People think we’re millionaires but we have nowhere to live, says former S Club 7 star Hannah Spearritt
S CLUB 7 singer Hannah Spearritt was left homeless at Christmas despite her global fame, she reveals today.
The 41-year-old — whose band raked in £50million — had to live in an office with her partner Adam Thomas, 42, and their two girls.
She said: “The kids’ beds were there and we had the crayons out. It was stressful."
The singer and her family had just two days to find a new place.
They were forced to call in favours from friends after they were asked a “crazy” £6,000 up front for a short-term rental.
Hannah, who earned £150,000 a year and sang to packed stadiums in the 2000s, temporarily crammed the family into a pal’s business premises — using it as a living room.
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They have now been in four temporary homes in the last six months, and are still without one of their own.
To add to the agony, Hannah had been bedbound with an illness and the couple’s new café venture has stalled.
But Hannah said they made the best of their ordeal by turning the office space into an adventure for girls Taya, four, and Tora, three.
The singer admits her former earnings may seem a big sum for most people.
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Yet it is crumbs given the band generated £50million in their heyday with hits such as Don’t Stop Movin’ and Bring It All Back.
Hannah told The Sun: “We were not on a good wage compared to the money being made.
“People think we must all be millionaires but sadly it’s just not true. It was what it was and we enjoyed ourselves at the time.”
Personal trainer Adam Thomas weighed in: “S Club 7’s manager Simon Fuller did well for himself didn’t he?”
Fuller, 62 — also behind the Spice Girls — is worth an estimated £445million.
The couple’s troubles began when their landlord sold up and gave them two months to quit the home in South West London.
But suddenly their moving date was brought forward and by late November they had two days to find a new place.
They turned down the option of short-term rentals, with Hannah branding the up-front cash demands as “Crazy, extortionate”.
Instead, a pal who was away over Christmas and New Year offered their house in Surrey.
But it meant the couple had nowhere to go for two weeks before the festive season — forcing them to take refuge in another pal’s office, close to their empty café premises.
Some nights they relied on kindness from family and friends.
Hannah said: “Our landlord needed the money and the property sold so fast. We ended up with under two days to leave.
“What screwed us is we didn’t have time to find another place.
“We had somewhere over Christmas but ran out of time before we could move in. It was just a couple of weeks.
“We filled the unopened café with our belongings — we were so lucky to have that storage space — but had nowhere to go.
“We were allowed to stay in our friend’s office.
“We just used it as our living room. We could work in there and the kids played.
“It was extra space. The kids’ beds were there and we had the crayons out. The climbing frame was up; it was fun for them.
“It was stressful but you deal with it, don’t you? Especially with the kids.
“Whatever doesn’t break you, as they say . . . ”
Hannah’s ordeal came despite the glamorous showbiz lifestyle she enjoyed 20 years ago — being wined and dined in glitzy venues and cross-crossing the globe as a pin-up girl.
S Club 7 launched in 1999 and had four UK No1 singles and one UK No1 album.
They gained more fame via TV shows including Miami 7 and Viva S Club before splitting in 2003 — after selling more than ten million albums worldwide.
Hannah then focused on her acting career and headed for auditions in Hollywood.
After landing a lead role in ITV sci-fi drama Primeval in 2007, she appeared in a West End show.
She had a short stint in EastEnders in 2017, and a part in BBC’s Casualty.
S Club 7 toured the UK in 2015 and are set for reunion gigs this autumn.
But Hannah is the only original group member yet to sign on the dotted line over dates including shows at London’s O2 Arena.
She is wrestling with her responsibilities as a mum and the café plans.
Hannah said: “At the moment it’s S Club 6.
“It hasn’t got the same ring to it has it but I’m going to make a final decision soon. I just need to be sure everything will be okay health-wise.
“There is no point being paid pittance and getting exhausted. It has to be worthwhile and I have the kids to think about. I’d like them to see me up there.
“It’s an opportunity to do things right this time.”
She and Adam, who got together in 2013, were due to open a holistic café, Earth & Fire last summer.
But setbacks delayed the venture in Twickenham, South West London.
It is awaiting more building work ahead of a launch later this year.
Brave Hannah hugged Adam as she told The Sun: “There have been delays with the café. The reasons are very personal. It’s life stuff, and hard to explain.
“I had an illness that took it out of me and I hardly got out of bed in three months.
“The depths of life hit us; big hardships. But ultimately we’re still here. And the café will open. We’re looking forward to the future.
“The timing of it all is not important. So many people have had a difficult time.
“I was going through some stuff but I’m not focusing on the past. We’re steadfast and we’re good.”
Hannah added: “Last year was terrible but this year is going to be great.
BOOB OP STRUGGLE
HANNAH suffered with her health for three years after a 2013 boob job. It left her with depression and severe anxiety — which still has knock-on effects today.
She talked about “breast implant illness” as a potential side-effect of silicone implants for ITV’s Celebrity Health Stories last October.
Experts recognise the condition but research is limited. Hannah said she became so ill that at one point she thought she was going to die. She had the implants removed
“We hope our café will finally open in the summer, and we’ll be able to move into our own home by then too.
“We have an allotment, and fruit and vegetables on sale in our café will be homegrown.
It’s exciting. We’ll be hands on, and it’s our new venture.”
Hannah thrilled her online followers by sharing videos of her kids excitedly running around the unopened café premises.
The pop star revealed last June: “We’ve been working together as a family to create this brand new holistic cafe concept.
“They love visiting and seeing all the building work.
“We are using sustainable materials and doing a lot of the work ourselves.
"We’ll be using high quality ingredients, filtered water and locally sourced produce. Opening this summer in Twickenham!”
The cafe had been set for launch last November before Hannah’s 80,000 followers were simply told it would be ‘Coming soon’.
Hannah told The Sun: “It has been tough but last year was the worst.
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“My anxiety has heightened. Moving is so stressful anyway. It has been challenging but life is full of ups and downs.
“One day, after we’ve made a success of the café, I would like to live in Costa Rica with Adam and the girls. I’m giddy about the future.”
Heaven with 7
1998: S Club 7 — Hannah, Bradley McIntosh, Jo O’Meara, Jon Lee, Paul Cattermole, Rachel Stevens and Tina Barrett — is formed by Simon Fuller.
1999: The band star in CBBC’s Miami 7 about their hunt for US fame.
1999: Debut single Bring It All Back hits No1 and sells over 600,000 copies.
2000: The band scoop the British Breakthrough Act at the BRITs.
2001: They go on their first tour after Don’t Stop Movin’ reaches No1.
2002: Paul quits to form a band with pals. The rest continue as “S Club”.
2003: They split after a greatest hits album, saying it was “time to move on and face new challenges”.
2014: Reunion for Children in Need.
2015: Bring It All Back tour.
2023: Comeback tour in the works.