In The Beginning
When S Club mananger Simon Fuller said "adios" to the Spice Girls in 1997, reportedly millions of pounds the richer he finally had time to complete a concept with he had first come up with five years earlier. What he now had in mind was something more spectacular - a global multi-media pacakge. A totally new concept in youth culture combining music, dance, fashion and television in one explosive package. Combining musical promise with acting ability was the task set for the 7 multi-talented youngsters who came up trumps in the auditions.

The net was spread far and wide to find male and female stars of the future and with the lucky seven selected - Jo O'Meara (then 19), Jon Lee (then 15), Rachel Stevens (then 20), Hannah Spearitt (then 17), Paul Cattermole (then 21), Bradley McIntosh (then 17) and Tina Barrett (then 22); S Club 7 were born. All from different backgrounds the 7 youths were thrown together and expected not only to survive - but thrive!

The Miami 7 TV programme was designed to showcase the group and launch them into a succesful pop career across the globe. The plan worked like clockwork.

All musical artists do their own videos nowadays, but very few get their own chance to get their own 13-part TV series! Then again, S Club weren't your average pop band... and that soon became obvious as soon as they set foot sunny Miami, just a matter of weeks after they got together for the filming of their debut TV series, 'Miami 7'.

After the show was first aired on UK TV, the Fox Family channel snapped it up and beamed it into 74 million US homes, and fast became the most watched children's TV programme as it was shown in over 110 countries worldwide. Back home in the UK the series achieved a massive 4.3million viewers per week, confirming it's status as the most popular children's TV series in history. Jo 'cried buckets' when watching the final episode of the series as she recalled all the memories that it brought back.

Miami 7 went on to be repeated in early 2000 in the run-up to a second TV series 'LA 7' and was the anchorship for the following successes of 'Hollywood 7' (2001) and the final series 'Viva S Club' (2002) - and not forgetting the immensely successful TV Specials in between - 'Back to the 50s', 'Boyfriends and Birthdays', 'Christmas Specia 2000l' and 'Artistic Differences'.

In the summer of 1999, S Club's debut single "Bring It All back" debuted straight in at number one in the UK music charts, where it stayed for two weeks; keeping artists such as Madonna from reaching the top spot. Not long after the release of "Bring It All Back" it was soon being played on the jukebox in Eastenders' fictional pub, The Queen Vic. Jo was so knocked out that she taped it.

The following single "S Club Party" charted at number two and firmly cemented the group's poplarity. Before long S Club 7 were winning awards from left, right and centre. The first year of fame saw S Club pick up the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party award for 'Best Newcomers' and Miami 7 won them the TV Hits Award for Best Teen Programme.

And as for the glamour side of things - forget it! Jon busted his knee during the filming of the "BIAB" video and the video shoot for "Two In A Million" went on until five o'clock in the morning. The seven of them would go from total unknowns to household names in a matter of months. This was the fame they had been hoping for - and now they'd got it, there was no way they were going to let it go!

Jo, Rachel, Hannah and Bradley soon got a light taster of what was to come in early 1999 when they went clothes shopping in London's West End. It was school half term, and they quickly found themselves surrounded by eager young fans waving pens 'n' pieces of paper, snapping pictures and generally getting very exciting at seeing their heroes in the flesh. "It was mad" recalls Rachel. "We couldn't even shop". And for a shopaholic, that's serious...

The year 2000 saw the release of potentially their best known anthem - 'Reach', which became the introduction to the second TV series 'LA7'. Amongst a batch of awards and numerous other successes was the opportunity to further their charity work (they had previously done numerous other charity events etc, including a special TV series entitled 'S Club Go Wild' for the World Wildlife Fund) and become the ambassadors for the milleniums 'Children In Need' campaign - and in honour they released the massive single 'Never Had A Dream Come True' in aid of the charity. The single shot straight to number one in the week of it's release and went on to raise hundred of thousands of pounds for needy children in the UK. Not only did 'Never Had A Dream Come True' prove to be a major success for 'Children in Need', it was also to be the catalyst that late broke the American market for them, gaining S Club 7 a more than respectable Number 8 position on the American Billboard charts.

Into the new year and 2001 bought about many new things for the S Club 7 - including their first huge arena tour! Also, trailing hot on the heels of 'Reach' to claim the title of S Club's most popular choon was 'Don't Stop Movin' when the mega-hit was released in April of that year, when it became their thrid Number One single, stayed in the Top Twenty of eleven weeks... and it also proved to be their most spectacular hit of their careers...

In December 2001, S Club 7 took part in the prestigious Record of the Year Awards. It was going to be a tough night. They were up against the biggest chart-toppers in the business, including pop queen Kylie Minogue and boy band Blue. Everyone was there!

But despite their nerves. S Club 7 were determined to bring the house down with a show-stopping performance. It might have been a cold December night outside, but inside the London Weekend Television studios, the S Clubbers were hot, hot, hot!

'We really went to town on it,' Jon says proudly. 'We had fire throwers, dancers on tables - the whole works. But that's what an event like Record of the Year is all about!'

'I really enjoyed that performance because it was really dramatic - and I do love a bit of drama!' says Jo. 'I think that it was probably one of my best performances - no, scrap that, it was one of S Club 7's best performances!'

Once they'd finished wowing the audience, the gang joined all the other bands backstage. Everyone had to sit patiently while the viewers made their telephone votes - this would decide the winners.

'Record of the Year is incredibily exciting, but it;s so nerve-racking at the same time,' Hannah explains. 'All the bands are crammed into one big room, with all eyes fixed on the scoreboard. The telephone votes are clocking up while you watch and wait... We were in second or third place while the voting process was going on. S Club 7 were neck and neck with Blue for ages!'

Hannah wasn't the only one feeling tense. 'I was so nervous I thought I was going to be sick,' says Jon, with a grin. He couldn't help remembering when he'd been sitting at home a few years earlier watching the awards. That time Westlife had gone head to head with Ronan Keating. 'I was chuffed to bits when Westlife won!' adds Jon. 'I could see them getting really nervous as the show went on. This time, was our turn - and I think we felt just as bad!'

It's at times like this that you need all the support you can get. And as far as supporters are concerned, they don't come any better than previous winners! 'Westlife were cheering us on in our changing room upstairs, along with our choreographer, manager and the rest of the crew,' says Hannah. 'It was such a cool vibe backstage - a really friendly atmosphere. Suprisingly, it wasn't competitive at all. Whoever won, I think everyone would have been delighted for them.'

Rachel and Jo were so nervous that all they could do was sit and squeeze each other's hands while the results came through. As Rachel says, 'This was the third year running we'd entered the award. We really wanted to win this time. "Don't Stop Movin'" is one of our favourite songs - it totally summed us up as a band.'

One of the reasons S Club 7 wanted to get the award so badly was because the winning record is voted for by the public.

It means a great deal to know that viewers like your record best out of all the artists taking part,' adds Bradley. 'They think that your record is heavy. When people bother to pick up the phone to vote, it really makes you feel like all the hard work is going somewhere.'

And Jon feels just the same. 'It does feel different when it's voted for by the public. It means so much more.'

The contest between S Club 7 and Blue was incredibily close. It wasn't until the last votes came in that S Club 7 were confirmed as winners!

'It was amazing!' says Jon. 'Blue are such lovely blokes that they came over and congratulated us straight away. Even before the voting lines opened, Blue went to talk to the press and told them they hoped S Club 7 would win. That was so cool of them.'

But, however pleased the Blue band members were, no one was happier than S Club 7 to come out on top. Jo, Jon, Tina, Paul, Hannah, Bradley and Rachel were over the moon to win the Record of the Year Award. Tina sums it up, 'I think it was our biggest achievement. We were totally thrilled that we won! It was just a shame that we couldn't go out and celebrate afterwards - we were working really early the next morning, so we had to go straight home to bed afterwards ...!'

When S Club 7 were asked to record the officiall 'Children In Need' single for the second year running, in 2001, they couldn't believe it! 'Have You Ever' was a massive success (following on from their CIN single, 'Never Had a Dream Come True' the previous year), raising loads more money for the charity and scoring the band yet another number one hit in the UK charts. It gave the group a great buzz to be able to help such a worthwhile charity, and to make it even more special, S Club 7's recording featured the voices of 275,000 school children - and giving them the Guiness World Record for the most people ever singing on one single! So it was only fitting that on the night if the Children In Need live TV show, hundreds of children would come onstage to perform the track with them. It's a night the then members of S Club will have a hard time forgetting....

'When Children In Need asked us to get involved for a second time, we all knew that it was a wicked idea. It meant that we could help loads of kids- perhaps even some of our fans,' explains Paul.

'I always get choked up when looking back at all the clips,' adds Rachel. 'Children in Need night is something I've always enjoyed watching since I was a kid - it's such a fantastic charity. To be part of it and to help kids is brilliant.'



The memory that Tina will always treasure from the night itself was when S Club 7 performed 'Have You Ever' onstage. 'It was just brilliant' she says. 'We has hundreds of backing singers! We were so proud when the song went to Number One, especially as it was for charity.'

If there's one thing that the Children in Need show means for everyone, it's the chance to stay up past bedtime! 'When I was little, I'd plead to be able to stay up and see how much money they'd raised,' says Bradley. 'Now I'm older, it's great to be in a position to do some good and help raise as much money as possible. And I still enjoy staying up until the end of the programme!.'

Behind the scenes at Children in Need, there's always the chance that you might meet other stars. 'It's a great atmosphere on the night,' says Paul. 'We stayed backstage until about 2a.m and bumped into all sorts of people - I think we saw half the cast of Eastenders!'

But things don't always go to plan on a live show... 'For our performance we were supposed to stand still as statues behind these sheets. Then, when the lights came on, we'd be really cool silhouettes.' Jo laughs. 'Terry Wogan was chatting away and taking so long to introduce us that we all started messing about behind the scenes. When the music started, none of us were in position!'

'I remember when we were doing a performance of 'Show Me Your Colours', says Jon, giggling. 'I tripped up while spinning around! Luckily, Hannah rescued me and stopped me from making a complete fool of myself.'

Hannah loves the whole thing. 'Being involved with Children in Need is amazing, especially doing it two years running. It's just such a privilege to be there.'

S Club 7 were no strangers to the Brit Awards after they scooped the award for Best Newcomer in 2000. But they certainly were'nt expecting to be presented with another award in the middle of their 2002 Carnival Tour...

'We were just about to go onstage in Glasgow when we found out we'd won another Brit Award - this time for "Don't Stop Movin'," explains Jo, 'It was brilliant news!'

'Some people expected us to pick up the Brit award for Best Song because we'd already won Record of The Year, but it was the opposite for me - I didn't expect it at all!' says Hannah. 'It's always a shock to win something like that, because you're up against so many fantastic artists. Kylie Minogue is so popular that I was sure her song would win!'

There is one person S Club 7 knows deserves loads of thanks for th Brit Award. 'Simon Ellis wrote "Don't Stop Movin'" for us,' says Paul. 'He has to take the credit for the Best Song award. That song is tops!'

Unfortunately, they were also unable to attend the Brit Awards ceremony in London first time around, but they had a pretty good excuse - they were in the United States filming LA7!

'In the four years that we've been in the band, we've never been to the Brit Awards once. How mad is that?' laughs Tina.

Jon continues. 'It would have been fab to go to Earls Court and mingle with the stars, but we couldn't disappoint our fans on the tour. Tess Daly presented us with the award onstage, in front of a huge audience. The crowd went mental - they were absolutely mad! "Don't Stop Movin'" was the last song we performed each night on the tour, so it was brilliant to introduce it as our Brit Award winning track.'

However a couple of the guys were relieved they didn't have to go and pick up the award. Like Bradley...

'I'm kind of glad we weren't there, because I do get nervous,' he says. 'Believe it or not, I'm quite shy. Being at the Brits and going up on the stage must be so nerve-wracking. Just think of all the viewers - and the whole music industry is watching you too! I wouldn't come near the microphone. I'd be one of the ones at the back just trying not to panic. I mean, what if I said something stupid or fluffed my speech?'

Jo feels exactly the same. 'I'd sing, but I wouldn't speak - no way! I'd give the microphone to Jon and make him do it. I'm sure he'd be really cool!'

After the release of the mega-catchy 'You' which earnt the S Club another respecyable Number Two position in the UK charts, the camera was set rolling for the fourth and final TV series - 'Viva S Club', set more closer to home in Barcelona, Spain. With it's famous sites, sunshine and placeable traditional Spanish culture (how ironic!)

'At the end of the last series (Hollywood 7) we came home totally happy,' explains Jon. 'We'd been successful and had a Number One in the UK. For the fourth series, we were all looking for somewhere to keep up the vibe. But it had to be somewhere really special! We always film on a beach, we always have the sunshine and we wanted to be somewhere in Europe. The USA was brilliant, but, this time we all wanted to be nearer to our friends and family. Barcelona was the perfect location for the new series. It had everything we needed!'

'It would have been fantastic to film in the UK, but we couldn't risk the weather,' adds Hannah. 'The sunshine is a big part of the show. If we'd been standing around under umbrellas every day, the film crew would've been tearing their hair out! So we began looking at the rest of Europe.'

Wherever the S Club decided to film the new series, there was always the legal if's and buts to overcome before gaining permission to film. But, with their hearts firmly set on Barcelona, how convient it was that it just happened to be the easiest place to be granted a filming lisence!

For Jo however, the new location was a bit more difficult to get used to. 'I have to admit, I didn't like it for the first couple of weeks,' she says sheepishly. 'The weather was really bad when we first arrived in Spain and I felt a bit down. But once the sun was shining I quickly settled in. It makes a lot of difference you know! And it was great that Barcelona is so close to home. Because it's only a two-hour flight away, I used to travel back to England on Saturday night and come back on Sunday. It was lovely to go home and pop in to see my mum for a cup of tea.'

The distance between home was a bonus, but how did Barcelona compare with the bright lights of Hollywood? Before they could even begin shotting the series, the S Clubbers had to get used to the Spanish way of life.

'At first I found Barcelona a bit strange,' says Rachel, 'but I think it's just because I'm really used to LA - the city, the food and the people.'

'On set it's much more chilled out than it was in the USA,' adds Hannah. 'And although there were lots of different things to eat in LA, the food in Barcelona suited me fine. The USA was a complete whirlwind, but Barcelona has other things to offer. There are still wonderful sights to see, but there's a lot more history too.'

Even though they enjoyed the lifestyle in Barcelona, there was on teeny difference between life in the USA and life in Spain - the language! There is though, one S Clubber who had no problem in communicated whilst out in the Catalan. Bradley learnt Spanish at school so was more than happy at being given the chance to speak it again.

'Living in Barcelona gave me a brilliant opportunity to re-learn my Spanish, It was amazing how much came back to me when I heard other people speaking the language. Words and phrases would pop into my head all the time! It was such a great feeling to be able to ask a taxi driver for directions or order a meal. Seriously cool!'

They could also get much more work done because they weren't recognised by many people. 'English people on holiday would recognise you and the younger Spanish children during the daytime, but it was pretty chilled out,' says Hannah.

But even though everyone was so laid-back in Spain, some things didn't change... The filming schedule was still hectic!

However, it wasn't all early starts and hard-work filming Viva S Club - it was a lot of fun too! From Tina dressing up as man and wearing a beard to Jo and Hannah riding around Barcelona parks on a tandem bike, making the fourth series was a laugh a minute.

As for Jon, viewers can see a lot more of him than they bargained for! 'Well, I spent most of one episode in a Tarzan-style loin cloth. I'm just glad it wasn't cold in Barcelona!' he says smiling. Jo tells us of her slightly more painful experience - 'On the last day of filming, Hannah and I were on a tandem bike going really fast down a steep hill and we just couldn't stop! One of the crew had to throw himself infront of the bike to stop it hitting some steps. We both fell flat on our faces. It's a good job that we only ended up with a few cuts and grazes!'

While they were away filming in Barcelona, the S Clubbers didn't stay in a tour bus or hotel - they were based in a posh apartment block. They each had their own flat with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and a lounge with a balcony. Very luxurious!

'It's true,' says Jon. 'And because we were in such a small block, we took up most of it. That was really cool because it meant we could play our music as loud as we wanted. It didn't matter - you knew it was only Tina next door or Hannah upstairs.'

So, they would spend everyday filming their new series and the weekends struggling with their washing machines, figuiring out how they worked! But, as Tina says, thats just all part of the fun. 'An apartment is heaps better than a hotel room - it feels so much more like home!'.

In March 2002, Paul made the most difficult decision of his career. After four incredible years with the band, he felt that he needed to move on and do something different. However, he wouldn't be leaving the gang straight away - Paul realised that everyone needed a few months to get used to the idea and he was determined to leave the band on a high

Paul's decision was a tough one to make, but a change in musical direction was what he was looking for. He explains: 'Being in S Club 7 was great, but it was just time for me to move and look for a new challenge'. Jo really respects Paul for making the decision to leave when he felt the time was right. Like Hannah, she knows that although they'll miss Paul heaps, they've got a lot of musical life left in them yet! She says, 'It's going to be very strange without our seventh band member, but we're going to come back with our best album yet. As long as Paul's happy, that's the main thing.'

The six S Clubbers made it clear from the start that they had no plans to replace their mate. Instead, they would continue the band under the new name of S Club. There is no doubt that this is a new beginning for the band - although the S Clubbers are gutted to lose Paul, they're very excited about the future too.

Following Paul's departure, the band flew back to Barcelona after returning home to perform Paul's final show at the Queen's Golden Jubilee at Buckingham Palace, they jetted back to start shooting on their movie - Seeing Double, which would later be released in April 2003.

Their first release as the newly refreshed S Club, was Alive. It failed to set the chart ablaze, but still managed a more than respectable Number 5 in the British charts. The promotion around the single and the soon to be released, Album - Seeing Double (released in conjunction of the Film of the same name), was blighted by the back problems of lead vocalist Jo. Missing from numerous public appearances surrounding the promotion, the band were forced to re-record the studio version of the song, in which Rachel would mime over Jo's lyrics in the song, although it would still be Jo's vocals that would appear on the actual Disc singles.

The final effort from the band, a double A-Side of 'Love Ain't Gonna Wait For You' and the heart-string tugging 'Say Goodbye', debuted at Number 2 in the charts, norrowly missing out on one final Chart-topper from the group. Their final goodbye's were said in a live broadcast of thier final performance as S Club, from the BBC Studios in London when they made their last appearance on the children's TV show, 'The Saturday Show'.

Please note that some sections within this text are extracts from various official S Club books and Totally Jo is holding no copyright over the relevant text.