Ronan Keating's gig at the Melbourne Cup is brutally slammed as 'desperate' by underwhelmed Aussie fans

Ronan Keating's performance at the 2024 Melbourne Cup has been brutally slammed by underwhelmed Australian fans.

The Boyzone singer, 47, took to the stage at Flemington Racecourse on Tuesday to perform alongside singer Ricki-Lee Coulter ahead of the big Melbourne Cup race.

He belted out his hit When You Say Nothing At All before New Zealander-Australian star Ricki-Lee, 38, joined him to sing Lovin' Each Day.

However, fans watching from home slammed the performance as 'desperate' as they took to social media to share their underwhelmed reactions to Ronan's appearance.

'How desperate is the #MelbourneCup2024 getting in Ronan Keating, was no one else available?' one person wrote to X - formerly known as Twitter.

'As an Irishman apologies to Melbourne for Ronan Keating making random noises. Ye're welcome to keep him. We really don't want him back,' wrote another.

'Ronan Keating is such random entertainment,' another added.

However others seemed to enjoy the performance as they defended him on social media.

'Great performance from Ronan Keating and @TheRickiLee,' one gushed.

Ronan will take to the stage for a second time at the VRC Crown Oaks Club Lunch on November 6 and again as part of the Crown Oaks Day festivities on November 7. 

Ronan's appearance at the Melbourne Cup comes after he confirmed that he has moved to Australia with his family.

The Irish singer said he and his Australian TV producer wife Storm have moved to Sydney with their kids Cooper, seven, and Coco, four.

'We are in Sydney mainly and we will be here until next year,' he told 9News.

'We have re-evaluated life a little bit and the plan is to spend more time here in Australia and near family, we love being here.'

The couple - who married in 2015 after meeting while the former Boyzone star was a judge on The X Factor in 2011 - wanted to give their children an 'Aussie lifestyle'.

Storm hails from Australia and grew up on a cattle station in Far North Queensland before moving to Los Angeles where she interned at HBO.

'Storm and I, we generally love being in Australia, first-hand, but to be here this week and in particular in Melbourne and at the Melbourne Cup,' he said.

'It is very special, the effort everybody makes and the sheer beauty of this place. It is quite magnificent.'

Ronan also shares three more adult children - Jack, 25, Missy, 23, and Ali, 18 - with his ex-wife Yvonne Connolly, who he was married to for 12 years.