Jack Keating, the son of Boyzone star Ronan Keating, has opened up about his family's dramatically changed perspective as he makes a comeback to reality television in Love Island: All Stars.
A Father's 'Flipped' Feelings on the Villa Return
The 26-year-old, who first appeared on the ITV2 show's eighth series in 2022, is part of the original line-up for the spin-off's third series, which launched on Monday 15 January. He revealed that while his famous father was initially nervous about his first stint, their roles have now reversed with his mother.
"He was delighted. The first time he was definitely a lot more nervous," Jack told the Daily Mail and other outlets. "I feel like this time, I think he's more excited." He explained that during his 2022 entry, his mum was "buzzing" about the opportunity, while Ronan, 48, was cautious, questioning if he was sure and ready for the experience.
"Now, it's flipped," Jack continued. "My mum is more like, 'Are you sure you want to do this? You know, you've got a good thing going at home with work and everything. Are you sure you want to step back in the fire pit again?' Pardon the pun. So my dad's more excited. My mum's a little more like, 'Okay, just be careful.'"
The One Rule and a New Game Plan
Despite Ronan's increased enthusiasm, there remains one firm piece of advice from the Irish pop star to his son. "The whole no sex on TV is a big staple for him," Jack admitted. "He's like 'Don't do it yourself.'" However, the Islanders are not making any promises, adding with a laugh: "And I'm not ruling anything out. You never know what can happen."
Jack, who became a father to daughter Maya in March 2023, had a brief five-day run in the current All Stars series as a Casa Amor bombshell, failing to find a connection before being dumped. This contrasts with his hopes as an original contestant, for which he has a new strategy.
"Well, everything I did last time do the complete opposite. That is the number one goal for this time," he joked. Reflecting on his previous approach, he said: "I feel like last time I didn't really kind of go in there on my heart and my sleeve, I kind of sat back and did too much and probably kept my card close to my chest. So this time I'm going in there getting stuck in."
Learning from Past Experience
Jack believes his father now trusts his preparedness, acknowledging his four years of experience in the industry since his first TV appearance. "He knows I'm more prepared now," Jack stated. He also pointed out that while Ronan is a seasoned performer, he hasn't navigated reality TV himself. "I mean, he's not done reality TV before either... he hasn't given me much to be fair. Let's leave it there."
The reality star is optimistic about the different dynamic of entering as an original Islander, compared to the high-pressure Casa Amor environment. "The OGs, you do get a bit more time... to go in there and chat to everybody," he explained. "With Casa, it was like three days get in there. If you don't hit the ground running, you're pretty much cooked from the very start."
His current goal is to be more open, get to know everyone, and hopefully make some friends along the way. "I know it's not Friends Island," he quipped, "but that's probably the game plan right now."
