Hannah Spearritt pulls out of S Club 7 reunion tour following Paul Cattermole's death
14 May 2023, 21:51 | Updated: 15 May 2023, 08:44
S Club 7 have announced that Hannah Spearritt has pulled out of the pop group's planned tour following the death of Paul Cattermole.
Paul was found dead at the age 46 at his home in Dorset, weeks after the announcement of the band's 25th anniversary tour.
His cause of death has not been confirmed but police said there were "no suspicious circumstances".
In an emotional video posted on their Instagram group, the remaining members said Spearritt would not appear in the upcoming shows, as they shed tears over their former bandmate's untimely death.
Paul and Spearritt had been in a relationship during their time in the band.
Last month, Spearritt told The Sun that she had been unable to stop crying since learning of her bandmate's death.
“It’s still so raw and I have these moments where I don’t quite believe that it’s real," she said. "I still can’t believe I will never see him again.
Read More: S Club 7's Jo O'Meara "utterly devastated" following death of bandmate Paul Cattermole
The band, whose hits include Don't Stop Movin', S Club Party, and Reach, had 11 UK top 10 singles, and four number ones, with over 10 millions albums sold internationally.
The tour begins in October, and will see the five piece in arenas across the country UK, as well as one date in the Republic of Ireland.
The branding on the group's website has been updated, reverting to their previous name of S Club, which was used in the mid-2000s after Paul initially quit the band.
In the clip Jon says: "Sorry it's been a while since you've heard from us but in all honesty we've been in a bit of shock and it's taken a while for us to find the right words to describe how we feel about losing our brother Paul."
Jon Lee said that despite her absence from the tour, Spearritt, Jon Lee remained a member of the group.
"She won't be joining us on this tour but we wish her all the best for the future. However, the five of us are really excited and geared up to crack on," he said.
He also says the tour will be a "tribute" to Paul, and that its name is being changed to the Good Times Tour, after a song that featured their late friend on lead vocals.
Rachel Stevens said that Paul is "always going to be with us. He was such a big part of this tour, so involved in everything that we are planning".
She added: "And we are just going to keep his memory alive and share it with all of you and its going to make it even more special."
Bradley MacIntosh said the band were in disbelief, and that Paul had been a big brother to the group, adding: "He truly was a unique specimen of a human being.
'No one could ever, ever replace our Paul but he lives on inside each and every one of us."
A tearful Jo O'Meara said: "Whenever Paul walked into the room, you definitely knew he was there because he would just light it up with humour and love, and just a really special person."
Tina added: "It's just really sad and really, really hard to process it right now."
