Former Sugababes star Heidi Range made a surprise appearance at London's Mighty Hoopla festival this weekend, marking her return to the stage for the first time in 15 years. The 43-year-old singer joined friends Nicole and Natalie Appleton, from the band All Saints, who performed as their duo Appleton.
Fan Reactions and Performance Highlights
Fans were thrilled when Heidi came on stage to sing the Sugababes classic 'Round Round' alongside Appleton hits like 'Pure Shores'. One fan wrote on social media: 'Heidi Range X Appleton - the girlband we didn’t know we needed!' Another added: 'We NEED you back on stage.' A third commented: 'Sugababes should have her back as a foursome, it feels so negative without her.'
A fourth fan posted: 'Heidi is just incredible. I'm so happy for her to be back on stage singing! She made the Sugababes great. Her presence is truly missed from the band.' While a fifth remarked: 'Us experiencing this with you was a magical moment.'
Behind the Scenes
Earlier in the day, Heidi shared a video of herself in a green glitter jumpsuit walking onto the stage. She captioned the post: 'Walking out to join Appleton @nicoleappleton @nicappleton and a crowd full of love in the sunshine @mightyhoopla.' She described the experience as a 'Pinch Me' moment and revealed how it all began with a New Year's text from Natalie Appleton: 'Hi, my lovely girl!! I hope you're all well and happy new year! We're just sat in a meeting in our office. TOP SECRET. Would you join Nick and I on stage as surprise guest to sing Round Round at Mighty Hoopla on May 30th? Remember top secret. Love you lots and let me know as soon as you can xxxx.' Heidi replied: 'Hi there lovely. I would LOVE to. I'm so excited!'
Heidi's Career Since Leaving Sugababes
Heidi left Sugababes when the fourth edition of the band went on hiatus in 2011. Since then, she has focused on songwriting, TV, and musical theatre. Eagle-eyed fans may have spotted her on shows like 'Dancing on Ice', 'Celebrity Masterchef', and the Eurovision Song Contest. More recently, she became an ambassador for the children's charity NSPCC. She also stepped back from the limelight to raise her two daughters, Aurelia (eight) and Athena (four), with husband Alex Partakis.
Reunion with Sugababes Ruled Out
Despite fan demand for her to reunite with Sugababes—now consisting of the original line-up: Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan, and Siobhán Donaghy—Heidi has ruled out ever performing with them again. The Liverpudlian joined the chart-topping group in 2001 after Siobhán Donaghy's departure. Before that, she was briefly in Atomic Kitten but left before any music featuring her was released.
In 2023, Heidi told The Mirror: 'I don't know, I'd never say never. I don't know if that's likely to happen.' She also ruled out solo material, saying: 'I'm not thinking of doing solo music, no.'
