Boyzone's Ronan defies death threat

The show went on despite the death threat

Boyzone star Ronan Keating has been forced to change TV studios after a death threat prompted fears for his safety during a live broadcast.

The singer is understood to have received the threat through his website, which specifically mentioned his appearance on MTV's Select programme.

Keating - whose new single Life Is A Rollercoaster is expected to reach number one on Sunday - braved the scare to go ahead with the afternoon broadcast and it went off without incident.

The Irish megastar is expected to travel to Belfast on Friday to record an interview with the BBC for Patrick Kielty's Almost Live chat show.

We gave him the option not to do Select but he wanted to continue

Studio spokeswoman

Police swamped MTV's studios in Camden, north London and remained on hand after checking the area around the building.

They were unhappy about the singer appearing in a portable studio outside the offices from which the Select show is normally broadcast.

The studio, which has a glass front allowing fans to look in, was thought to leave him vulnerable.

Instead he was moved inside the main building to co-host the show with regular presenter Kelly Brook and producers superimposed a backdrop.

A studio spokeswoman said: "We gave him the option not to do Select but he wanted to continue. He looked fine about the whole thing."

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Following information received, officers were requested to attend MTV studios in Camden which they did.

"There was no incident."

Keating is almost certain to have the UK's new number one single on Sunday, with his song Life Is A Rollercoaster outselling his nearest rivals, The Corrs, by more than four to one.