S Club 7 renamed for upcoming reunion shows dedicated to founding member Paul Cattermole
15 May 2023, 08:41 | Updated: 15 May 2023, 08:51
S Club 7 have rebranded as S Club for their reunion tour in October, following the death of founding member Paul Cattermole.
Paul was found dead at the age 46 at his home in Dorset, just weeks after the tour's announcement.
His cause of death has not been confirmed but police said there were "no suspicious circumstances".
Ahead of the gigs in London and the Republic of Ireland, seven has been removed from the band's website and social media accounts.
The band previously dropped the number from their name in the mid-2000s after Paul initially quit the band.
Read More: S Club 7's Jo O'Meara "utterly devastated" following death of bandmate Paul Cattermole
On Sunday, the band announced that Hannah Spearritt would not be joining them on their 25th anniversary tour, but confirmed that the shows would go ahead, with the band performing as a five-piece.
In an emotional video posted on their Instagram group, the remaining members spoke of their devastation over Paul's untimely death, as they revealed Spearritt had pulled out of the tour.
Last month, Spearritt, who had previously been in a relationship with Paul, 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.
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 band perform in arenas across the UK, as well as one date in the Republic of Ireland.
In the clip posted on Sunday, Jon Lee 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 said that despite her absence from the tour, Spearritt 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."
