Rachel Stevens tells about suffering from the baby blues, and admits motherhood is overwhelming at times…

new! Magazine haven’t had a good old chinwag with singer Rachel Stevens for ages.

And since Rachel Stevens’ daughter Amelie has just turned one, they decided it was about time they had a catch-up.

Having wed her property-developer husband Alex Bourne in August 2009, the 33 year old gave birth in November last year and has spent the last 12 months navigating the tricky world of motherhood.

Here, the former Strictly Come Dancing star opens up about how becoming a parent has affected her relationship, getting back in shape and her big comeback plans…

Amelie was one last week. How did you celebrate?
We had a big party with family a few days before and, on the actual day, we had a little tea party. We bought her a walker as she is just starting to pull herself up, and a xylophone.

How are you finding life as a mum?
I love it. It’s a massive learning experience and is so overwhelming for the first three months. I didn’t know what I was doing but I had loads of support.

How has motherhood changed you as a person?
I’m even more emotional, although I’m not as anxious as I thought I would be. The first night we brought her home was scary, though. They make all these noises and you don’t know what they’re doing. I just sat up all night watching her.

Is Amelie a girly girl?
She is very soft on the one hand but, on the other hand, she is really feisty and stubborn like me! My husband is like that, too, so we are going to have fireworks in our house!

Does she sleep through the night now?
She has since she was three months. Sleep deprivation was the worst for me. I would get up in the night crying. I’m rubbish without sleep.

Did you suffer from the baby blues at all?
I did. It wasn’t depression but it is all so overwhelming. You feel like you should be on top of the world but, at the same time, life has changed, you lose a little bit of your independence and you’re also responsible for this little thing.

Was Alex understanding?
He was really good but it’s hard for the man as it’s all about you two then, all of a sudden, another person comes into the picture and the dynamic totally changes. But he was very supportive.

How has being parents changed your marriage?
Everything dramatically changes – we’d realise we’d gone for a few weeks and not actually sat down and spent time together. Now we keep the spark in our marriage with date nights.

Do you and Alex bicker?
We do about stupid things. We’re both quite feisty so I’m learning to pick my arguments. It’s important not to take things too seriously, but that can be difficult when you’ve just had a baby and you’re knackered. It’s tough but you get through it.

Has your body changed since having a baby?
My body did change when I was pregnant but I was fortunate that I had a trainer from three months pregnant until the week I gave birth. I only put on 2st when I was pregnant.

Have you lost the weight now?
Yeah. I had a few months off exercise when I had Amelie but then I went back to training. I train three times a week with my trainer and we do boxing, kick-boxing and circuits. I walk a lot with Amelie and try to have no carbs after 6pm.

Would you like more kids?
Absolutely, but not yet. I just want to enjoy Amelie.

Are you working on music?
Yes, I’ve had a couple of sessions in the studio and it’s very early days but now feels like the right time to get back to it. It’s nerve-racking but I’m excited.

You did Strictly in 2008. Are you watching it this year?
Yes. I think Harry [Judd] is good, he’s a very sexy little dancer. Chelsee [Healey] is really cute, too, and I love Russell [Grant] – he’s such good fun!

Rachel Stevens has been quite quiet on the career front since becoming a mother but she is back fronting a new capaign for Baileys.

Female First caught up with her to talk about the campaign and she reveals that she is back in the studio working on some new material.

- Ok so, you’re working on a new campaign with Baileys can you tell me a little bit more about it?

Yes, Baileys have got a new initiative which is called ‘Add a Little Something’ and it’s all about kind of getting girls together for a girls’ night. I love my girls’ nights and I love Baileys so it just felt like a really good fit.

Apparently 73% of women never or only get together on special occasions for girly nights so it felt like a really great thing to get involved in and inspire women to get together, because I’m all about getting together with my girls and having a really lovely night together!

- Good stuff, and how often do you actually get together for a girls night in?

Probably like once a month or something like that, we will do a girly night, or a glam night out or something. I’m a big foodie so I love going out for dinners and having a nice drink.

- And what thing do you feel you’re girly night has to have?

Ooh, Sushi, I love my sushi and all my girlfriends love sushi too so we will just get a really massive selection of Sushi and we will be happy as it doesn’t have to be a big thing to make the night special, it’s all about adding a little something that counts… like a cheeky glass of Baileys!

- So away from the campaign, you became a mum last year, so how have you been finding parenthood?

Parenthood is a massive learning experience, she’s been amazing, she’s a right little personality, she’s into everything, but the first sort of three months were just massively overwhelming,

- Really?

Yeah, I’m just kind of, just learning, you don’t know what you’re doing, your whole live changes dramatically so, sleepless night and all sort of those things, so it’s a massive life change.

But after that, I found after those three months, I was like ‘ah! Ok! I kind of know what I’m doing a bit more’ I had loads of support around me and three of my girlfriends also have babies of a similar age, so they were having their babies and we could kind of compare notes.

I think that was really lovely for me to be able to ask advice from them. And also because a few of my girlfriends had babies just before me so they were a little bit a step ahead of me so you could ask them, ‘oh so what kind of cup did you use’ for this or…

- Yeah, so you could learn from them a little bit?

Yeah, which was a massive help, because you do forget as well, I’ve got friends who are having babies now and they are like ‘what did you do when she was 3 months?’ and you do forget so it was lovely to have friends at the same stage.

- Yeah, I guess you can be that same learning support for them as well. Which is really nice.

Yeah, exactly, exactly.

- So how have you found juggling parenting and your career, or were you happy to let you career take a kind of back seat?

Yeah, I was it was a perfect time for me, I knew I wanted to, I mean I got married and then, I’ve been quite maternal for a while, so it just felt like the right time for me.

Yeah, just the perfect time to concentrate on Amelie and just being Mummy and learning all of that and then, but id had always been working sporadically and doing bits and pieces.

- It’s nice I guess that you can just sort of pick up where you left off.

Yeah, I’ve always been doing bits I did lots of things and projects and things that I felt I wanted to do at that time, and now she’s one it feels like a really good time to get back to work.

- Do you bring her along to much stuff as well?

Well, sometimes, but like I was saying to you before she’s into like everything so, we literally would be chasing her around. She’s literally about to walk so I wouldn’t get much done, you would be chasing me around with the Dictaphone.

- And getting back into shape after having a child is something many women find quite difficult, so what did you do to get your post baby body back?

I was really lucky because I had a trainer from when I was about three months, a friend introduced me to this girl who’s fantastic, so I trained throughout my pregnancy pretty much and we were out a lot in the park I did a lot of walking, and also for the first 5 months I couldn’t actually eat that much because I felt quite sick, so I didn’t actually put on loads of weight and afterwards I carried on with my training, so it’s actually been ok.

But, when you’re pregnant your body does change so it is a massive adjustment.

- Your workout must have been a super friendly pregnancy one?

Yeah, and afterwards I got quite a shock, she was really pushing me, she’s like hard core but before when we were training  I was like ‘oh this is lovely I could get quite used to this’.

- I bet actually that must have been a bit of a shock!

Yeah she was like, ‘right, I’m going to work you now.’

- So, talking about your career, 2012 is just around the corner what plans do you have for the New Year?

I’ve just started getting back into the studio, very early days, but I’ve had a couple of sessions in the studio and so yeah, it’s exciting.

- Good, and is it all going well?

It’s very very early days, but it was quite out of my comfort zone getting back into the studio again.

- How long has it been since you were last doing any recording?

My last album was 2005.

-  Oh wow, that’s gone so quickly, I can’t believe that was 2005!

Yeah, so it feels like new again. But the industry has changed so dramatically so it is like learning a new industry in a way again, for me because it’s such a different different time.

- Strictly Come Dancing is obviously in full flow, which couples are you excited about this year?

Harry, I think he’s a sexy little dancer, he’s also got really good posture hasn’t he?

- Did you watch him on Comic relief early last year!

Oh did he do that?!

- Yeah, I can’t remember who he danced with, he didn’t dance with Ola then I don’t think, and he won it was him vs. Fern Britton I think

Oh I missed it I, but, oh ok yeah, I remember the show but I missed his one. Oh yeah, so he got a bit of training in beforehand. But I think Chelsea’s cute as well, she’s really fun and she’s a great dancer.

- Yeah she’s lovely, And who do you think is going to win?

Harry

- Do you?

Yeah, Harry or perhaps Jason possibly, because I think he might have a really big following, I could imagine the sort of older women liking him, but then Harry too…

- Jason’s so competitive though, isn’t he?

Very. Very , I agree.

- Although he’s kind of joking around about it, but in a serious way.

Yeah, I think that’s coming out more and more isn’t it.

- Definitely, so back in 2008 when you appeared on the show, how would you sum up that experience when you look back on it now?

Intense full on experience, I mean I was doing 8-10 hours of dancing a day.

- Really, that’s insane. Is it really that much?

Yeah, and I think there were more couples when I did it, I don’t think there are so many couples now, so it was literally from July all the way through to Christmas. And so, you do a little bit of training before you do the show and then I did the tour in the New year, so I really did it properly.

- I came to see that tour actually!

Oh did you!?

- Yeah I loved it, it’s so fun.

So yeah, it was just an amazing experience, but it’s also so … when you’re in it, I watch it now I just think it’s kind of, have a laugh a bit, but then when you’re in it, you don’t realise how massively you take it on and you get really into it and emotional about it

- Yeah, I can imagine.

But when you’re on the outside of it you think it’s just a bit of fun you know, which it was but..

- Was it really competitive? As we were saying about Jason, you know it’s kind of like, just in it for fun but…

Yeah, it gets really competitive, and actually I am competitive, and when you’re in it, of course, you want to go all the way, you know, especially if it’s what you do, you know if it’s your industry.

But then also, I felt like where I’d come from people were expecting you to be a really good dancer, but I’ve never been trained, I think people just automatically assume that it’s going to come really easily…

- But I guess it gives you a bit of an advantage really or didn’t do any of that sort of dancing before?

Well in a way, I don’t think it does, as I said I think people just think it will come easily, and so in some ways I think it can go against you a little bit.

- Oh ok, so what did you get out of the experience on a personal level?

I learnt, well just getting over the nerves I guess, you learn not to take things as seriously, because obviously I knew it was fun and it was a laugh and everything but… I don’t know what I learnt from it really because I’ve always been the one with a really strong work ethic, so I was always the one saying to Vincent, ‘come on let’s get on you know?’

I wanted someone to push me, I like to do it and really get stuck in to it. So I don’t know what I learnt really, I just learnt to dance really I guess, but if you asked me to do that those dances now I don’t even know if I could do them because their just one off dances you know?

- Do you ever hear any of the songs you dance to and get nostalgic?

Yeah, it brings back memories, I heard the song I did the rhumba to the other day and I was like ‘hmm’ because it’s something that stands out, that’s really special.

- Definitely, and the band are so incredible.

Yeah, they’re amazing aren’t they?

- Ok, and have you continued to ballroom dance?

I haven’t really, I did a little bit after Strictly with Vincent but, it’s really difficult when you go from doing 10 hours of dancing a day, as I was saying when I do something I really have to do it and then from going from that to doing an hour Salsa class or something like that it doesn’t really quite feel the same, and also you know Vincent and all the dancers, they go off and you know?

That’s their day job so, I’m sure I will do some more, I love dancing. I would love to do some street dancing and things like that, I’d love to do a different style of dancing.

- Finally, what’s coming up for you between now and Christmas?

Well I’ll be in the studio a little bit more and other than that, that’s it its more planning for new year looking at different music and getting back into the studio a little bit.

- Exciting, and enjoying Christmas I guess?

Oh yeah, I can’t wait for Christmas. I’ll be getting lots of Baileys in for Christmas.

Rachel Stevens adds a little something special to her girls’ nights with Baileys. Baileys is offering free delicious cupcakes to 50 lucky winners every day on www.facebook.com/BaileysGB until 7th December.

Please visit the facebook site for delicious cocktail ideas and tips for your girls’ night in or out.

Two pop stars will be Reaching to turn on South Tyneside’s festive lights this Christmas.

Jo O’Meara and Bradley McIntosh from S Club have the honour of turning South Shields into a winter wonderland next Saturday.

The pair, who first shot to fame in 1999, will also be entertaining crowds with hits including Reach, Never Had a Dream Come True and Don’t Stop Movin’.

However, it’s not the first time the singers, who now perform as a double act, have visited the town.

Back in 2009 they took part in the South Tyneside Summer festival at Bents Park.

The Mayor of South Tyneside, Coun Jim Sewell, and the Mayoress, his wife Rosemary, will help out.

Coun Sewell said: “Our Christmas lights are spectacular and once they are all switched on, they will certainly bring a lot of festive cheer to residents and visitors in the borough.

“The switch-on events are always very popular with residents and visitors and have a fantastic atmosphere.

“I’m really looking forward to each of them.

“We are particularly delighted that Bradley and Jo from S Club will be performing the switch-on in South Shields town centre.

“I’m sure people will give them a really warm welcome.”

Rachel Stevens has recorded a collection of songs about fruit and veg to encourage kids to eat their five-a-day.

The former S Club 7 star has performed a number of well-known nursery rhymes with a food twist to help youngsters to get into healthy eating habits.

The songs are available as free downloads from children’s food firm Ella’s Kitchen following research which showed that engaging with fruit and vegetables outside meal-times encouraged them to eat.

The firm worked with the University of Reading and found that looking at food, touching it, smelling it and hearing songs or stories about foodstuff all had an impact on consumption.

Rachel – whose chart hits have included Reach, Don’t Stop Moving and Sweet Dreams My LA Ex – has recorded five “tasty tunes”, including revamps of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star and The Hokey-Cokey.

The mother-of-one said: “As a new mum, I’m always looking for exciting ways to encourage my daughter to try new foods, especially greens.

“I hope tasty tunes help lots of parents sing about fruit and vegetables as part of their little one’s everyday playtime.”

She launched the songs with a one-off gig at a nursery in Streatham, south London.

The songs are available to download for free at ellaskitchen.co.uk/

A former S Club 7 star is set to headline Doncaster’s gay pride event later this year.

Jo O’Meara will be the big name at the August 20 event at the Keepmoat Stadium, taking part in the seven hour festival for the second year.

Organisers have also revealed a number of other acts including tribute singers and high profile local bands.

Jo performed with former S Club bandmates Paul Cattermole and Bradley McIntosh at last year’s Pride.

A spokeswoman said they received probably the best feedback of any performer ever at Doncaster Pride.

Former S Club 7 members Paul Cattermole, Jo O'Meara, Bradley McIntosh, performing at last year's Doncaster Gay Pride Festival.

She said: “Chants of ‘S Club, S Club’ echoed around the venue before, during and after the 30 minute performance and the two encores – never known in Pride history.

“She is ‘thrilled’ to be coming back to Doncaster again and we know the Pride crowd will make her as welcome as they did last year.”

It may not look dignified, but it’s a pose every mother and father will be familiar with.

And while it’s a tiring feat running around after your offspring every second of the day, maybe a trip to the toilet was worth the extra effort for Rachel Stevens.

The former S Club 7 singer was enjoying a spot of lunch, when she took a whiff of her daughter’s bottom to see if her nappy needed changing.

The 33-year-old raised little Amelie in the air at the Hampstead eaterie and had a sniff to see if she had done the deed.

While endearing and touching, to a degree, it was enough to put her friends off their food as she dined with other mummies at the lunch table.

Rachel, who gave birth just before Christmas, also seemed to have had a wardrobe overhaul by opting for something a little more ‘mumsy’.

The Strictly Come Dancing contestant stepped out in short beige trousers that were more Primark than Prada, and a white T-shirt and blue cardigan.
The girls had clearly indulged in some shopping earlier in the day, with a large Gap bag hanging on the back of the buggy.

The brunette, who was once engaged to Hollyoaks actor Jeremy Edwards, welcomed her first child into the world on November 16.

She married husband Alex Bourne in August 2009, after postponing their wedding by almost a year due to her reality TV show commitments.

Rachel is rumoured to be taking part in new Channel 5 series of Celebrity Big Brother in a bid to boost her flagging television career.

Most people have that one item in their wardrobe that they feel great in and turn to time and time again for a fashion fix.

For Rachel Stevens, it is undoubtedly her bright red trousers, which she has been spotted in several times in recent weeks.

The former S Club star wheeled out the old favourites for a date night with husband Alex Bourne to see Janet Jackson perform at Royal Albert Hall.

Rachel, 33, wore the bright cropped trousers with nude heels, a leopard print vest and black blazer.

Alex matched his wife’s eye-catching ensemble in an electric blue jumper over a shirt and black jeans.

Outside the venue the couple, enjoying a night off from diaper duty with seven-month-old baby Amelie, bumped into Strictly Come Dancing judge Alesha Dixon.

The two singers stopped for a chat, and embraced warmly as they parted ways.

Alesha told followers on Twitter that she is enjoying a music-filled week, looking forward to seeing Take That at Wembley on Saturday night.

Boy band JLS were also in the audience to cheer Jackson on during her Number Ones: Up Close & Personal Tour.

Primeval star Hannah Spearritt says she hopes people will watch the new series when it switches from mainstream TV to digital.

The dinosaur series has had an unsteady couple of years after ITV decided it was too expensive to fund. Due to its global popularity it was revived by several investors, including UKTV, who helped fund the latest series – the fifth. That means its premiere is on digital TV before it’s shown on ITV1 in 2012.

Spearritt, who used to be in S Club 7, plays Abby Maitland alongside real life boyfriend Andrew-Lee Potts. She’s not concerned by the shift to a less viewed channel though.

She said: “You will get the avid fans who go over to Watch [the digital TV channel]. For those who’ve not got Watch, it will be shown on ITV next year. The brilliant thing is we got this series made. I hope for Watch’s sake it gets the viewers they want.”

Both Hannah Spearritt and Andrew Lee Potts have been in the show since the first series.It features a team of scientists who battle prehistoric dinosaurs and futuristic creatures and was originally shown in a prime-time slot on Saturday night.

The first two series achieved an average of more than six million viewers.

Andrew Lee Potts said: “When we started out the [viewing] figures were a lot more important than they are to us now because we wanted the show to continue. But because of its global popularity it’s not as important now.”

The show has been sold to 30 countries around the world and has a solid fan base in the US.

Hannah and Andrew also began their off-screen relationship while filming the show.

“It’s important to spend time apart because we work together so much,” he said. “We want to spend time with our friends and stuff but we do attract each other. Give us a day apart and we do want to see each other again.”

Rachel Stevens is set to be one of the stars of the next series of Celebrity Big Brother, according to reports.

The former S Club 7 singer is already a favourite on celeb shows, having finished as runner-up in Strictly Come Dancing in 2008.

Rachel has spent much of the intervening period out of the limelight, using the break to marry Alex Bourne and give birth to their daughter Amelie, but Channel 5 executives are keen to give her an opportunity to revive her career.

According to the Daily Star, negotiations for her to appear on this summer’s Celebrity Big Brother are at an advanced stage.

A source said: ‘Rachel is on our hit list. She still oozes sex appeal.’

Big Brother will make its Channel 5 debut with a celebrity series in August, followed by a season featuring members of the public.

Primeval is back for a fifth season, starting on Tuesday 24 May on Watch (it’ll be on ITV 1 later this year if you don’t have that channel). And to get you in the mood, here’s SFX’s chat with the show’s two stars, Hannah Spearritt and Andrew Lee Potts, for who the show hasn’t just been an acting gig…

SFX: Is there a different feel to series five?

Hannah: “Personally I think series five feels massively different. It’s got a completely different feel. It’s got another energy. The end of series four sets the feel for series five. It steps up.”

Andrew: “I think you saw in episode seven of series four everything started to just come together. It just got a hell of a lot more interesting and it carries on from that point, really. Getting more interesting as it goes, and getting more layered.”

SFX: Is Abby going to have more to do in series five? She felt a little sidelined in series four?

Hannah: “In series five you may not think that. I think… I know Abby is more in the forefront in series five.”

Andrew: “There is a reason for that. They cut bits out of it last series. They decided to shape the story a little bit differently to how they were in the scripts. So in the end it might have appeared that Hannah wasn’t in it as much as we shot. Sometime the guys will not put something in specifically because they don’t want to go there yet, or they want to introduce it later. A lot of the stuff at the wedding got cut between you and Lucy, remember that?”

Hannah: “Definitely in series five you won’t feel that. Abby is definitely in the forefront. And also, series four you’re having to introduce loads of new characters. What’s so lovely about series five is that that’s all set up, that’s all great, and we can carry on with the story as we need to. We can crack on with that.”

SFX: There seems to be a bit of a science versus ecology vibe going on, with Abby and Connor representing each camp.

Hannah: “Absolutely.”

Andrew: “Definitely. The two worlds collide. That was always the plan. And that’s why, when we first went back to talk about these final two series, that was quite exciting – knowing that they were going to pull us apart quite dramatically because of that, as opposed to there being some other girl involved.”

Hannah: “It’s not about a girl.”

Andrew: “It’s about their fundamental values. It’s about why they’re even in this show in the first place. I’m from the science world and Abby’s from the animal world. And they don’t always mix very well.”

Hannah: “They think very differently. But yeah, it was very exciting for us.”

SFX: Speaking of the animal world, do you have favourite dinosaurs from the show?

Hannah: “From series four I loved the arboreal raptor. Just the way it moves. And Rex, obviously. He’s very cute.”

Andrew: “I like the Future Predators still. I’m a huge fan of those. And they’re coming back. But every time they come back they have a slightly different twist to them, which is kinda cool. But the series kinda goes quite a lot darker, and I suppose in a way they have to bring the Future Predators back, because of what they represent within the show, which is the future that we don’t want. So not only do Abby and Connor go head to head with their worlds, we also have humans vs the future as well, which is really cool. On their turf. And ours. It gets really exciting towards the end.”

SFX: So without being too spoilery, can you tell us roughly what happens to your characters in series five?

Hannah: “From Abby’s point of view, she’s put in a difficult position from the kick off of the series. As you know from series four, Matt’s from the future. Abby doesn’t know this yet. But at the beginning of series five, she actually walks in on Matt and discovers that he’s from the future. And that kicks off an alliance between Matt and Abby. Its starts off this relationship where she is now privy to a lot of information that she maybe initially didn’t want but she is very interested in why Matt is here and making sure that things don’t go wrong. That’s her journey in a nutshell. But she is also very concerned about Connor and the reasons why he’s doing what he is doing and whether he’s being manipulated. And she has her own thoughts on Philip and what he’s doing, and she doesn’t think it’s for the right reasons.

“For both of them, it’s a very tough position. To try to make the right choices and do the right thing while trying to keep their relationship, um, innocent. But it gets very complex, and not innocent, and difficult.”

Andrew: “There are clearly two camps within the ARC. Abby and Matt, and Connor and Philip. But the scary thing is that in a idealistic world, they are both right. Nobody is doing evil here, but what they might end up with in the end is complete and utter catastrophe. And when they find out about each other, neither of them want to back down. Neither of them can back down, because their morals aren’t letting them. And we take that to breaking point in the show.

“Also, underneath all that, there are still the creatures of the week. And there’s still having to deal with that stuff. They’re still putting us in the maddest locations to deal with the strangest scenarios.”

SFX: Such as?

Hannah: “The submarine is great!”

Andrew: “We’ve got underground.”

Hannah: “We’ve got Victorian London. Which looks brilliant.”

Andrew: “With the reintroduction of Emily and her husband back into it, which is cool.”

Hannah: “We’ve got a disused power station.”

Andrew: “We blow up a shopping centre.”

Hannah: “As you do.”

Andrew: “We have, maybe, the future… maybe…”

Hannah: “You’ve already let that slip…”

Andrew: “Yeah, okay, so, we’ve got the past, the present and the future. That’s not bad. Victorian London looks brilliant. And full credit to the CG guys at the Mill. It’s not just the creatures that look brilliant; the extension of London that they did… We were like, ‘Wow!’ With the raptor running around, it’s crazy!”

Hannah: “And the costumes are really good!”

SFX: You filmed these two series in Ireland. Any side benefits resulting from that?

Andrew: “Being in Dublin, it’s a cracking place.”

Hannah: “Just living in Dublin is great. It’s a lovely, lovely city. It’s nice to experience another city other than London.”

Andrew: “We were really lucky because we got to relocate completely. That’s where we were lucky being together, being a couple. We weren’t travelling back to see our partners all the time. We were there.”

Hannah: “We set up home, set up camp there, and completely settled in. It didn’t feel like a year at all. But we were gagging to get back by the end.”

SFX: Any Guinness imbibed?

Hannah: [to Andrew] “You got into Guinness.”

Andrew: “Not a massive amount but I did quite like it.”

Hannah: “And you went to a festival over there.”

Andrew: “My first festival!”

Hannah: “We took a picnic.”

SFX: Although we don’t want to have to ask this question, is series five the end of Primeval?

Andrew: “I think at the moment, we’re not talking about anything right now, at the moment. But Primeval as a brand – I think it has some life in it yet. Whether it has me and Hannah in it, is a whole different thing. But I do think this is the strongest series we’ve done. I know there is talk about a film. I know there are talks with Canada about doing a series out there. Which is all very interesting. [Producer/creator] Tim Haines has definitely got his irons in a few fires.”

SFX: But if this is the last series with you in it…

Andrew: “We’re not saying that.”

SFX: But in case it is, does end up on a cliffhanger? Our readers seem to be getting really annoyed at series that end of cliffhangers that we’ll never see the resolution to.

Hannah: “No it doesn’t. You won’t feel dissatisfied. You won’t feel short-changed.”

Andrew: “They’ve taken everything into account, partly because of what happened at the end of series three. They’re covering their backs.”

Hannah: “Talk about a cliffhanger. That was ridiculous.”

Andrew: “But they did think we were coming back at that point, that’s why it was done. But also, this series does leave it open enough that we could come back. I mean, there is a nice twist at the end, like in a good horror film.”

SFX: Because you live and work together was it easy or difficult to switch of when you got home?

Hannah: “You want to. You want to shut the door and forget work. But when you’ve got a turnaround of 11 hours, it’s kinda easier to go, ‘Let’s do our lines quickly.’”

Andrew: “Yeah, that’s what we used to do. Get home, do our lines, and then forget about it. We’re actually really good at being Hannah and Andrew as well. We’re really good at just doing normal stuff.”

SFX: Any plans for the future?

Andrew: “I hope to find another character that I like playing as much as Connor. But if I don’t at least I got to do it once.”

Sultry pop starlet Rachel Stevens faces the probing GLAMOUR Inquisitor questionnaire. Will she survive? There’s only one way to find out…

GLAMOUR: Last text message you received?
The last message I got was from my trainer reminding me of our boxing session tomorrow.

Your celebrity crush growing up?
My celeb crush growing up was Joey from Blossom and Michael J Fox!

Biggest fashion faux pas?
My biggest fashion faux pas was my perm. Oh, and an all-in-one silk suit which I thought was very cool!

Last lie you told?
The last lie I told was to Alex. My top that I had just bought was a lot more expensive than it really was. What a cliché!

Put your iPod on shuffle. Write down the first song that comes up
The first song that comes up on my iPod is Trouble by Ray LaMontagne

Sum yourself up in three words
I would say, sensitive, impatient and passionate.

If you could eat anything in the world right now, what would it be?
If I could eat anything now it would be sushi or lobster

If you could stay anywhere in the world, where would you go?
If I could stay anywhere I would probably go back to the New Forest. We all just got home from a little break there. We stayed at a luxury hotel and spa called Chewton Glen. We had such a lovely time, great food, very relaxing treatments and lovely country walks with Alex and Amelie. I could definitely go back there for a few days!

Tell us one thing about yourself that no one knows?
One thing that no one knows about me is that I still wear a brace on my teeth.

What’s the last book you read?
The last book i read was the Secrets of the Baby Whisperer.

You can take the girl out of the pop troupe but you can’t stop her performing dance routines. Rachel Stevens says she sends her six-month-old daughter Amelie to sleep with co-ordinated disco efforts with husband Alex Bourne.

The former S Club 7 member, 33, told us at the Sony’s: “I sing to her all the time and me and Alex do little dance routines for her.” But catchy pop hits are not her style, says Rachel. “Amelie loves classical music, she’s very cultured.”

She adds that she’s keen to add another to the brood.

“I’d love to. I’m going to enjoy Amelie for a bit longer but we’d like a brother and sister in time.

“Plus I want to get out there with music again, I can feel my creative juices flowing.”

Hannah Spearritt thinks her relationship with ‘Primeval’ co-star Andrew-Lee Potts helps with their on-screen chemistry.

The 30-year-old actress – who plays Abby Maitland in the ITV1 drama – explained while being engaged to Andrew, who portrays Connor Temple, in real life makes their screen love life more believable, being on location wasn’t a romantic experience.

She told BANG Showbiz: “I think our relationship does help. It is important if you’re working with somebody you like, then it makes it much easier to emulate that chemistry. If you’re not so keen on someone, and you have to pretend to like them, it makes it a much harder job.

“We really enjoyed going on location in Dublin, but at 6am in the morning, it’s not very romantic. It’s hard to be romantic anywhere at 6 in the morning, however scenic the location may be.”
However, she may wish to make the most of working alongside her fiancé, as Hannah – a former member of pop group S Club 7 – hinted the “explosive” fifth series of the sci-fi show could be its last.

She explained: “It’s hard to say what will happen after this. We have lived and loved doing the show, and the last episode of this series is very explosive. So I’m not sure really.

“That’s the thing with ‘Primeval’, it can always go somewhere. But I don’t think the audience will be left unsatisfied if the show ended.”

‘Primeval V’ will be premiering on Watch on May 24 at 8pm.

On Saturday 9th of July some of the biggest names from 90′s pop music are set to perform at The Spa.

In a similar vain to the 80’s Rewind shows, ‘I Love the 90′s’ features three acts that combined has given us no less than 24 top 10 UK hits!

Headliners S Club enjoyed hit singles including ‘Bring it all Back’ and the infectious hit ‘Reach’, now original members Paul, Bradley and Jo are back together to remind us that there ain’t No party like an S Club party!

Also appearing are Five and Scooch.

Jo Ager Sales Manager, The Spa said ‘The 90′s is now the new 80′s and we are delighted to be bringing a fantastic mix of 90′s acts to the venue enabling people to reminisce about such a great decade of pop music.’

Ticket are now on sale are available from Spa Box Office on 01723 357859 and by visiting www.scarboroughspa.co.uk.

S Club 7 have been tipped by bookies to follow in Take That’s footsteps by reforming and bagging a number one hit song this year.

The original line-up of the band, which broke up in 2003, were pictured just days ago together for the first time in years and now bookies have already slashed the odds of the group reuniting.

Ladbrokes are now offering odds of 5/4 of the band reforming for a live tour with all seven original members this year.

There are also 6/1 odds – down from 66/1 – that they will bag a number one single and 10/1 – down from 100/1 – that they will score a chart-topping album.

Alex Donohue of Ladbrokes said: “New pictures have whipped S Club fans into a betting frenzy and the odds suggest the comeback might be on the cards.”

Strictly Come Dancing star Rachel Stevens and Primeval’s Hannah Spearritt met up with Tina Barrett, Bradley McIntosh, Paul Cattermole and Jo O’Meara to watch Jon Lee’s debut performance as Frankie Valli, the starring role in hit West End musical Jersey Boys this week.

It was the first time the entire group had been reunited in eight years.

They were the squeaky clean, seemingly perpetual, youngsters at the height of their fame – but S Club Seven showed that time waits for no man – or manufactured pop act – last night.

The band caught up with each other for the first time since their 2003 split to celebrate former member Jon Lee taking over the starring role of Frankie Valli in the smash hit West End musical Jersey Boys.

For the first time in eight years, all seven originals reunited to try their best popstar poses again - but it was new mother Rachel, 32, who dazzled in a sparkly sequin dinner jacket and satin heels.

However, the attention was almost stolen from her by Paul Cattermole, 34, as the former teeny boppers lined up.

He certainly showed he was more of a man nowadays when he got back together with his former bandmates after watching Jon perform onstage at the Prince Edward theatre.

Paul – who before S Club had various jobs including postman, butcher, theatre doorman, dustman and toilet cleaner – was actually first to leave the band when he quit in 2002 to join heavy metal band Skua.

However, they failed to have much attention and in 2008, Paul together with bandmates Jo O’Meara, 31, of Celebrity Big Brother racism row notoriety and Bradley McIntosh, 29, got back together as S Club 3.

Paul also dated fellow bandmate Hannah for six years, but they split in 2006.

She is now engaged to her boyfriend of four years and Primeval co-star Andrew-Lee Potts.

Most recently, they played a sell-out gig at the University Of Hull on 18 March, a concert hailed by local media as ‘the comeback of the century’ and ‘the best thing to happen to Hull since John Prescott starred in the Moneysupermarket.com adverts’.

Hannah Spearritt, 29, meanwhile has been busy bothering dinosaurs on ITV1′s Primeval since the split, while Tina Barrett, 34, is apparently trying to launch her solo career.

Rachel meanwhile, who had a successful solo career after the group disbanded, came second on Strictly Come Dancing in 2008, won rear of the year in 2009 and gave birth to her and businessman husband Alex Bourne’s first child Amelie in November last year.

S Club Seven – masterminded by Spice Girls svengali and Simon Cowell’s rival Simon Fuller – had a clutch of Number Ones throughout the UK and Europe – including classics Don’t Stop Movin’ and Never Had A Dream Come True.

They recorded a total of four studio albums, released 11 singles and went on to sell more than 17 million albums worldwide.

Jon began his West End odyssey in Jersey Boys on March 15. He’ll be alternating with Ryan Molloy who enters his fourth year in the multi award-winning show.

Jon has a long history with the stage, and played the title role in Oliver! at the London Palladium when he was 13.

Recently, he has starred in musicals including Les Miserables.

Watch has confirmed that the fifth series of Primeval will premiere on May 24.

The sci-fi drama was originally recommissioned for two series in 2009 under a new co-production deal between ITV and Watch’s parent company UKTV.

The seven-episode fourth series premiered on ITV1 earlier this year, while Watch has the exclusive first-air rights to the fifth run.

New episodes will air on the digital channel throughout May and June, while ITV will air the series in early 2012.

The fourth series of Primeval will be repeated on Watch in the weeks leading up to the premiere, airing from April 3 at 7pm.

Organisers of Northamptonshire’s biggest open air family festival promise this year’s extravaganza will be the biggest and best yet – with star names being lined up to appeal to all visitors.

Headlining on Friday will be The Real Thing ( You to me are everything), with Curiosity Killed the Cat and also Diva Fever. These groups have now been joined by the pop sensations S Club. With three of the original S Club 7 members  Jo O’Meara, Bradley McIntosh and Paul Cattermole singing the hit singles Bring It All Back and Don’t Stop Moving

This year’s ‘Walk In The Park’ takes place over two nights: the Big Family Night Out is on Friday, July 1, and the community festival on Saturday, July 2, when local bands get the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of a big audience.

The event attracts thousands of people every year to the Wootton recreation ground, and is regarded as one of the big family nights out of the year. Over 15-thousand people flocked to Wootton last year, and organisers are delighted that it is now attracting visitors from all over the town, and the county

“It is such a great role, I saw the show and I loved it. I knew I just wanted to be in it!” Jon Lee is bubbling with excitement. Alternating with Ryan Molloy, Lee begins his starring role as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys this month.

Remembered by many teens and twentysomethings as part of pop band S Club 7, Jon starred in four television series, a film and won two Brit awards and Record of The Year as part of the band, with record sales spanning over 13 million!

With a long list of achievements behind him as well as his singing career, you may think that Jon Lee is no longer affected by nerves, but this is not the case. “Sometimes I think what am I doing, why am I doing this to myself?” he admits, revealing that he still gets nervous before a performance.

Stepping into the limelight at the age of 12 as the lead in Oliver! at the London Palladium, after training at the Sylvia Young Theatre School, it was evident that he was a natural performer. It seems the West End is growing into a new home for Jon since playing Marius in Les Misérables at the Palace Theatre and more recently at the Queen’s.

Since your roles as the lead in Oliver!, Marius in Les Misérables and now as Frankie Valli, do you think the West End is where you want to remain?

This is what I have always wanted to do, musical theatre was my first love and now I’m on my third West End show. I do really love doing it, I love the lifestyle, there’s just something amazing about walking into a theatre, you walk out there and you get a buzz – I’m really lucky.

I bet it’s pretty hectic – how does it compare to the other roles you have played?

This role is for a year and because I am alternating with Ryan Molloy it means it doesn’t take up all of my time. I have the time to perform at the Savoy twice a month as well. When I was in Les Mis I was doing eight shows a week and it took up all of my time. Right now I have the best of both worlds, but I am still doing what I love.

As your Jersey Boys debut draws closer how are you feeling?

My first night is the 18th March, which isn’t too far away now! It has come around so quick - I found out I had landed the part in November and now its February and I still have so much to do! I’m just fortunate enough to get the chance, I feel it is the best West End show of the time; it may not be my era but I was surprised at just how many songs I knew.

Is it daunting to have the lead role as Frankie?

It is going to be great. I think I am kind of getting used to the idea now, but it never gets any easier, my nerves never go.

What about Frankie as a character? As the Jersey Boys were known for being on the wrong side of the tracks until their rise to stardom as one of the most successful bands in pop music, how did you get a feel for the role?

Our backgrounds are so different, but I went to New York and got a real feel for it. People forget that the Jersey Boys are real people, Frankie is still performing today – all he really cares about is performing. He is an intense, dark character, and so driven. But this is, I guess, to his detriment in the show as everything in his life comes second to his career.

You’re alternating the role with award-winning Ryan Molloy, how does that work out?

We work out a schedule every eight weeks and it changes all the time, sometimes I do more shows a week and then sometimes he does. I’m absolutely made-up with how things are going so far – I’m looking forward to getting started.

To check what dates Jon Lee is performing as Frankie Valli, check his website, www.jonleeofficial.com.