum-selling boy band Boyzone, with whom he had six number-one singles in the UK and four number-one albums. He is also an award-winning solo artist, and lives with his wife and three children in Malahide near Dublin. Keating's latest album, Songs For My Mother, is out 16 March