Hit singer Duffy has recently explained why she disappeared from the limelight after releasing number one album Rockferry, bravely opening up about being drugged, raped and held captive by an unknown person.
Before her powerful statement on Instagram, she wasn’t the only big musical star of the noughties to have decided to step out of the public eye.
With fans often taking to social media to find out where their favourite artist has got to, Daily Star Online has done the leg work on some of the biggest stars ranging from the 90s right through until the noughties.
Whilst some managed to return to the music world, others have given up the spotlight and moved onto pastures new.
Here are 5 others who turned their backs on showbiz for reasons including bankruptcy, deportation, chart flops, and having babies.
Jenny famously turned down an Atomic Kitten reunion
Jenny Frost
Wallasey born Jenny Frost shot to fame as one-third of chart-toppers Atomic Kitten, taking over from Kerry Katona who departed the band after her marriage to Westlife singer Brian McFadden.
Despite Atomic Kitten reuniting in 2012, Frost chose not to take part in the ITV show The Big Reunion and was replaced by Katona but it was confirmed by Natasha Hamilton that Jenny would always be welcomed back.
After Frost, 41, joined the group in 2001, they went on to bag three number one hits and seven top ten singles before splitting in 2004.
But, where is Jenny Frost now? After hosting Snog Marry Avoid? Jenny opted to ditch Blighty and fled to Ibiza, where she married Spanish scuba diving school owner Vicente Juan Spiteri.
The pair have two children together, Blake and Nico, 7, and Frost shares a son, Caspar, 13, to former partner Dominic Thrupp.
Nowadays, Jenny tends to keep her Instagram followers updated with snaps enjoying life on the White Isle.
She also makes little reference to her pop star days, simply describing herself as an “Ex Kitten” and sharing just one picture alongside her Atomic Kitten bandmates.
Jodi rocketed to fame as a singer but later went on to achieve success as an actress (Image: Channel 4)
Jodi Albert
Jodi Albert shot to fame in 1998 as one-fifth of the short-lived girl group Girl Thing, formed by music mogul Simon Cowell after he chose to sign the Spice Girls.
Their debut single Last One Standing was expected to chart at number one following an expensive promotional tour with the girls even pre-recording a celebratory interview with BBC Radio 1. However, it only charted at number eight.
Jodi, Michelle Barber, Anika Bostelaar, Linzi Martin and Nikki Stuart went on to record the hit single Pure and Simple, which was later taken from them and given to ITV Popstars: The Rivals winners, Hear’Say.
A year after the group split, Jodi went on to land a role on Channel 4’s Hollyoaks playing Debbie Dean before leaving in 2005.
Following years making cameo appearances, Jodi, 36, became part of the girl group Wonderland, created by her husband Kian Egan of Westlife and old pal Louis Walsh.
They went on to achieve mediocre success between 2008 and 2011 after performing at events such as Isle of Wight festival and touring with Westlife and Boyzone.
However, after their split in 2011, Jodi opted to hold back from the public eye – instead, she can be found supporting her husband from backstage or looking after their three children, Koa, Zekey and Cobi.
Natasha’s most recent releases have failed to near the success she once had (Image: AFP/Getty Images)
Natasha Bedingfield
Famed for her hits including Unwritten and These Words, Natasha Bedingfield reigned the charts in the mid-noughties alongside her brother, Daniel.
Despite being nominated for a string of awards including five BRIT Awards and one Grammy, Natasha, 38, was unsuccessful when it came to taking home a prestigious gong from the ceremonies.
After achieving major success with her early hits, her second album NB, which was released in 2007 failed to achieve similar success.
Despite not achieving as much success with her later releases, Natasha starred as a judge on the New Zealand edition of The X Factor alongside her brother.
After several years away from the spotlight, she went on to marry American businessman Matt Robinson in a ceremony held in Malibu, America.
October 2017 saw the couple announce that they were expecting their first child, who was born in December 2017.
Bedingfield released her fourth studio album in August 2019 – her first release in nine years.
Speaking to The Independent in 2019 regarding her disappearance, Natasha claimed she was ok with not being splashed across the media, she said: “It’s almost worse to be overexposed or to be in someone’s life too much,
“I don’t think it’s a bad thing for an artist – especially a songwriter – to withdraw for a bit and live a bit of life.”
The Cheeky Girls faced bankruptcy and deportation after finding fame (Image: PA)
The Cheeky Girls
Shooting to fame in 2002 after appearing on Popstars: The Rivals. Gabriela and Monica stunned judges including Louis Walsh and Pete Waterman who was quoted saying they were the worst act to audition.
Despite this, Granada Ventures were later able to secure the twins a record deal with the Multiply label, part of Telstar Records.
After signing to the label, the Romanian twins swiftly recorded their hit single Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum) which flew into the charts at number two in the first week of December that year. It remained in the top five for five weeks spending four of them at number two.
However, just four years later it was reported in 2006 that they were at “rock bottom” and faced bankruptcy after not being paid by their record label which ceased trading.
An article published by the evening standard claimed that the singers were owed £4,500 in unpaid taxes along with other bills. It was also claimed that Telstar owed them £2.2 million but was later reported that they were in fact owed £130,000.
Gabriela hit the headlines in 2006 when it was revealed she was in a relationship with former Lib Dem MP, Lembit Opik.
It’s alleged that he “passed documentation on to the singers’ constituency MP” when they faced deportation to Romania.
The pair went on to become engaged but split three months following the announcement.
Monica also dated rugby ace Danny Cipriani.
2010 saw the twins, 37, audition for Britain’s Got Talent – performing a Bollywood dance routine with Simon Cowell saying: “well, you are definitely better dancers than you are singers,” they were voted through to the next round of the competition.
Ten years after their last major television appearance, The Cheeky Girls will headline PopWorld Festival alongside Peter Andre and S Club in August, held in Leeds.
Sabrina finished sixth on I’m A Celebrity but has struggled to achieve chart success since her Mis-Teeq days (Image: Ken McKay/ITV)
Sabrina Washington
Rising to stardom in 1999 alongside Alesha Dixon as a member of Mis-Teeq, Sabrina Washington is no stranger to chart domination with their single Scandalous taken from their second studio album.
The group went on to sell over 12 million records and achieve 7 UK top 10 hits as well as two top 10 albums.
After the group disbanding, Sabrina went on to win Celebrity Scissorhands in 2008 and appeared on the hit show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2009, finishing in sixth place.
Her debut solo single, OMG, was released in April 2009 but failed to achieve chart success.
A decade later, the 41-year-old started her own record label, Swash Music, and released the singles Gone and My Life – which were both premiered on BBC Radio 1 Xtra.
Nowadays, Sabrina credits herself as “Former lead singer of multi-platinum group Mis-Teeq, turned Actress & Homeware Designer!”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
