Boyzone fans have defended singer Mikey Graham after he went missing during the band’s comeback show over the weekend.
The Irish group - who shot to fame in the 1990s - reunited at London’s Emirates Stadium on Friday night for the first of two concerts.
Graham, 53, arrived halfway through the performance to sing a handful of songs with Ronan Keating, Shane Lynch and Keith Duffy.
His fans flooded social media to defend the singer - who has previously battled alcoholism and mental health issues - after he faced backlash for not performing for the full gig.
“I’m not a fan of Boyzone - there are a few songs I like, but that’s not the point here. What really bothers me is the awful comments being made about Mikey Graham,” one wrote on X.
“If you’ve been lucky enough not to struggle in life, then good for you, but having money or success doesn’t make someone immune to personal battles.
“It’s clear that Mikey has faced his own difficulties, and mocking someone when they’re already down is about as low as it gets.”
Another said of the criticism: “It is so disheartening to see this happen.
“Mikey was incredibly brave to be open about how the band affected his mental health, and he shouldn’t be penalized for changing his mind or trying to face his fears. Glad the real fans are drowning out the noise.”
A third user commented: “Sending so much love to Mikey.
“Despite facing health challenges, u gave ur all at the Boyzone show, and it didn’t go unnoticed.”
Graham previously said he didn’t want to rejoin Boyzone after he fell into a depression following their split.
“I don’t want to go back to how I felt for many years,” he said in a Sky documentary following the band.
“To see them for too long would remind me of that and my future is way too important to me to waste it looking back on my past.”
Boyzone were formed in 1993 and also included Stephen Gately, who died in 2009.
The group went on a farewell tour in 2019 but put on two special gigs to bid a final goodbye to fans.
