A new book by music journalist Michael Cragg lifts the lid on the exploitation and gruelling schedules faced by British pop stars in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Titled 'Reach For The Stars', the oral history covers the era of manufactured bands like Steps, Westlife, and S Club 7, revealing stories of weight pressure, minimal pay, and physical fights.
Claire Richards from Steps recalls being told to lose weight on day one and starving herself for four-and-a-half years. Sugababe Mutya Buena was given just two weeks of maternity leave before being forced back into the studio. The boyband 5ive experienced such animosity that fist fights broke out, according to singer Ritchie Neville.
Myleene Klass of Hear'Say described the brutal hours as 'hardcore', while Jo O'Meara from S Club 7 said the sudden end of the band left her unable to cope without being told what to do. Cragg interviewed over 100 people, uncovering that many artists were paid a pittance despite multi-million-pound deals.
Keisha Buchanan of Sugababes revealed she received only £3,000 after the band signed a million-pound contract. 5ive's Scott Robinson said they were given £100 a week. The book also explains why the public turned on Hear'Say after a minor makeover, and why 5ive turned down the chance to record '...Baby One More Time', calling it awful.
Cragg, who was a closeted pop fan during his teens, says writing the book allowed him to embrace the music he once hid. 'Reach For The Stars' is available now.
