Overview
- The pre-recorded BBC Radio 2 Tracks of My Years interview, broadcast on Wednesday, July 29, briefly halted after presenter Vernon Kay became visibly emotional and asked for a moment to compose himself.
- O'Donoghue reflected on Mark Sheehan's difficult childhood in Dublin and described how Sheehan's lyricism shaped songs such as 'If You Could See Me Now', which O'Donoghue now sings about his late friend.
- He said he 'went off the rails' after Sheehan's April 2023 death, turning to heavy drinking and smoking before deciding after a Christmas period to quit alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine to confront his grief sober.
- Vernon Kay later told listeners his reaction came from empathy for a close friendship, saying he could not imagine losing a mate in the way O'Donoghue did and that the moment moved him to tears.
- The exchange has refocused public attention on Sheehan's legacy as a founding Script member whose lyrics are taught at Berklee and on wider conversations about male bereavement and how artists honour lost collaborators.