Being pulled on to the stage by her Boyzone idols and serenaded with songs she had listened to so many times on the radio was something Laura Russell had dreamed about.
But the dream became a reality for the 19-year-old from Wednesbury, who got to meet her music idols in front of thousands of fans.
She was at the band’s comeback reunion tour at Birmingham’s NEC on Tuesday with her mum Caroline Smith and step-dad Peter.
It was the sixth time she had seen the group perform and she jumped at the chance to enter a contest to join them on stage.
She said: “There was a competition on the big screen asking people to text the answer to a question,” she said.
At just after 9pm the arena was silenced before Laura’s mobile phone was called to signal she was the winner.
The Ikea worker said: “I was taken through the back stage area and met some of the girl dancers, then one of the dancers took me up to the stage – and I came up through the middle.”
She said of the band: “They just came in and started hugging and kissing me.
“I’ve been a fan since I was nine or 10 and I always remember having a Boyzone T-shirt from the very first concert.”
Laura got interested in the band as her mum was a big fan.
Laura, of Myvod Road, said: “She always used to go to the concerts and so I started going too.
“I think I was a bit overwhelmed when I went to the first concert at about 12 – because when you are so young and you see someone famous it’s that excited feeling you get.”
She has since seen the group perform concerts in Birmingham and also travelled to Liverpool to see them in 2006.
The former Wood Green High pupil now keeps tabs on the group as a member of their online fan club and also has built up collection of merchandise including used gig tickets and T-shirts.
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