S Club 7 were always known for their upbeat songs and clean-cut image but some members of the band weren’t so happy behind the scenes. The group – who are going on tour in 2015 after they reunited for a performance on Children In Need in November – split in 2003 and Rachel Stevens has since admitted that she went through some difficult moments when they started out. ‘I was going through a very confusing time when I first went into S Club,’ says Rachel, 36. ‘My parents were splitting up and it really hit me. I didn’t want to show people what I was going through.’ The singer also struggled to maintain the wholesome appeal of S Club 7. ‘I was put into the “nice and sweet” box. I ended up playing a role that wasn’t me – or at least there was more to me,’ she explains. ‘None of us are just nice and sweet. I’m ambitious and some might call me a bit of a control freak. I was vulnerable but I have always struggled to show my vulnerability.’ Rachel Stevens experienced success on her own after the band parted ways. She had a solo career and came second on the 2008 series of Strictly Come Dancing and will be making a comeback on the BBC Christmas special tonight. She also married Alex Bourne in 2009 and they’ve welcomed two daughters together – Amelie, three, and Minnie, seven months. S Club 7’s reunion was announced in October 2014, much to the pleasure of their fans. It sounds like the band may have been thinking about getting back together for a while as Rachel admits they discussed it when they hung out last year. ‘We met at Tina Barrett’s flat and it was like we’d never been apart,’ Rachel said. ‘It was really chilled. We talked about getting back together and although we all have our own stuff going on right now, if the right thing came up it could be fun.’
– nowmagazine.co.uk