Kelly Overett, the iconic frontwoman of 90s Eurodance group Capella, has opened up about her wild times at the height of fame, including breaking into the EastEnders set and the advice singer Phil Collins once gave her.
Return to the stage after 28 years
Now 54, Overett is back on tour with Originals Live, a nostalgic journey through 90s dance hits. She stepped away from music in 1994, but a chance discovery of old photos reignited her passion. 'I thought no one would remember me,' she says, but after a show for 27,000 people, she realised the music still resonated.
Top of the Pops memories
Overett performed on Top of the Pops around ten times, starting as a dancer with Carl Cox. She recalls the surreal environment: 'You'd see the cast of EastEnders and Grange Hill in the canteen. We even broke onto the EastEnders set once with SL2 and took pictures.'
One memorable encounter was with Phil Collins. After a fussy artist nearby, Collins turned to her and said, 'Everyone becomes an arsehole. The moment you have success, people stop telling you the truth. But the good ones come out the other side.' Overett says this advice stayed with her.
Behind the scenes of 90s tour life
Tour life was wild but fun. Overett recalls huge events like Dance Machine in Paris and random gigs, including a distributor's Christmas party in January with Cliff Richard, Alison Moyet, and East 17. 'We were just 20-somethings having fun,' she says.
Despite the chaos, Overett avoided romances on tour. 'I was in Capella from 21 to 23, and honestly, I didn't have a personal life. We were successful in 37 countries, and back then you had to physically go to each territory to promote.'
Walking away from fame
Overett left Capella at the height of success because it no longer felt right. 'All I'd ever wanted was to sing and dance, and suddenly I didn't.' She turned down offers from lads' mags to pose nude, saying, 'No judgement to anyone who did, it just wasn't for me.'
After leaving, she had 18 months of chaos, including being banned from driving after racing around the M25. That forced her to rethink, leading to a career in radio, including years at Kiss FM.
Embracing the present
Now, Overett is enjoying her return more than ever. 'I move the same, dance the same... It's wild. But the difference now is, I'm enjoying it more than I ever did.' She chooses shows based on where she wants to go and works with artists like Anita from 2 Unlimited and Tanya from Culture Beat.
Kelly Overett has a weekly show on Glitterbeam Radio. The Originals Live Tour starts in June in Spain and ends with a headline appearance at Gran Canaria's Winter Pride in November.
