From the moment Kym Marsh and Myleene Klass were chosen to be in Britain’s first TV talent show band, the two women were at war.
asserted
women → choose → war
Both were beautiful and fiercely ambitious, and it was immediately clear to those working with the pair that Hear’Say, the group forged in 2001 out of ITV’s Popstars, was not big enough for the two of them.
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Hear’Say → work → them
One member of the group’s entourage would regale me with tales of what a ‘nightmare’ his job was as Myleene and Kym constantly bickered.
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Myleene → regale → tales
They quickly became the breakout stars of Hear’Say, which only fanned the flames of competitive tension, and it wasn’t long before they had fallen out.
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they → become → tension
Their feuds were so vicious that Kym, a single mother-of-two from Merseyside, quit in 2002 – barely ten months after a judging panel led by ‘Nasty’ Nigel Lythgoe gave her a place in the band.
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panel → quit → band
Lythgoe, who began his career in the 1970s as a dancer, said: ‘Of all of the people I’ve worked with over the years, that was the most vile time.
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that → begin → years
Noel Sullivan, Suzanne Shaw, Danny Foster and Kym Marsh for Hear'Say's reunion
As they were... the group forged out of ITV's Popstars with Myleene Klass 25 years ago
But model and singer Myleene has decided against rejoining the group for next year's tour
He also described it as a ‘nightmare’.
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He → forge → nightmare
But perhaps it won’t be a recurring one, because as Hear’Say now get back together, 25 years on from their No1 hit Pure And Simple, they are one band-member light.
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they → recur → hit
Myleene will not be joining Kym, Suzanne Shaw, Danny Foster and Noel Sullivan on their 13-arena tour next year.
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Myleene → join → tour
So having announced yesterday they will perform with Noughties rivals Liberty X, whom they beat in the final of the ITV talent show, there will be nine ex-Popstars on tour instead of ten.
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they → announce → tour
Myleene, 48, ‘didn’t want to do it,’ says a source familiar with the project, adding: ‘She’s got so much else going on.’
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much → want → project
And while this may well be true, my snitches close to the bands say the rift is still just as bad as it was a quarter of a century ago.
uncertain
it → say → bands
‘There have been the odd bits of contact over the years as they supported one another during personal difficulties, such as Kym’s stillbirth when they shared an emotional phone call,’ says the source, adding: ‘Myleene even helped Kym choose the funeral music.’
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Kym → support → music
However, the source continues: ‘The feud was awful, and even though a lot of time has passed since, the reunion wasn’t for Myleene.
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reunion → continue → Myleene
There’s still that rivalry under the surface, and they are very different women.
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they → ’ → surface
Going back to the two of them working together would have been impossible.
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Going → go → them
But model and singer Myleene has decided against rejoining the group for next year's tour
Their feud bubbled over in public at the height of the band’s success as reports of bust-ups behind the scenes leaked to the media, with Myleene said to have accused her co-star of ‘getting too big for her boots’.
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Myleene → decide → boots
Kym later admitted that having to wrap their arms around one another as part of a dance routine ‘felt so fake’.
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having → admit → routine
The war reached a climax in America in June 2001 as a savage argument erupted ahead of the group’s appearance on, appropriately enough, the anarchic Jerry Springer Show.
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argument → reach → Show
The two women could almost have been typecast as the late Jerry’s notoriously combative guests, yet the sparks were flying in a corridor backstage as Kym accused Myleene of ‘gossiping’ about her with other bandmembers.
uncertain
Kym → typecast → bandmembers
At the start of 2002, the group were invited by the BBC to perform for British troops in Oman.
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group → invite → Oman
Kym labelled the gig ‘a shameless publicity stunt’ and refused to join her bandmates, instead briefing the Press that she’d be staying with her young family in Britain.
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she → label → Britain
This would prove the final insult for Myleene, whose fury prompted Kym to formally leave the group to pursue a solo career just weeks later.
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fury → prove → career
Those who know the pair describe them as ‘chalk and cheese’, explaining: ‘They are just completely different personalities in every possible sense.’
While Kym wears her working-class roots and no-nonsense personality as a badge of honour, Myleene, a classically trained violinist and pianist, is more guarded – verging on ‘frosty’ when away from her closest friends.
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Myleene → know → friends
And while both have enjoyed a raft of success away from Hear’Say and the world of pop, their paths have rarely crossed in public since the fallout.
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paths → enjoy → fallout
Kym moved into acting, appearing on BBC1’s Doctors before joining Coronation Street where she remained for 13 years as barmaid Michelle Connor.
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she → move → Connor
More recently, she appeared on school drama Waterloo Road, was a presenter on the BBC’s daily magazine show Morning Live and has theatre credits to her name including Single White Female, on tour earlier this year.
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she → appear → tour
It was apparent almost immediately after they were put in the band that heads would clash
Kym has since gone on to be a successful actress, spending 13 years on Coronation Street
After several classical music albums, Myleene, meanwhile, focused on modelling work, including fronting clothing and swimwear ranges with Marks & Spencer and Littlewoods.
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Myleene → put → Marks
She’s also appeared on several reality shows, including a memorable stint in the Celebrity jungle in 2006, during which she showered in a white bikini.
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she → appear → bikini
A source familiar with the pair explained yesterday: ‘They were different women then, and they’re different women now.
‘
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they → explain → pair
Kym is incredibly down-to-earth and loves throwing herself into almost anything.
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Kym → throw → anything
She has a tendency to say yes to any opportunity and works incredibly hard.
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She → have → opportunity
‘At any given time, she’s doing two or three different projects at once, and she provides for a large family, so she never stops working.
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she → give → family
She’s the first to tell people she has lots of bills to pay and lots of mouths to feed.
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she → ’ → mouths
If either of the women were going reunite with Hear’Say, it was going to be Kym.’
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it → go → Hear’Say
Rumours of a comeback have been spiralling on social media in recent weeks, with the band teasing fans in a series of tongue-in-cheek posts showing them plotting their return by messaging one another.
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them → spiral → one
And on Wednesday the group confirmed the tour with Liberty X – giving a series of interviews in which they spoke of their excitement at the reunion.
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they → confirm → reunion
They also answered questions over Myleene’s absence, confirming she had been asked to participate but declined the offer.
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she → answer → offer
In a carefully pre-considered and diplomatic response, co-star Suzanne Shaw explained: ‘She is always going to be part of Hear’Say.
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She → consider → Hear’Say
‘She was invited to do the show, and we completely understand the timing wasn’t right for her.
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timing → invite → her
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
