Where ITV Popstars 2001 stars are now – Corrie fame, violent attack and bikini snaps

Over two decades ago, before The X Factor or Britain’s Got Talent made its debut there was one reality show that viewers loved, ITV’s Popstars.

In 2001, Celebrity Big Brother had only made one series and Atomic Kitten hit number 1 with Whole Again when the show hit our screens featuring a massive prize of £100,000.

Millions of viewers were hooked on what was one of the original TV talent series for the modern generation as a year before Girls Aloud triumphed on spin-off, Popstars: The Rivals,

Simon Cowell is now the force to be reckoned with when it comes down to reality singing shows however, ‘Nasty’ Nigel Lythgoe was the one who put people through their paces as they fought for a place in the nation’s next big pop group on Popstars.

After thousands auditioned the group from the show ended up being Hear’say which was made up off, Kym Marsh, Noel Sullivan, Suzanne Shaw, Danny Foster and Myleene Klass.

Following reports of a Hear’Say reunion last year, The Daily Star reveals what came next for the 2001 Popstars singers.

Hear’Say

The five people who gained fame from the show became instant stars as they pieced together to make the band Hear’Say.

With both their debut single Pure & Simple and debut album the Popstars broke sales records.

There second number 1, The Way to Your Love, followed in the summer of 2001 but the band were struck by the ‘difficult second album’ curse, with album Everybody only reaching number 24 in the charts.

Not long after, Kym Marsh quit revealing she’d argued with both Myleene and Noel.

Kym Marsh

After leaving Hear’Say, Kym scored instant success as a solo artist with her debut single Cry landing at number 2 in the charts in 2003.

However, she was later dropped by her record label following her third single Sentimental only reaching number 35 in the charts.

In early 2006, Kym tried out to be the UK’s Eurovision representative with her song Whisper To Me but only finished in fourth.

Just a few months later, Kym swapped singing for acting and made her Coronation Street debut on ITV and stayed on the soap until 2019.

During her time on the cobbles, Kym’s character Michelle enjoyed romances with the likes of Steve McDonald, Robert Preston and Ciaran McCarthy.

Two years before leaving Corrie, Kym was at the centre of a still birth story line, which was particularly moving to her as she went through the same thing in real life.

Kym’s performance in the traumatic scenes won her Best Female Dramatic Performance at the British Soap Awards in 2017.

Myleene Klass

Myleene found success as a solo artist with her classical albums following Hear’Say before becoming a TV name.

The mum-of-three has featured of several hit TV shows including the 2006 series of I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, which she is still known as one of the iconic ‘jungle shower’ stars.

The now 42-year-old has also starred on ITV show Dancing On Ice and has landed a number of high profile hosting roles on both TV and radio including BBC’s The One Show.

In 2005 she was attacked by a gang of youths in a newsagent’s in Bermondsey, London.

According to the BBC, after dropping a bag of chips on her head they pushed the star to the ground, with one shouting, “Shall I b*tch slap her?” before she managed to escape.

Myleene has previously admitted to having a drink problem following her husband Graham Quinn walking out on their marriage soon after their daughter Hero, nine, was born.

The star is now engaged to PR man Simon Motson, and the couple welcomed son Apollo last year.

The singer has previously opened up about her devastating miscarriages which “turned her world inside out.”

Speaking on Newsnight she explained how she has three children but she is a mum-of-seven despite four of her children sadly not being born alive.

Suzanne Shaw

Suzanne auditioned for the part of Maria in Coronation Street before starring on Popstars.

She made it to the final three alongside then soon to be Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh and Samia Smith, the actress who got the role and is still playing Maria today.

The 39-year-old continued with acting after Hear’Say, starring in The Bill and in ITV soap Emmerdale, playing the role of Eve Jenson in 2010 to 2011.

Suzanne has also performed in hit musicals like Joseph and Rocky Horror Show, as well as being a regular in pantomimes.

She had success in 2008 as she became Dancing on Ice champion alongside Matt Evers.

The star is now a fitness influencer following her remarkable weight loss after ditching alcohol and going vegan and runs her own The Shaw Happy Plan programme.

Noel Sullivan

Noel has toured the UK and the world in multiple musicals since Hear’Say split 20 years ago.

In 2016, he told What’s on TV how he had been left high and dry following the band split.

He said: “I found my feet again in theatre where people are so supportive and so helpful.

“So that’s what I’ve been doing, just building a career that nobody can take away from me, which is where I’m at now and it seems to be going in the right direction.”

His roles have included Danny Zuko in Grease, Dewey Finn in School of Rock and Galileo in the West End production of We Will Rock You.

The 40-year-old has also appeared on stage in the likes of Fame, Flashdance and Priscilla.

After his well known cameo in Gavin and Stacey in 2010, Noel has also appeared in BBC dramas Ordinary Lies and Years & Years.

Noel tied the knot with husband James in 2017.

He has since spoken out about his sexuality explaining how he felt pressured to keep it a secret at the height of his fame.

“As a 19 year old, I was told to shut up about my sexuality. If I wanted a career, I had to be something else. Silent. It ruined me,” he said.

“No one was held accountable for the years of depression and self abuse that followed. It got to the point where I felt like I couldn’t speak out anymore because my time in the spotlight had passed and I assumed no one would care.”

Danny Foster

Danny met his wife Victoria Goddard in 2003 following the bands breakup.

He formed his own group, Danny Foster & The Big Soul Corporation, who perform soul and Motown songs.

He and Noel formed a drag act called Do Blondes Tondres but reportedly split after a few months due to ‘musical differences’.

He did return to TV for Channel 4 reality show The Games and Channel 5’s, Trust Me I’m A Beauty Therapist.

In 2013, he tried out for another TV talent show, ITV’s The Voice UK however, none of the judges turned around for him.

In 2016, Danny was lucky to escape with his life after the car he was travelling in apparently burst into flames.

Liberty X

The singers who didn’t get into Popstars band Hear’Say, Michelle Heaton, Jessica Taylor, Kelli Young, Kevin Simm and Tony Lundon, were signed to business mogul Richard Branson Virgin Record label.

Just like their rivals they released their debut single, Thinking It Over in 2001.

The song peaked at number 5 in the charts but it was track Just A Little, that saw the group become one of the biggest pop acts in the country.

Just A Little reached number 1 and then won the band a Brit Award for best single in 2003.

Michelle Heaton

Michelle is the most well known out of the Liberty X members and has stayed in the public eye since her Popstars days thanks to a number of TV appearances and high profile relationships.

She married Lisa Scott-Lee’s brother and former Pop Idol 2 contestant Andy Scott-Lee in 2006, following their appearance together on cult TV show Totally Scott-Lee.

However, the couple split in 2008 and now Michelle is married to Irish personal trainer and businessman Hugh Hanley.

The couple tied the knot in 2010 and have two children together.

Michelle is famous for taking a falling over on TV as she unveiled a car on the Irish version of The Apprentice.

She has also starred on Celebrity Big Brother where she lost an eviction vote to eventual winner Ulrika Jonsson.

Michelle who has appeared in pantomimes around the country, had a double mastectomy and had breast reconstructive surgery after finding out she had an 80% chance of developing breast cancer and a 30% chance of developing ovarian cancer.

Kevin Simm

Kevin went onto appear in The Games on Channel 4 as well as Danny following Popstars.

In 2016, Kevin went on to win The Voice UK and scored an iTunes top 10 single with his winner’s song, All You Good Friends.

In 2018 he took over Marti Pellow as the lead singer of Wet, Wet, Wet, giving him two decades in the music industry.

Jessica Taylor

Jessica competed in the 2009 series of Dancing on Ice and finished in third as Ray Quinn became champion.

The 40-year-old is married to England cricketer Kevin Petersen.

Jessica has also appeared on TV shows like Hole in the Wall and a celebrity edition of The Chase since starring on the 2001 series of Popstars.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk