By Richard Shears
Last updated at 9:15 AM on 17th February 2011
Former Westlife singer Brian McFadden was questioned by police at Sydney airport today after reportedly 'running amok' on a Virgin flight over the Pacific.
Flying from Los Angeles to Australia, the Irish singer, 30, was said to have abused flight attendants and fellow passengers - and allegedly even lit up a cigarette during the flight.
Passengers claimed that the former boy band star was drinking heavily, shouting and being generally abusive to all around him, before he was restrained by Australian TV talent show host Kyle Sandilands, who was travelling with him in the business class section.
Playing it down: Brian McFadden arriving at Sydney airport today after the alleged incident
He has since called the incident a 'storm in a teacup' while his Australian singer fiancee Delta Goodrem denied he had smoked on the plane.
Virgin cabin crew reported McFadden's behaviour to ground staff in Sydney and Federal Police moved in on him to question him.
Melbourne's 3AW radio station said McFadden had been drinking and smoking before storming into the economy class section, where he scolded passengers before he was led back to his business class seat by Kyle Sandilands.
Later Australian Federal Police confirmed that officers had received a request from Virgin to meet a VA2 flight arriving from Los Angeles.
Two men, said police, were interviewed by officers but as no formal complaint was made by Virgin they were released without charge and 'no further action will be taken'.
Defence: Australian X Factor judge Kyle Sandilands claimed federal police spoke to McFadden for 'just 20 seconds'
A spokeswoman for the airline confirmed there had been an incident on the flight but said it was an issue for federal police.
Interviewed by 9 News as he left Sydney airport, McFadden said: 'There was a bit of turbulence fours hours in...'
When asked if he was smoking on the plane, he claimed 'I don't smoke' - despite having a cigarette in his mouth at the time.
When questioned by Australia's 7 News later that day, the jetlagged singer said: 'I had a couple of drinks on the plane, I'm not going to lie about that. But I definately wasn't causing a scene or causing any problems for anybody.
'I 100 per cent did not smoke. (I didn't joke about smoking). If I was gonna smoke on the plane, I would hardly go around telling people I'm gonna.
Standing by her man: McFadden's fiancee Delta Goodrem denied he had been smoking on the flight
'It takes a lot more than a couple of drinks to get me drunk, I'm an Irishman.'
He later took to Twitter to reiterate his defence, writing: 'Wasn't arrested! Didn't smoke on the flight. And the Virgin staff were very nice. I did have a few drinks but I was not smashed and abusive.
'If reports were true then I would have been arrested, fined and wosrt (sic)! Banned from my favourite airline V Australia. Storm in a tea cup.'
Sandilands also defended the singer when questioned by 7 News: 'He wasn't drunk, he wasn't intoxicated. There was no drama at all. If 20 seconds with federal police is being interviewed and detained...'
Just recently McFadden went berserk on the social networking site, Twitter, sending a message to Miss Goodrem, 26, describing her as the 'most beautiful thing to ever arrive on this planet' - before letting fly with a string of abuse against his critics.
His message continued: 'And to all those d**ks who think they are entitled to question my integrity! In the nicest way... GET F*****.'
Later he apologised through the site, commenting: 'Wanna just let the amazing people who support me (know) that last night's rant was aimed at a handful of d***heads.'
Last year he verbally attacked his former wife, Kerry Katona, describing her as a 'pig faced' mole.
McFadden is currently a judge on the TV show Australia's Got Talent.
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