Hear’Say and Liberty X are set to reunite for a joint arena tour of the UK and Ireland, commemorating 25 years since the groups were formed on the TV talent show Popstars.
Kym Marsh, Myleene Klass, Suzanne Shaw, Danny Foster and Noel Sullivan found fame as Hear’Say after winning the competition in 2001, while Liberty X was made up of the five other finalists: Michelle Heaton, Jessica Taylor, Kelli Young, Tony Lundon and Kevin Simm.
Chart-topping hits and a reunion
Hear’Say, who topped the charts with hits such as Pure And Simple and The Way To Your Love, split in 2002 but are reuniting a quarter of a century later for the gigs. Four original members, excluding Klass, will take the stage with Liberty X, who also found chart success in the noughties with Just A Little, Thinking It Over and Being Nobody.
The tour, titled Popstars: The Originals, will see both groups perform all their hits and marks their first performances together.
Tour dates and ticket details
The 13-date tour begins in April in Dublin, then visits Belfast, Bournemouth, Nottingham, Brighton, Cardiff, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle, Glasgow, London, Manchester and Liverpool. Tickets go on general sale from 9am on October 16.
Marsh, who built a successful career as an actress, singer and TV host, said the reunions are “going to be emotional” during an interview with the Press Association.
“We were just young famous kids who had a dream, and that dream came true for us,” the former Coronation Street star added. “We had amazing fans, and we had a wonderful time… and we did an arena tour all those years ago. So the prospect of being able to go out and do it again and not only with each other, but with Liberty X, is really exciting.”
Members reflect on the reunion
Taylor said: “We didn’t know what we were letting ourselves in for – there had never been a show like that before. Now we’re parents, so you look at it through like different eyes. It’s really nice for us to be able to do this, for fun and for celebration. There’s none of the pressure that any of us had when we were kids. We’re just here to have a ball.”
Shaw said Hear’Say have “not sung together for 25 years” since their split. “This is really big, and this is brand new again for us, so it’s been really emotional,” she told PA. “We’re loving every minute of it.”
Heaton added: “To be on such a big stage in front of that many people again at this point in life after 25 years, it’s really humbling. We’ve all got children amongst us, and a couple of us have grandchildren, and they’re going to see what we got to do years ago once again. It’s the most exciting thing.”
