Westlife recall the time Simon Cowell came up with the band's iconic dance move

Westlife have revealed that it was Simon Cowell who invented their iconic dance move - where the band stand up on four stools right as the key change kicks in during their songs.

The boyband have delighted their fans for years with the trademark dance move, which sees the four boys quickly stand up from their stools during the climax of their song.

The foursome send fans wild with the stand-up routine, and they still use the special stool trick to this day.

However, the Irish pop group have now shared the mastermind behind the dance move, and it was none other than Simon Cowell himself.

Speaking to hosts Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty on Thursday's BBC Breakfast, the band spilled on their choreographed routines.

BBC presenter Charlie asked Westlife about their dances, and who the worst dancer in the band was.

Singer Markus Feehily admitted that it was him as he struggles to sing and dance at the same time.

He said: "I find it difficult to concentrate on singing and dancing at the same time so I would drop out of the dancer chains a lot and fans might notice that but you know, if I had to pick one I'd pick singing because I'm a singer."

Charlie asked him if he drops out of the dances subtly, to which Markus replied: "Sometimes I do it really unsubtly and really awkwardly."

He went on to recall the time Simon came up with the stand-on-the-stool trick.

Markus said: "Since the beginning, we've never really been known as dancer-dancers, but we have been known for little bits of choreography..."

From the red sofa, he gestured to the four black stools in the corner of the BBC studio.

The singer continued: "Simon Cowell originally saw us standing up on one TV show. We stood up on a key change which has become quite famous now, and he was like 'I love it.'"

Apparently Simon put key changes in their songs specifically to employ his special trick.

Markus added: "He was adding key changes onto songs that didn't need key changes just so we could stand up."

Shane added that people used to gasp at the move as it was such a dramatic moment in their performances.

On their break-up after fourteen years as a band, Kian said: "We were fourteen years together, so if you look at any band, it doesn't matter what music you do, it's quite an intense couple of years.

"And then if it goes well it gets big, so fourteen years for us was a long time. We loved it and we enjoyed it but we needed a break.

"We all did our own separate stuff which then reignited the flame to come back to do the reunion two years ago which went so well, which then enabled us to do this brand new album."

Westlife are set to release their new and fifth studio album, Wild Dreams, on Friday (26 November).

For more of the latest showbiz news from the Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.