In an exclusive interview, Cheryl Baker of Bucks Fizz has revealed that she still carries a physical reminder of the horrific 1984 coach crash that nearly killed the band: pieces of the A1 motorway remain embedded in her leg. Speaking to The Mirror at Butlin's Skegness ahead of an 80s weekender, Baker, now 72, explained that what many assume are pen marks are actually fragments of road.
The Crash That Changed Everything
On December 11, 1984, following a sold-out concert at Newcastle City Hall, the band's tour bus collided with a lorry. Baker and Mike Nolan were thrown through the windscreen. Baker suffered a broken back, and Nolan had a third of his brain removed due to a blood clot; he was even given the last rites. Jay Aston sustained a head injury, broken nose, and broken ribs.
Baker said: "I still have a piece of the motorway in my leg. People have said, 'Do you know you've got pen on your leg?' Any black marks you see are bits of the A1. I asked a plastic surgeon to remove them, but he said the operation would cause worse scars. Coming out of that alive was a second chance at life."
Eurovision Victory and Legacy
It has been 45 years since Bucks Fizz won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981 with "Making Your Mind Up," a performance defined by the iconic skirt rip. Baker recalled: "Three minutes and a skirt rip changed our lives forever." The band sold 15 million records worldwide and scored three number ones. Now rebranded as The Fizz, they continue to perform, with a new single "A Crazy Shot in the Dark" and sold-out shows.
Aston, 64, reflected on the crash's impact: "It changed us completely. We were on such a whirlwind of success that the crash felt like someone saying 'stop.' It really affected me." She left the band in 1985, selling her London house to pay legal fees, but rejoined in 2009.
Cancer Battle and New Beginnings
Aston faced another life-threatening challenge: mouth cancer diagnosed in June 2018 at age 57. A seven-hour operation removed and reconstructed part of her tongue using tissue from her thigh. She is now cancer-free but says: "Certain syllables are difficult. Talking comes from a different place in my tongue. Singing is less painful than talking for hours."
The current lineup includes original members Baker and Aston alongside Nikk Mager, 42, and Matthew Pateman, 55, who replaced Nolan in 2024. Pateman, formerly of Bad Boys Inc, said: "I watched the win in 1981 at my nan's, copying the routine. Now I'm on stage about to rip her skirt off—it's surreal."
Embracing Nostalgia
Baker, who hosted "Record Breakers" from 1987 to 1999, noted: "Coming out of the 80s, you couldn't give Bucks Fizz away. We were doing bingo halls. Now nostalgia is like a drug." Aston added: "We were complete puppets back then. Now we call the shots." Despite the ages of members totalling 192, Baker declared: "We're having more fun than ever." Aston quipped: "We'll be ripping off our skirts until we're 100."
The Fizz continue to tour, celebrating their enduring legacy while acknowledging the scars—both visible and invisible—that have shaped their journey.
