Nineties pop legends forced to cancel car park comeback gig after failing to sell tickets

ETERNAL’S big car park comeback gig has been scrapped after poor ticket sales.

Fans have deserted the Nineties pop group following transphobic comments allegedly made by the band’s sisters Vernie and Easther Bennett.

The group, who reached No1 in 1997 with I Wanna Be the Only One, had been set to perform in a parking area at Birmingham’s NEC in May — with the event billed as their first major gig in a decade.

But sources told The Sun it was canned as the band — whose debut album Always & Forever sold millions around the world — struggled to sell £50-plus tickets.

Yesterday, the sisters revealed new group member Christel Lakhdar, after original bandmates Louise Redknapp and Kelle Bryan quit amid last year’s transphobia row.

It was claimed by Louise’s publicist that Vernie and Easther had said the “gay community was being hijacked by the trans community and they do not support this”.

Louise, previously married to ex-Liverpool footballer Jamie Redknapp, left Eternal in 1995 – but her publicist has previously claimed they were set to reunite before the row broke out.

The sisters will instead perform future gigs with Christel.

Other events they have lined up include a ‘90s throwback event at a Butlin’s in Minehead, Somerset, in September.

In 1997 they reached No1 in the singles chart with hit I Wanna Be the Only One, a duet with BeBe Winans.

The band’s management have been asked to comment.