S Club have announced plans to continue as a five-piece for their upcoming 25th anniversary reunion tour.
The group will hit the road later this year for a string of live dates across the UK in celebration of their latest milestone, but just weeks after announcing the trek they were struck with tragedy when founding member Paul Cattermole died aged 46.
Weeks after his passing, the group took to social media with a video message to fans, confirming the dates will go ahead as planned in tribute to their late bandmate, and that Hannah Spearritt will also be absent from the run.
“You’ve probably noticed that there’s only five of us here today, and although Hannah will always be part of S Club 7 she won’t be joining us on this tour,” says Jon Lee. “We wish her all the best for the future.”
As a “tribute to Paul”, the group is renaming the tour ‘The Good Times Tour’ after their 2001 song, on which he performed lead.
The complete list of dates is below.
OCTOBER 2023
12 – AO Arena, Manchester
13 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool
14 – Utilita Arena, Sheffield
16 – 3Arena, Dublin
18 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
19 – Utilita Arena, Newcastle
20 – First Direct Arena, Leeds
21 – AO Arena, Manchester
23 – International Arena, Cardiff
24 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
26 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
27 – The O2, London
28 – The O2, London [Matinee]
28 – The O2, London
29 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
Paul was found dead at his home on April 6, with a statement from his family confirming there were “no suspicious circumstances” surrounding his passing.
Announcing the devastating news, the band said: “We are truly devastated by the passing of our brother Paul. There are no words to describe the deep sadness and loss we all feel. We were so lucky to have had him in our lives and are thankful for the amazing memories we have.
“He will be so deeply missed by each and every one of us. We ask that you respect the privacy of his family and of the band at this time.”
In a series of posts on their personal pages, the group went on to share their memories of the singer, with Jo O’Meara remembering Paul as the “sweetest soul”.
“This has been utterly devastating, and I am totally shocked and heartbroken,” she penned. “We have lost someone so incredibly special to us all , and there is a huge sense of sadness that will never go.”
Tina Barrett shared a poem in his honour, remembering Paul as “a shining star, full of character and life,” and Bradley McIntosh added he will “always be with us in our hearts”. Meanwhile Rachel Stevens called him “a kind, gentle and sensitive soul with the most incredible energy and such a wild free spirit”.
“He would light up any room,” she added. “We are heartbroken but so grateful for the memories we all shared. An absolute shining star who we will love and miss always.”
Speaking in a tearful interview, Hannah, who dated Paul for seven years and had recently made amends following their split to rejoin the group, admitted her devastation in an interview with The Sun on Sunday.
“It’s still so raw and I have these moments where I don’t quite believe that it’s real. I still can’t believe I will never see him again,” she shared. “It’s all the more tragic because he was looking forward to the tour the most out of all of us. He just wanted to have fun and enjoy it.”
Formed in 1998, S Club 7 rose to fame the following year with their CBBC series ‘Miami 7’, after which they launched their pop career with the chart-topping Bring It All Back.
Over the next four years, they released 10 hit singles – including the No. 1s Never Had a Dream Come True, Don’t Stop Movin’ and Have You Ever – and three albums, before Paul quit the band in 2002.
They continued as S Club, releasing the Top 5 hit Alive from fourth album ‘Seeing Double’ (2002), before splitting the following year after one more single and their Greatest Hits album.
In 2015, the original line-up reunited for the ‘Bring It All Back Tour’, marking the band’s final performances together.
