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Rachel Stevens says S Club are ‘back in the studio’ and ‘buzzing with new ideas’ for music

S Club singer Rachel Stevens has hinted at even more “exciting new things” following the release of their first single in 20 years and the upcoming Good Times tour.

The beloved bubblegum pop band – including Rachel, Jon Lee, Tina Barrett, Jo O’Meara and Bradley McIntosh – will hit the road in October for a new 15-date tour. Good Times will mark their first run of gigs all together since 2015.

S Club released their first new single in two decades, titled These Are The Days, in memory of late band member Paul Cattermole, who
passed away in April aged 46.

The S Club Party hit-makers had some chart success with These Are The Days, but will there be more new music to perform on their long-awaited tour?

It seems like it could be so according to Rachel, who exclusively told virginradio.co.uk that the band are “buzzing with ideas,” and confirmed they are all “back in the studio” too.

“We’ve been working with some of our old team,” the Funky Dory singer added. “We look back at who we got to work with, like the writers, producers, and it’s so great to be back recording with [songwriter] Simon Ellis, who we worked with on all our tours, but he did Don’t Stop Movin’. We just have such an incredible team around us. There’s lots of talk of exciting new things.”

While preparations for the latest S Club tour begin on Monday (4th September), Rachel admitted that while the set list will obviously be filled with all the massive hits, including Never Had A Dream Come True and Reach, it’s their latest track the Some Girls singer is the most excited to perform.

She continued: “These Are The Days will be really special now to perform live because we haven’t done that live before and then Good Times will be special too now because that’s going to become a whole different tribute and different thing now. So much creativeness is coming out of something so tragic, but we can share so many beautiful things through it.”

After Cattermole’s tragic passing earlier this year, Rachel explained how the band’s collective grief ended up bringing them closer together, and Paul is still very much in the forefront of their minds when it comes to putting the gigs together.

Rachel explained how the show preparations are “therapeutic”, adding: “After [Paul] passed away, we all came together. We were just sharing your memories, we just really took the time to be together when we needed to, to chat when we needed to and to share our memories.

“[The tour] was always going to be a celebration without doubt, but a tribute now to Paul. We’ve renamed it The Good Times tour, which was his song which he was going to do an acoustic version of, and everything just feels really right.

“He’s been with us the whole way through it and every decision we make, we talk about Paul and Paul’s involvement. It’s really special to be able to keep his memory alive through our music. We’ve got so much footage which is just incredible. The TV shows I mean, it’s really special for the fans and all the memories and yeah, big celebration.”

These Are The Days by S Club is out now. For more details about the Good Times tour, visit sclub7.co.uk.

Source

Rachel Stevens opens up about ‘therapeutic’ S Club tour prep

Rachel recently sat down with Virgin Radio to discuss the ‘therapeutic’ tour rehearsals for the upcoming “Good Times Tour”

S Club singer Rachel Stevens has revealed how late bandmate Paul Cattermole is still very much a part of the upcoming The Good Times tour.

Five of the original members – Rachel, Jon Lee, Tina Barrett, Jo O’Meara and Bradley McIntosh – will hit the road in October for a new 15-date tour. Good Times will mark their first run of gigs all together since 2015.

The shows will also
celebrate 25 years
since the band first formed, and will no doubt include all the big bangers, from S Club Party and Never Had A Dream Come True.

S Club suffered a devastating loss earlier this year after bandmate
Paul passed away
in April aged 46, but according to Rachel, Paul’s death has ended up bringing the band closer together.

Tour prep begins on Monday (4th September) and the Funky Dory hit-maker revealed how Paul is still at the forefront of their minds when it comes to putting the gigs together.

Speaking to exclusively to virginradio.co.uk, Rachel admitted how the show preparations are “therapeutic”, adding: “After he passed away, we all came together. We were just sharing your memories, we just really took the time to be together when we needed to, to chat when we needed to and to share our memories.”

S Club released their first new single in over 20 years, These Are The Days, in memory of Cattermole, which Rachel described as “the perfect tribute to him.”

Despite the grief over losing Paul, Rachel confirmed there were never plans to cancel the tour, but that his loss “fueled us in a different way.”

She continued: “It’s always going to be a celebration without doubt, but a tribute now to Paul. We’ve renamed it The Good Times tour, which was his song which he was going to do an acoustic version of, and everything just feels really right.

“He’s been with us the whole way through it and every decision we make, we talk about Paul and Paul’s involvement. It’s really special to be able to keep his memory alive through our music. Through the footage we’ve got like, I mean we’ve got so much footage which is just incredible. The TV shows I mean, it’s really special for the fans and all the memories and yeah, big celebration.”

Meanwhile, Rachel is the new face of Activia, who recently found that nearly a quarter (24 percent) of Brits feel their health and well-being worsens as summer ends, with 10 percent stating their gut health worsens.

Speaking about the new campaign, the Some Girls singer said gut health is something she’s “felt really passionate about for a long time.”

Rachel admitted she’s keen to get back into a good routine ahead of the S Club tour, telling us: “I’m about to kick off with tour rehearsals on Monday, I can’t believe it’s come around so quickly. My head is really in that place of coming out of summer holidays, where I’ve been over indulging, drinking more and travelling. Now I’m like, right, work’s about to kick off, getting the kids back to school. I just want to get into a really nice routine and get consistent again, get organized.”

Rachel Stevens Graces Fabulous Magazine discusses handling parenthood after divorce, new S Club music, and upcoming reunion tour!

Rachel appears in Fabulous Magazine (out 26 February 2023) and discusses her time following the separation from longtime partner Alex Bourne, she discusses navigating parenting to ensure her daughters do not feel like she did growing up (following her parents split as a teenager) and of course her recent S Club reunion!

Check out the pictures from the shoot associated with this interview and read the interview below!


Rachel Stevens Photographed for ‘Fabulous’ by Mark Hayman

Rachel Stevens previously described meeting her husband as being like a scene from a romcom. Following a string of failed relationships, the S Club 7 star had sworn off men and was planning a move to LA. But after bumping into childhood sweetheart Alex Bourne, now 45, in London’s Selfridges store, they rekindled their relationship and tied the knot at Claridge’s in 2009. But in July last year, after more than 12 years of marriage, the pair – who have two daughters, Amelie, 12, and Minnie, eight – announced they had split.

Speaking for the first time about their break-up, Rachel, 44, says: “It’s very hard to articulate the feelings, because there are so many. It’s been really painful, really sad. It’s been the biggest decision to make in our lives, obviously, with our kids.” Rachel and Alex’s biggest concern has been protecting their children from the fallout. Rachel’s own parents, Michael and Linda, split when she was 17 and it had a monumental impact on her life, leaving her feeling lost for many years.

“I worried about the girls having the experience I had,” she admits. “We’ve had some amazing advice on how to speak to them. They know how much we love them and we are not going anywhere. “Our split is very amicable and that’s really helping. It’s only the last two weeks that we’ve not been living together. That was definitely difficult. We’re doing it with love and respect, but it’s a process. “It’s taken a lot of navigating. We are going to mess up and make mistakes. But we are acknowledging that to them, and I feel so lucky.” She credits a therapist, who she started seeing twice a week after her own parents split, for guiding her through the break-up .

“I’m so grateful for having therapy,” Rachel admits. “Having that outlet to talk to someone with no judgement or emotional attachment. She just gets it. I think it’s so important for all of us to feel seen, heard and understood. “Through my therapy, I’ve learned how to parent better. I want to be the best mum I can be. And I say to the girls: ‘I’ve made a mistake.’ It’s important for them to see that we’re not perfect – that parents are human.” She says communication has been key to getting the family through the break-up. “When my parents divorced, I didn’t know what was going on. As parents, you will do anything to protect your children, but you are actually not protecting them by keeping them in the dark. You need to be honest with them.

“We need to respect that they are emotionally smart. Otherwise, they make things up in their own mind and that’s more damaging. It’s a balance and you have to park your stuff and focus on them. “It’s been very planned how we’ve told them that we were separating. But you can’t always get everything right. It’s just not possible.” Starting again as a single mum after more than a decade, Rachel is trying to embrace new beginnings. She recently moved out of the family’s north London home into a new place with her daughters, admitting that she had been “drowning in boxes” and a “mix of emotions”. “Moving house has been stressful, but it’s really exciting. Choosing interiors and decorating – I love that. “It’s my place with the girls. That feels empowering. We’re creating a home, which is wonderful, but there are so many feelings around it. Mainly good, but also scary,” she says.

Throughout the ’90s and ’00s, posters of Rachel adorned the walls of teenage boys across the country, with even Declan Donnelly joking on SMTV Live how much he fancied her. She frequently graced the covers of lads’ magazines and appeared in FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women list a whopping 11 times – even being voted “sexiest woman of all time” in 2014. And she admits men have wasted no time in asking her out now she’s single again. “Yeah, there’s been a few [offers to take her out],” she giggles. “But no, I’m not ready to start dating. I’ve got enough going on for now. But I love love. I’m the soppiest person. We should be happy to be in love and deserve all the great things in life.” As well as adjusting to single life, Rachel is set to be rather busy career-wise.

Not only will she be performing solo at Mighty Hoopla festival in June, but earlier this month it was announced she would be reuniting with her S Club 7 band mates – Jon Lee, Hannah Spearritt, Jo O’Meara, Paul Cattermole, Bradley McIntosh and Tina Barrett – for an 11-date tour across the UK and Ireland this October, to celebrate the band’s 25th anniversary. She explains: “Simon [Fuller, the music mogul behind the Spice Girls, who put the band together] got back in touch with us. It was 1,000,000% yes, absolutely, from me. It’s crazy how quickly that time has gone. Our music stands the test of time. People need fun and nostalgia more than ever. “And we just want to ‘bring it all back’ [laughs] – no pun intended. We want to bring that joy back and get back out there. “We’ve kept in touch on and off through social media or WhatsApp. Everyone’s just kind of gone their separate ways. But when we’re back in a room together, there’s so much love. We’re like a family.”

S Club 7 had phenomenal success. They sold more than 10 million records between 1999 and 2003, embarked on three arena tours, won two BRIT Awards, starred in numerous BBC TV series and even a feature-length film, Seeing Double. “There are already discussions to get the shows on streaming services, as well as the possibility of recording new material after the tour. “I’m so proud of what we achieved with the music, and for my kids to be able to see it as well,” Rachel says. “Last time we did a tour, my eldest was three.

“At the minute, I’m just Mummy. I sing on the way to school and they’re like: ‘Mum, stop, you’re making me cringe.’ But they are proud, too. If our songs come on the radio, they love it, so now this is a chance for them to really be a part of it. “Between the seven of us, we have seven kids, and it’s the same ratio of three boys and four girls. We have this little mini-me ready-made S Club 7 ready to go. It’s S Club Junior Juniors!” A mini version of the band could actually be a reality, as both Rachel’s girls are keen to follow in her footsteps. “They are TikTok mad. Amelie has just done a year in Les Misérables and now she’s a first year at drama school. It was hard, as she got offered the part before lockdown.

“There was this massive excitement, getting the part after all these auditions, finally getting in front of Cameron Mackintosh, and then this massive disappointment when it all closed.”But it was an incredible learning curve and she had no idea if she would still get it when it opened up. She had to do the whole process again and got the part. “There is no question about what she’s going to do. She’s sung ever since she was little. It’s not me, she’s driven by herself, but I am supporting her. It’s so ingrained in her, this raw talent. “I can’t get her to do her homework, but if you give her a script or a song, she’s so passionate about it. She just loves singing and performing. She’s a natural. Then my little one wants to be an actress, but she’s still finding her way.”

As well as the thrill of performing again, Rachel is most excited to see the band’s costumes, though some of the ’90s relics will not be making a reappearance. “I don’t have any of the outfits from that time. It’s probably a good thing. Like hankybandanas or a crop top tied with a string – we probably need to leave them where they were. Although, ’90s fashion is back and kinda cool now.” While Rachel went on to record two solo albums, as well as competing on Strictly Come Dancing, Dancing On Ice and releasing clothing collections with Oasis, some of her band mates have not fared so well.

It was revealed in The Sun that Hannah and her long-term partner, Adam Thomas, 42, had spent Christmas living in a friend’s office with their two daughters after losing their home. “It’s horrible knowing someone’s going through a tough time,” Rachel says. “I think we’ve all faced challenges, especially through the last few years. Life is full of ups and downs. And you know we’re all there for her. We’ll be able to support each other.” Part of S Club 7’s appeal was that there were seven personalities and fans could all identify with one. Rachel was often dubbed “the hot one”, but despite her undeniable beauty, she struggled with her appearance.

“I put such a pressure on myself to feel perfect and be in control,” she says. “I wanted to be perfect in everything. It was very much about appearance. I grew up feeling like everything was outside-in. I struggled with that and I went into S Club feeling very guarded. “It was at a time when my parents were divorcing and we moved house and I had no sort of grounding. I was so lost. “Everything I had known had gone. I didn’t know who I was. Then this amazing thing happened at 19. I was still quite young. It was incredible, but I ended up becoming this person who I thought I kind of have to be.” In fact, she put up a persona of “Rachel from S Club” and lost the real Rachel Stevens in the process. It’s taken years of therapy to find herself again.

Despite it being 25 years since the band’s formation, Rachel looks almost exactly the same. But she admits she is nervous about putting herself back in the public eye at 44. “I’ve been moving house with no make-up and wearing tracksuit bottoms. I’ve been in my bubble of dealing with a lot of personal stuff. “Now I’m about to go back out there. I have all my insecurities and I’ll be in front of hundreds of photographers. I’m someone who, when I feel vulnerable, I want to hide. But I’ve realised it is OK to feel those things and that is empowering. “More than anything, when you are happy, it shows on your face. If you are comfortable in yourself, that’s the most beautiful thing.”

S Club 7 Reunion News Roundup

The past two weeks have been a world wind of emotions, and unfortunately, we have missed a bit of news. This news article will contain all of the information that we may have missed. For up to date information be sure to follow our S Club social media account @WorldOfSClub.

S Club 7 appear on Capital Radio (14 February 2023)
S Club 7 appear on Scott Mills Radio Two Show (14 February 2022)
S Club 7 Do a Photoshoot (14 February 2023)
Rachel, Jo, and Bradley appear on “This Morning” (15 February 2023)
S Club 7 announce additional London date for “S Club 7 Reunited” (15 February 2023)
S Club 7 Announce Pre-Release for “Don’t Stop Movin'” 7″ Vinyl
Rachel Stevens appears on Catchphrase (18 February 2023)
S Club 7 react to their Memorial YouTube Moments (21 February 2023)
S Club 7 announce three additional dates for “S Club Reunited” (21 February 2023)

Rachel Stevens admits she’s ‘terrified’ to star on Dancing on Ice

In an exclusive chat with Hello Magazine Rachel talks about her upcoming stint on ‘Dancing on Ice’ which premieres next Sunday at 6:30pm.

“I’m so excited – I can’t wait for it all to get started,” she tells the magazine.

“It’s such a great team of people and I love my partner Brendyn Hatfield, so it’s all super-exciting but terrifying at the same time. Totally terrifying!”

And former S Club 7 star Rachel – who shares daughters Amelie, 11, and Minnie, seven, with husband Alex Bourne – admits her only previous experience on the rink has amounted to “wobbling around at Christmas time with the kids”.

“I’ve danced and performed for years but doing it on ice means starting something totally from scratch,” she admits. “But I can’t wait to just go for it and have fun – and I’m loving working with Brendyn. He’s just adorable and such a brilliant teacher.”

In the interview, Rachel addresses the criticism she has received that her experience as a popstar and previous Strictly Come Dancing contestant gives her an advantage.

“I am not a trained dancer, I’ve learned on the job. Dancing with a partner is so different to the kind of things I did when I was in a band. Of course, if you’re a performer you’ve got that experience behind you, but I think everyone’s got to just bring themselves to the show. That’s what people enjoy watching – the journey.”

And she also addresses the prospect of an S Club 7 reunion. “Not at the moment but I would definitely be open to it if all seven of us were taking part,” she says. “We message each other every now and again. But I haven’t seen them for so long!”

Rachel also tells the magazine how she is coping with her strict rehearsal schedule while raising a family and working on her other work projects, including a fashion collaboration with a high street brand.

“I am just muddling my way through it all, dropping balls everywhere. I am stressing out, trying to get everything done, but I think that’s life for everyone, isn’t it right now? I don’t think anyone has a nine to five job anymore. I try not to give myself such a hard time when the balls fall. It’s okay – we’re all human.”

Rachel Stevens Talks with The Jewish Chronical: “…I want to be the best person I can be. We all have the potential to be the best version of ourselves.”

Rachel has sat down and spoken with Sandy Rashty at The Jewish Chronical about her upcoming performance on ITV’s ‘Dancing on Ice’ (set to debut on ITV in January). In the interview (probably the best interview in a very long time), Rachel discusses how to juggle being a celebrity and a mother, her time in S Club, her marriage to Alex, and a bit of how shes feeling about Dancing on Ice.

Check out the interview below:

By her own admission, Rachel Stevens is a perfectionist.

Famed for her part in award-winning British pop group S Club 7, Stevens went on to launch a successful solo career, took part in competitive TV shows like Strictly Come Dancing (she was runner-up in 2008), and has collaborated with fashion brands from Oasis to jeweller Laura Gravestock.

Now, she is turned her attention to the skating rink for the upcoming series of ITV’s Dancing on Ice, which airs in January. Stevens, 43, has a mixture of emotions ahead of the live shows.“I am such a perfectionist, it is a challenge,” she says. “I am having a lot of mixed feelings as I have a tendency to put a lot of pressure on myself.

“I need to push myself to be the best I can be, for myself and my skating partner. When you are a bit of a perfectionist, you can get in your own way. I need to push through that and just have fun.”

Partnered with skater Brendyn Hatfield, she has committed to practising for at least two hours a day, five times a week at Alexandra Palace’s ice rink in north London, a short drive from the home she shares with her two daughters and husband Alex Bourne, who works in property.

“The juggle is real at the moment, it feels like we have all gone from zero miles an hour, to a hundred.” She heads to the rink in the morning, after dropping her children off on the school run. She has skated, twirled and been carried across the ice.

“I was chucked up in the air earlier on,” she laughs. “It is such an interesting skill to learn and the skaters make it look so easy. The days when you make progress feel so good. Dancing is hard enough, but on the ice there is a loss of a sense of control.”

While she is excited about skating, she is also looking forward to working with the show’s wardrobe team on the “sparkly” outfits – the same stylists who work on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. Stevens was once the ultimate pop princess.

Aged 19, she was invited to join S Club 7 out of more than 10,000 hopefuls who auditioned for the band, and together, the group of three boys and four girls were a success with hits including Don’t Stop Moving, Bring It All Back and Never Had a Dream Come True.

They toured the world, performed dance routines at sell-out concerts and even had their own TV show. Stevens had no formal singing, dance or acting training, but she “learned on the job”. She was often photographed wearing pastel-coloured crop tops and flares, with her trademark smile, tan and honey-coloured highlights.

She featured on FHM’s Sexiest Women lists for 11 years in a row and was once voted Sexiest Woman of All Time by its readers, Though she “got to do the most incredible things with amazing opportunities,” the band were running on little sleep and were under a lot of pressure.

“I have a strong work ethic and like to be busy. We really put in the hours. We had a TV show, movies, radio tours, arena tours, Saturday morning kids TV and photoshoots. It was pretty much 24/7.” It had an impact. “I remember splitting up with a boyfriend, crying my eyes out and then having to get up and sing Reach.

We had a young audience and I ended up playing a role, putting a show-face on. That was one of the hardest things for me. “I pushed everything down and was very good at hiding how I was feeling. A lot of times I would shut down, put on that face — but I was not really there.

It is something I have had to work through as I have gotten older.” Her career also offered a chance to escape from personal problems, she adds. “It is quite hard being in the public eye. Everyone deals with it in a different way.

“It was personally a difficult time. My parents were separating and everything was up in the air. S Club was something to focus on and it took me away from everything that was going on at home. It gave me purpose and structure.”

In 2003, S Club 7 performed their final show after five years as a band. Stevens remembers the group leaving the arena in separate taxis — and they did not perform together again until a reunion show in 2015. “It was difficult.

We had spent all those years together every day, but after the show we took separate taxis and that was it. There was no ‘goodbye party’. There was no closure on something so incredible. I remember feeling a bit shell-shocked.” “I was really career-driven in S Club 7.

Everything was diarised and having that structure taken away was difficult for me. It still is sometimes.” She went on to launch a solo career, with hits Sweet Dreams My LA Ex and Funky Dory. “I needed to stop and have a break, but it was not in me to do that. I felt I needed to keep going.

“It was really successful, but I think on reflection I could have been a lot more present.” She has since lost touch with other members of S Club 7 which can make her feel “sad”, though they do sometimes support one another or exchange messages on social media.

With 255,000 followers on Instagram, she has cultivated a strong following for her lifestyle and fashion content. For Stevens, who studied business at the London College of Fashion, style has long formed a big part of her identity.

“I grew up around fashion, my mum and grandma were always so glamorous and had a real love for it,” she says. As a child, she would visit the womenswear boutique where her grandma worked. “I was always amazed by the clothes and the ladies trying everything on, from the fabrics down to the bags and even the packaging.”

Stevens intended to pursue a career in the industry — initially “untangling hangers” at a shop on Great Portland Street, before going on to consider a job in buying merchandise.

“I just wanted to go out, work and start making money so I could buy all of these clothes!” But aged 17, she was approached while having lunch in a canteen, by a music production team that worked with Simon Fuller, former manager of the Spice Girls. Fuller went on to manage S Club 7.

Stevens took the opportunity, which led her into showbusiness. But now, she has found a way to pursue her initial dream of working in fashion. She uses Instagram to post photos and videos of her outfits and brand collaborations.

She says that what we wear has changed since the outbreak of Covid-19. “I will now style a pair of joggers with a blazer. You can elevate a look.” She adds: “Style is such a big part of who we are, it’s the armour. It empowers me and gives me confidence.”

While she uses the photo-sharing platform to promote content, she is conscious of the impact that using her phone could have on her children Amelie and Minnie, who sometimes take the snaps. “When you work for yourself, it’s not a nine-to-five job,” she says.

“It is a tricky balance, because I do not want to be on the phone too much when I am with my family but I do feel that pressure to post, and I love it.

“We have just given in and bought Amelie a phone when she turned 11. It is tricky to try and teach the children to not be on the phone, when I am on mine.”

I wonder whether she would be happy for her daughters to one day work in the music industry. It turns out that Amelie already has a role in a West End musical. “She is loving it and it is the most incredible experience, but I am torn. I want them to be happy and love what they do, but I want them to love it, not want it for fame.”

For Stevens, family is key, and Judaism a core part of her life. She grew up in Southgate, the daughter of a hairdresser and a salesman from the East End. She first met her husband aged 12, at the Jewish youth club, Oxford and St George’s.

They went on to attend barmitzvah parties together and were in the same social circle during their teenage years. She was “besotted with him, he was so cute with his curtains haircut” and he says that from the moment he first saw her, he knew that they would one day get married.

They went on one date aged 18, but then their lives went in different directions. Ten years later, they bumped into one another in Selfridges and “the rest, as they say, is history”. In 2009, they had an Orthodox Jewish wedding at the Claridge’s Hotel in London.

Their children attend Jewish schools and look forward to Friday night meals, where she lights the Shabbat candles and her husband will say kiddush — and often make dinner. “Alex is the big cook in the house,” she says.

Before the pandemic, the family were members of Finchley Reform Synagogue but for Stevens, Jewish life is more centred on tradition, family and food than synagogue. “Friday night dinner is such a special thing. Having that one night a week sat around the table is something that I want to keep going, especially as the girls get older,” she says.

“Some of my fondest memories are of sitting around a table together. There is a sense of safety, security and I am very family-orientated.” But sometimes, the transition to a quiet family life from the glittering side of showbusiness can be “really hard”.

She says: “I am someone who needs to work and needs that creative outlet. It is an important thing to show my girls and I am trying to do something I am passionate about.

“I do not want to sound cheesy, but the thing that drives me is, I want to be the best person I can be. We all have the potential to be the best version of ourselves.”

At the same time, she says: “I want to be happy, be present and not have to get things perfect all of the time. That is something I need to learn.”

– Source

Rachel Stevens: “I Want My Girls to Have Self-Belief”

Rachel Stevens recently chatted with The Sun about her time in S Club 7 and being voted as ‘The Sexiest Woman of All Time’ in FHM.

Most mums don’t need to worry about their kids finding racy photos of them . . . so long as they are careful. But for Rachel Stevens, it isn’t so easy.

The former S Club 7 singer, now a mother of two, was a fixture on lads-mag covers at the height of her fame — with only sexy undies or a carefully placed arm to protect her modesty.

he featured on FHM’s Sexiest Women lists 11 years in a row in the Noughties and readers voted her their sexiest woman of ALL TIME in 2014.

Most of those mags have since bitten the dust. But what would Rachel’s daughters Amelie, ten, and Minnie, six, think of their mum’s daring appearances?

Rachel, 42, says: “Winning ‘sexiest female’ was so lovely and so flattering. Obviously it’s all tongue-in-cheek and a bit of fun.

“For me, being in FHM wasn’t sexualised, it was about being sensual and creative. It was about being part of a team.

“I love photoshoots, anyway. I find them so fun and creative.

“I wouldn’t worry about showing Amelie and Minnie those shoots because I’m proud of what I did and my career. It was so of-the-moment. I took it for what it was — a bit of fun.”

Despite her stunning looks, Rachel struggled for confidence in her late teens and early twenties.

But she now feels much more comfortable with herself and wants to instill that positivity in her daughters.

She says: “Looking back, I wasn’t confident really. I’m definitely much more confident now. I know what I want. You just get to know yourself and what you need, don’t you?

“I want to bring my girls up to be confident in who they are and the decisions they make. I want them to have self-belief . . . as rounded human beings. I’ll always be very honest with them. Kids are so emotionally smart — sometimes more so than we are as grown-ups.”

Rachel had just turned 19 when she joined S Club 7. She posed for her first FHM cover in a black leather crop-top and leggings in 2000, aged 22.

Her second shoot came the next year, alongside bandmates Hannah Spearritt, Jo O’Meara and Tina Barrett — each of whom featured on a version of the cover. Rachel’s copies sold out the fastest.

Now she says posing for lads’ mags helped the band shed its squeaky clean image, adding: “When you’re a teenager, you don’t really know who you are.

“You’re just working yourself out and that’s the time I got into the band. We were so protected and managed. So there was a lot of learning and growing to do.

“I’ll never forget our first FHM shoot with all the girls, the four of us. We were marketed at a very young audience, so we had always done Smash Hits, Top Of The Pops and all those magazines before that.

“This gave us an opportunity to be a bit more grown-up and not be so ­smiley, happy, kind of bubblegum. It was a nice opportunity to show another side.

“When you’re in a pop group you’re quite one-dimensional in a way. People like to put you in a little box. It meant we could have a bit more of a play.”

After the band — which also featured Bradley McIntosh, Jon Lee and Paul Cattermole — split in 2003, Rachel pursued a solo career and was ­runner-up on Strictly in 2008.

Her daughters have caught the bug for performing and Rachel is not against them following in her footsteps.

She says: “Amelie has decided she wants to be a singer. Obviously, it could change, as she’s only ten. But she’s passionate about singing.

“Minnie loves dancing. She’s saying she wants to be a chef right now. I will support them in whatever they want to do.”

Rachel married childhood sweetheart Alex Bourne in 2009, the year before giving birth for the first time. She says: “We were boyfriend-girlfriend when we were 12. We went out for about four weeks, which is a long time when you’re 12! It was real love.

“As we grew up in the same area, we were in and out of social groups and went out again when 15 or 16 then parted for years.

“We randomly bumped into each other when we were in our late twenties. We got to know each other again and when I went off to LA, he came out and that was that.

“His mum was like, ‘I knew when you were 12 you were going to be (together) and Alex says he did too, which is very romantic.”

This month Rachel is performing at Cabaret All Stars at ­London’s Proud Embankment on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

It is the first time in more than a decade she has sung her solo tunes including Sweet Dreams My LA Ex and Funky Dory.

Despite her chart success — including four No1 hits with S Club 7 — she has nerves about taking to the stage.

Rachel says: “I always get nervous. But I’m excited. It feels like I’ve not performed my own solo stuff for a long time. So that’s really exciting and a bit of festivity.

“I think we all need a bit of Christmas in our lives.”

Rachel’s jewellery collaboration with Laura Gravestock launched earlier this month.

Rachel Stevens Opens Her December Residency at ‘All Star Cabaret’

Earlier tonight the one and only Rachel Stevens returned to the stage in London at Proud Embankment’s All Star Cabaret, and finally 2020 has given us something to be excited about!

Rachel sang her single’s ‘Sweet Dreams My L.A. Ex’ and ‘Some Girls’ completely live with the backings of some of the gorgeous ladies from the All Stars Cabaret.

If you are in the London area, we definitely recommend heading over to the Proud Embankment website and snagging Tickets for one of the remaining shows!!

December 15
December 16
December 22
December 23

Check out the videos below!!

Rachel Stevens on ‘The Masked Singer’ and former Band Mate Paul Cattermole

Rachel Stevens, also known as, the Sexiest Woman of all Time has recently launched her jewelry collection with Laura Gravestock, and has been doing some recent press! Rachel has some very interesting things to say about ‘The Masked Singer’ and her former band mate Paul Cattermole who has been struggling in recent years!

Speaking to The Daily Star Rachel stated, “I’ve been really into I’m A Celeb and watched it before bed. I think I’d be such a wuss, but I shouldn’t say that in case I do do it! The show my girls would love me to do is The Masked Singer. They love it. We sit and watch it as a family together and the whole concept of the show works really well for kids.”

We have a feeling Rachel isn’t on the upcoming season due to premiere on Boxing Day, but hey, maybe Hannah or Jon could grace the stage!! Speaking of Rachel’s former band mates, Rachel spoke briefly about Paul Cattermole’s financial difficulties stating: “I care about him and it’s sad to hear when anyone is struggling, I think it’s always important to put kindness out there and let people know that you’re there if they need you. I have kept in touch with all my bandmates on and off over the years”

But all seems to be well with Paul as he has recently begun releasing music online, much different from his S Club days!

Rachel Stevens launches Jewelry collection with Laura Gravestock

Earlier today, Rachel Stevens announced her collaboration with Laura Gravestock for a limited edition Jewelry range, beginning Friday pieces will be available for purchase in limited quantities.

Check our Laura’s video announcing the project this morning.

Be sure to keep an eye out on Rachel and Laura’s Instagram as well as Laura’s official website.