S Club 7 open up on reunion for the first time after confirming huge tour and reveal Glastonbury plans
S CLUB 7 are preparing to Bring It All Back by reuniting for a 25th anniversary tour — in a bid to “bring some positivity” to Britain.
Tonight they confirmed they will perform 11 shows in arenas across the UK and Ireland this October.
In their first print interview in eight years the group — left to right, above top, Hannah Spearritt, 41, Jon Lee, 40, Jo O’Meara, 43, Paul Cattermole, 45, Rachel Stevens, 44, Bradley McIntosh, 41, and Tina Barrett, 46 — admitted: “It’s been so depressing”.
Tina said: “Everything, every day. It’s like, what’s next? A zombie invasion? So we thought, let’s get S Club back together and bring some positivity back.”
Jo continued: “I think because it’s been 25 years, we all kind of knew. It was always going to happen again and it was just a matter of when.”
Rachel added: “People want nostalgia. They want to be taken back to those good times.
READ MORE ON S CLUB 7
“It’s amazing to celebrate these things. It’s 25 years so I think the world needs a bit of joy.”
The group previously reunited for a tour in 2015 and now admit they could have regrouped sooner, except they couldn’t find Jon.
He said: “That’s why it’s taken so long to do this, they couldn’t find me.
“I was in India for three and a half years. I went travelling and then I found some dogs over there which I adopted and brought home.
Most read in Bizarre
“But I stayed there for a while.
“It’s such an incredible opportunity and when life throws something like that in front of you, you’d be mental not to take it.
“To do an arena tour is incredible anyway and this will be our fifth.”
In five years, from 1998 to 2003, they released four albums, performed three arena tours, won two Brit Awards, had a TV series and even made a feature-length film, Seeing Double.
But they believe they are now ready for their biggest challenge yet — Glastonbury Festival.
Recalling some of their own most memorable moments, Rachel said: “We got to be on stage with some amazing people. We performed with people like Paul McCartney, Brian May, Cliff Richard and Phil Collins.”
Jo continued: “We’ve been very lucky. But we need Glastonbury next. I’m going to manifest it. We need to do it.
“Can you imagine the whole of the Glastonbury crowd singing Reach? It would be pretty amazing.”
Paul added: “If you do talk to Emily Eavis, we want the Pyramid Stage please.”
The news of their reunion will mean their kids will get to see them live. Hannah said: “I realised today that between us we have seven kids. Isn’t that spooky? And it’s the same ratio of three boys and four girls.”
Rachel went on to say her daughter Amelie, 12, now wants to follow her path into pop. She explained: “There’s no question because she’s so passionate about it. It’s incredible to see her loving what she does and I’m fully behind her.”
On the reaction to the news of S Club 7’s reunion, Rachel recalled: “My daughter said, ‘Are you going to be famous again?’”
Hannah and Paul dated during the band’s original run and rekindled their romance during the 2015 reunion.
However, she is now with long-term partner Adam Thomas, 42, a fitness trainer.
The Sun revealed last month how the couple were left homeless at Christmas.
They had to live in a friend’s office with their two girls after they were asked for a “crazy” £6,000 up front for a short-term rental.
The group are yet to discuss the prospect of new music.
But they do want to explore other paths and hope to bring their famous CBBC series’ Miami 7, LA 7, Hollywood 7 and Viva S Club to streaming services.
Rachel added: “There’s so many exciting things that we can do. We’ve got so much stuff from our history that we can put out there. It would be so nice to bring it to a new generation of people.”
Bradley also promised they will be performing a range of tracks live, as well as their greatest hits.
He said: “When we do tours we usually stick to the same songs — the most popular ones. But it would be nice to throw in some of our favourite album tracks as well.”
The S Club 7 Reunited tour kicks off at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena on October 13 with dates across the country, ending at London’s O2 Arena on October 28. Tickets on sale this Friday via Ticketmaster.
HANNAH SPEARRITT, 41
KEEPING the group on the straight and narrow on tour will be Hannah, who starred in the sci-fi show Primeval after S Club 7.
Last month it was revealed she had been forced to live in an office over Christmas after a landlord turfed her family out of their home. But now things are looking up.
She said: “I’ve got a couple of kids so I’ve been bringing up them and my main project is I’m a holistic health practitioner.
“I’m setting up a holistic health kitchen in Twickenham.”
JON LEE, 40
HE carved out a career in theatre after S Club 7 split
But in more recent years he has withdrawn from the spotlight and now lives a far quieter life.
After spending almost four years travelling around India, he has now relocated back to the UK.
But unlike his bandmates, he will be coming out of retirement for the tour.
He said: “I missed all of Covid here.
“I live in Cornwall now with my three dogs. I’ve retired so I’m just with the dogs.”
JO O’MEARA, 43
SHE had four operations last year after suffering several bulging discs in her back but she is now fighting fit again.
Jo released her second solo album With Love in 2021 and still plays live.
The mother of one, who was a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother in 2007, is in tip-top form for the forthcoming tour after a string of gigs in the capital.
She said: “I’ve been doing my solo stuff.
“I’ve been playing really nice jazz bars in London. I’ve got a little live band together.”
PAUL CATTERMOLE, 45
HE tried, but failed, to sell his Brit Awards on eBay after falling on hard times but now he has reinvented himself as a tarot card reader.
Paul explained: “The tarot reading is the main thing over the last few years.
“I’ve been getting into spiritualism through that.
“There is a sense, and I’ve picked it up from everyone, but there is a genuine feeling of positivity.
“It’s like, let’s go and make people happy and make ourselves happy at the same time.”
RACHEL STEVENS, 44
AFTER a successful solo career with hit singles Some Girls and Sweet Dreams My LA Ex, Rachel reached the Strictly final in 2008.
Since then she has had two children and become something of an influencer on social media and also has fronted charity campaigns.
Rachel, who separated from her husband Alex Bourne last summer after 12 years, said: “I have done lots of different things.
“I did Dancing On Ice and I’ve been working on some designing and fashion stuff.”
BRADLEY MCINTOSH, 41
AS a regular on the touring circuit, he can be seen in S Club 3 with Tina and S Club Juniors member Stacey McClean, 33.
He has gigged at night clubs and universities in the UK and Australia.
But other than that, he has been working at becoming a music producer.
He added: “I do a few shows here and there and a bit of studio stuff — I do writing and production.
“But I’m a dad too, that’s my biggest job. I’ve got a five-year-old so he keeps me busy.”
TINA BARRETT, 46
AS well as being in S Club 3 in the intervening years, Tina has had a baby and gone solo.
She explained: “I have a six year old so he’s my little prince, I love being a mum.
“And I’ve been on the road with Brad quite a bit.
“I released two singles all by myself and one was a bit of a rap and did really well abroad.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
“It went top ten in a few countries, so I was very happy with that.”
Tina also starred in musical theatres, appearing in Beauty and the Beast and The Wizard of Oz in 2014.