S Club has spoken publicly about why Hannah Spearritt will not take part in their upcoming 2027 tour and has shed light on the circumstances surrounding a now-viral interview with Claudia Winkleman.
The group, originally formed by music mogul Simon Fuller in 1998, consisted of Hannah Spearritt, Tina Barrett, Jon Lee, Bradley McIntosh, Jo O'Meara, Rachel Stevens and Paul Cattermole. They stayed together until 2003, reunited briefly from 2014 to 2015, and came back again in 2023. Weeks after that reunion, Paul died at the age of 46 after suffering a haemorrhage and a cardiac arrhythmia.
Why Hannah Spearritt is not joining the tour
Following Paul's death, Hannah experienced panic attacks and left the band, unable to cope with both life in the spotlight and her grief. She now lives in Costa Rica.
Speaking to The Sun, Jo O'Meara said of her former bandmate: "She's started a whole new life for herself, which is so exciting for her. So she's over there living life, doing what she's doing, and we're over here reaching for the stars." O'Meara added that it "worked out perfectly for everyone" and that Hannah had given the band her blessing for the next tour. Tina Barrett said they wished her the best, as she had been "part of our journey".
The Claudia Winkleman interview explained
Before the group's split in 2003, they took part in a live TV interview with Claudia Winkleman. In a clip that has resurfaced online, Winkleman asks whether the band were "grumpy" because they had not "made a mint" from their time together. The group joked about wanting a breath mint before awkwardly saying they felt "lucky" to have what they did. Their publicist then interrupted the interview, walking onto the set and saying: "I'm not having that, I'm not having you asking them that question. I've tried to stop this and I've had to walk in here. We're going."
Simon Fuller was thought to have held strong control over both S Club's image and earnings. According to Hannah, who spoke to The Telegraph in 2016, of the millions the group made for Fuller, members received less than £200k each a year. They also travelled economy on flights and had to prepare their own food and laundry when working abroad.
Bradley McIntosh explained that the interview had not been planned and came at the end of a long day, just as they were leaving the building. He said the team agreed to the interview on the condition that questions about money were avoided, as they had been asked that specific question all day and were "knackered". Asked how he felt now, McIntosh said he had "no problem" with Winkleman and understood that she was just doing her job.
