Ronan Keating reacts with horror to Kyle and Jackie O’s ‘shocking’ cover of his song

The 1988 country song has been subject to many cover versions over the years.

But When You Say Nothing At All has endured its ‘worst cover’ in history, according to the man who made the song famous – Ronan Keating.

The Irish singer assessed Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson’s version of the song, which aired on The Kyle and Jackie O Show on Friday, branding it ‘an absolute disaster’.

Kyle and Jackie O revealed they were going to do a ‘Friday duet’ but with ‘the whole team’ from their KIIS FM offices.

The ‘choir’ was divided along gender lines into one group of men and another of women.

They then revealed that arguably the most famous performer of the Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz-penned song, Ronan Keating himself, would be listening in to the performance. 

After singing, the breakfast radio hosts asked Ronan, who was listening in from the UK with his family, what he thought.     

‘Stormy [Ronan’s wife, Storm Uechtritz] just told me “just tell them it was brilliant”, began the pop crooner. 

‘No way. No way they’re getting away with this,’ he said, good naturedly.

‘That was shocking!’ concluded Ronan.

Even Kyle seemed to agree, adding, ‘I think you have grounds to sue the whole company.’  

But Keating didn’t stop there, saying, ‘That was an absolute disaster. I’m so disappointed’ ‘

He savaged Jackie, telling her, ‘I don’t know what team of singers you put together there,’ but seemed to appreciate Kyle’s efforts a little more, admitting, ‘Kyle’s a black belt in my songs.’

After hanging up with the Dublin native -who was celebrating his daughter Missy’s 20th birthday at the time- Kyle admitted he found the debacle ’embarrassing’.

However his co-host was unrepentant, stating: ‘I don’t think it’s embarrassing. Why would I be embarrassed?’