S Club 7 reunion: Bringing back 'joy and positivity' on 25th anniversary comeback tour

S Club 7 have announced they will reunite for a UK and Ireland tour this year, to mark their 25th anniversary.

The group had bubblegum pop hits like 1999 debut single Bring It All Back, as well as Reach and Don't Stop Movin'.

All seven original members, including later solo star Rachel Stevens, will hit the road again together for the first time since 2015.

Stevens said it will be "special" to get the chance to bring their "joyful and positive" music back around.

"I think where we are in the world right now, we just want to get up there and bring some joy and positivity," said the singer at a press conference on Tuesday morning.

"I can speak for myself - my kids listen to our music - I think our lyrics and everything are so joyful and so positive and to bring that back to kids today and that nostalgia is such a special thing to be a part of."

Bandmate Bradley McIntosh added it would be "great" to perform their material for a "younger generation", while another, Tina Barrett joked that the S Club Babies - aka young family members of the now 40-something entertainers - could support them on tour.

The group announced their return in a statement early on Monday evening, ahead of their appearance on the One Show, saying: "After eight years it feels amazing to announce that we're reuniting and performing together again," they said.

"We can't even believe it's been so long," they added. "Music and friendship have always been at the core of everything that we've ever done."

But the former teenage stars have since admitted that there may be some things they can no longer do as they move into middle age.

"I was the master of the dance moves," said Paul ["getting down on the floor"] Cattermole, as the band chatted to BBC Radio 2's Scott Mills on Tuesday afternoon.

"There's definitely a few there that I won't be able to do… remember that caterpillar?!"

Barrett added: "Brad always used to do a handstand... and all his change came out his pockets."

"And Jon [Lee] backflipped," offered fellow star Hannah Spearritt.

When asked by the presenter if he would pulling out those moves again, McIntosh replied: "No, definitely not. It depends on what the insurance policy is like on this tour!"

Originally created by former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller in 1998, S Club 7 rose to fame by starring in their own BBC TV series, Miami 7 - a children's sitcom based on the lives of the group who had moved to Miami in search of fame. The second series was titled LA 7 after they moved to - you guessed it - Los Angeles.

The Brit Award-winning septet - who not all listeners find joyful, it should be said - went on to have four UK number one singles, including the show's theme Bring It All Back, and a chart-topping debut album.

They disbanded in 2003, but came back together in 2014 for the BBC's Children In Need charity appeal, performing a medley of their best-loved tunes. They went on to release new music and tour the following year.

Stevens all but confirmed the recent rumours of their re-emergence by attending Saturday's Brit Awards alongside her old bandmates Barrett and Jo O'Meara.

Now, their 11-date new tour will begin at Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena on 13 October 2023, and they will go on to perform in cities including Dublin, Glasgow and Newcastle, before ending their run at London's O2 Arena on 28 October.

Tickets for the tour go on sale on Friday 17 February at 10:00 GMT.

Rachel Stevens launched a solo music career soon after they first disbanded and had a hit with the song Sweet Dreams My LA Ex. She also competed on the TV shows Strictly Come Dancing - finishing runner-up in 2008 - and Dancing On Ice.

Hannah Spearritt became an actress, appearing in ITV's Primeval, as well as having recurring roles in Casualty and EastEnders. She has also performed in stage shows such as One Man, Two Guvnors and The Armour. She recently told The Sun that she was hoping to open an holistic cafe in south London with her partner after struggling with accommodation issues and ill-health.

Jon Lee performed in West End shows such as Les Miserables and Jersey Boys. He released his debut album called Fallen Angel in 2012, and six years later featured on ITVBe's Celebrity Dinner Date.

In 2008, Paul Cattermole, Bradley McIntosh and Jo O'Meara formed a spin-off group called S Club 3, later renamed S Club Allstars. Tina Barrett later joined the new band line-up in 2014, after she took a lengthy hiatus from her music career.

Elsewhere, Cattermole, who used to be in a relationship with bandmate Spearritt, appeared on a 2019 episode of First Dates Hotel in search of new love. He had originally left S Club 7 in 2002 to start a nu-metal band called Skua but they were never signed to a record label.

McIntosh joined MTV's reality show Totally Boyband in 2006. He also has a link from his Instagram page to an online shopping website, selling bath and beauty products.

O'Meara, meanwhile, also went solo, releasing her debut album, Relentless in 2005.

She appeared on the 2007 edition of Celebrity Big Brother, where - alongside Jade Goody and Danielle Lloyd - she was accused of the racist bullying of fellow contestant and eventual winner Shilpa Shetty, which she denied. Ultimately regulator Ofcom ruled that the programme breached its code of conduct over the race row, which dogged the series.

After undergoing a series of back operations, O'Meara told the One Show she now felt "ready" to get back up on stage.