- Meet 5th Story: The Big Reunion's 'new' super group with some familiar old faces
Gareth Gates, Dane Bowers, Kenzie, Adam Rickitt and Kavana tell Ashleigh Rainbird about how the former teen idols have bonded for the ITV2 show
Five forgotten pop stars forming their own “supergroup” for a reality show? Who thought that was a good idea? Certainly not the five singers.
“When I was first asked I didn’t really want to do this,” said Gareth Gates.
“I couldn’t get how it would work,” said Kenzie, ex of Blazing Squad.
“I wouldn’t sign the contract,” added one-time Corrie heart-throb Adam Rickitt.
Dane Bowers of Another Level and solo star Kavana had their own issues too. But one by one the questioning quintet were persuaded that it could be a success and they signed on the dotted line to become a new group called 5th Story
.
They hope to get a successful album and a tour from the show – and tomorrow night ITV2 viewers can decide for themselves whether that’s a likely prospect.
The Big Reunion 2014 follows an original series last year which saw pop has-beens such of B*Witched, Blue and Atomic Kitten getting back together to milk the nostalgia market. To many people’s surprise it was a hit with both viewers and critics.
The idea of a supergroup for Series 2 is a new twist on the format, but the talent was initially dubious.
“I wouldn’t sign the contract until we had our first meeting,” says ex-Coronation Street actor Adam Rickitt. “I said to them, I’ll only do it if I get on with the boys.”
Dane nods. “It wouldn’t be worth doing otherwise,” he says.
Adam, 35, who had one pop hit after Corrie, is best known now for his political ambitions.
After writing an article for Tory-supporting mag The Spectator he was persuaded by London Mayor Boris Johnson to put his name forward and in 2005 he was accepted as prospective parliamentary candidate for the Conservative Party.
“It was too soon for me to run for an election – and they got their a**** kicked anyway,” he notes.
The following year, to his surprise, David Cameron named him on his priority list of candidates.
“I never really agreed with the whole A-list thing,” says Adam now. “I got used as a sacrificial lamb... all the media focused their ill-will on me. It wasn’t particularly pleasant.”
However, he still wants to be an MP. “I’m not saying it’s going to happen tomorrow, but hopefully in the long term,” he says.
Adam turned down a return to the UK spotlight when Corrie offered him his old role as Nick Tilsley in 2009 and chose to stay with a new soap role in New Zealand, where he was arrested for shoplifting a block of cheese, HP sauce and a jar of coffee – he says it was simply an honest mistake.
In the meantime, he has been diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, an inflammatory disease that could leave him crippled if he does not exercise all the time. Now he runs 10 miles every day.
His presence in the line-up might have been a problem for new bandmate Kavana.
Dane helpfully points at Adam, and says with a laugh: “He ruined Kav’s career.”
Kavana, best known for his 1997 hit I Can Make You Feel Good, split from his management in 1999 because they signed the Corrie singer, who he saw as a rival.
“I felt so guilty for 15 years,” laments Adam.
Of all the stars Kavana – at 36 the oldest – has had the most ups and downs.
He moved to LA to pursue an acting career and despite landing only bit-part roles, he lived the high life, staying in Clark Gable’s old house on Sunset Boulevard with a friend who was a celebrity personal trainer.
“I rented the attic,” he says. “I’d wake up hungover with just underpants on, go into the kitchen and there would be Gwen Stefani doing squats and Tobey Maguire doing chin- ups.
"I went out there with all this money I made as a pop star, believing the hype. The sun is shining every day, there are beautiful people and everyone’s your friend.”
He admits he “over-indulged” on cocaine too. “People were doing it all around. It would be a big night – or a big three days.”
When he came home six years later he had to sign on. “I lost everything. Literally, everything,” he says.
“I thought that was it for me. I’m done now. I’ve knocked on too many doors, and they’ve all been closed.”
So when he got the Big Reunion call it wasn’t a big stretch to agree, despite old rival Adam being on board.
Kenzie, 28, of juvenile pop mob Blazin’ Squad was more dubious.
He had given up showbiz to train celebs such as TOWIE cast members and rapper Professor Green with his own gym company.
“I said no at first. I couldn’t get my head around it,” he says. “I couldn’t get how it would work.”
Exercise became a way of life for Kenzie after a three-month spell with the circus for a show on Sky TV. He bulked up from a tiny 8st to a muscly 13st. “A lot of people turn to drink and drugs,” he explains.
“I turned to training, and it kept me disciplined.”
However his powerful new physique came under scrutiny from online sceptics who accused him of using steroids. “Never,” he insists. “I get blood-tested regularly... every competition I do is natural.”
Gareth, 29, had the most success of the five band members. He was runner-up to Will Young in the first Pop Idol series in 2002 and went on to score four No?1s.
He moved into musical theatre when the hits dried up and with pal Jonathan Wilkes he has opened five schools to help youngsters get into performing arts.
A famous stutterer, he is now a qualified speech coach too. Yet, Gareth, currently in Dancing On Ice, still struggles to speak about his ongoing divorce from wife Suzanne, and his infamous night with Katie Price – who took his virginity and wrote about it explicitly in her autobiography.
Dane Bowers is a Katie ex too, but laughs off the suggestion of any animosity
“It’s not something we ever really talk about,” he tells me. “It was 12 years ago.”
"
"
"
"
"
"
"
The Big Reunion 2014
Dane, 34, who split with boyband Another Level in 2000, was working in showbiz PR until recently. But he had a crisis of his own to deal with when he was arrested for conspiracy to rape in 2012.
He says: “It hurt. People read that as ‘rape’. I was dropped immediately. That was horrible. I’ve got kids and I’d just started a relationship.
She stuck by me through that story, which isn’t a small thing.”
She stuck by me through that story, which isn’t a small thing.”
All the charges were dropped in the end and Dane is now engaged to his loyal girlfriend Sophia Cahill.
Before that, in 2010, he was held for conspiracy to supply drugs, then cleared.
“The ironic thing for me is that I’ve never touched a drug. I’ve never smoked a cigarette. I’m very proud of that.”
Now he says he is putting himself back into the limelight to tell his own side of those harmful stories.
“When you get let off, it’s not that interesting,” he says. “It’s more sensational to be able to talk about an allegation that could be a crime.”
The new band insist they have come up with some decent music – six songs which they will debut at their first live show in Hammersmith later this month. They reckon they sound pretty good.
“We were very pleasantly surprised,” says Gareth.
Kavana adds, enthusiastically: “Yeah, we’re not actually s***!”
- The Big Reunion 2014, starts tomorrow at 9pm on ITV2.
Remember their hits?
Kavana: I Can Make You Feel Good 1997 (8) MFEO 1997 (8)
Gareth Gates: Unchained Melody 2002 (1) Anyone of Us (Stupid Mistake) 2002 (1) The Long and Winding Road 2002 (1) Spirit in the Sky 2002 (1)
Kenzie (with Blazin’ Squad): Crossroads 2002 (1) Flip Reverse 2003 (2)
Dane Bowers: (with Another Level) Be Alone No More 1998 (6) Freak Me 1998 (1) From The Heart 1999 (6) Bomb Diggy 1999 (6) (with Victoria Beckham) Out of Your Mind 2000 (2)
Adam Rickitt: I Breathe Again 1999 (5)
http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/meet-5th-story-big-reunions-3112634#ixzz2sU8tuB14
Follow us: @DailyMirror on Twitter | DailyMirror on Facebook
No comments:
Post a Comment