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Dublin Live
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Shane Power

Bono and wife Ali 'deeply regret' turning down offer to be godparents

Bono said he regrets turning down an offer for himself and wife Ali to be godparents to Michael Hutchence and Paula Yates’ daughter Tiger Lily.

The U2 frontman opened up about his fraught friendship with the late INXS musician who died by suicide in 1997. He said the Australian singer, who also dated Kylie Minogue, “disappeared into this hole” before his death.

Bono – real name Paul Hewson – spoke about how he and his spouse felt they had no choice but to say no to acting as godparents to the youngster. In an emotionally charged interview he told Brendan O’Connor on RTE Radio One: “Well, it was a mistake. We deeply regret that.

Read more: Bono 'passed out' in Lincoln room after drinks with then-President Obama at White House

“But there was a young child involved and we just didn’t want to feel whilst they were on this very self destructive path that we could just be there going yeah, everything’s fine. You know, wow. Yeah. Let’s be the godparents.”

Hutchence’s relationship with Yates started in 1994, when she was still married to Bono’s pal Bob Geldof. Bono and Ali were close to the couple for a while but he ended his friendship with Hutchence as he spiralled into drug addiction.

Michael Hutchence and Paula Yates attend a screening of 'The Birdcage' at Planet Hollywood in London, 15th April 1996. (Photo by Dave Benett/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

The 60-year-old discussed his new memoir Surrender touching on the death of his mother, his relationship with his father and U2’s success. The With or Without You singer said there was new music to come from the foursome hinting at a possible live show in Las Vegas next year.

He said: “I hope it’ll be ready. I can’t announce Vegas, you’d have to shoot me. But if it happens, I can promise you it won’t be like anything you’ve ever seen in Las Vegas or anywhere, ever. It is the most extraordinary …. it’s grand madness by 100 and it will centre around Achtung Baby, which we feel we need to honour.

“But we also have to have some new songs out... There’s no place yet big enough.”

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