Brit girl band star looks as though she's barely aged 9 years after quitting fame for ‘normal job'
And this secret star looks virtually unchanged a decade on, after she quietly swapped fame for a job helping new mums across the UK.
6
6
6
While fans remember her for chart-topping bangers like Black Heart and Love Me with Stooshe back in the 2010s, Alexandra Buggs now shares her energy and insight with a growing online community of mums.
The star launched her own business for expecting mothers called BundledJoysCo nearly three years after giving birth to her son Isaiah in 2022.
She's selling pre-packaged hospital bags for labour, taking stress off parents at a key time.
And she looks just as radiant as she did during her pop stardom days.
Speaking about the inspiration behind BundledJoysCo, Alexandra wrote: 'I was shopping online for my hospital bag… and I called my best friend Eve, who was a mother of a 7-year-old, to ask if there was a place I could buy all my items from.
'She responded with a laugh and a hard 'nope, but there should be!
'It's such an exciting time in our lives preparing to meet our baby… but my gosh, the task list felt a little endless for me.'
After juggling new motherhood and reflecting on how overwhelmed she felt sourcing everything from slippers to maternity briefs, Alexandra saw a gap in the market and decided to go for it.
She added: 'After two years of being a mummy, I'm ready to take a risk… and start a business that offers a product and service to provide expecting parents with the information they need — and a space to purchase items for their hospital bag.'
Alexandra first found fame with Stooshe when the group burst onto the music scene in 2012.
They earned a Brit nomination and huge chart success before disappearing from the spotlight in 2016.
Stooshe — made up of Alexandra, Karis Anderson, and Courtney Rumbold — performed a unique mix of pop, R&B and cheeky lyricism.
Their breakout hit Love Me (featuring Travie McCoy) shot into the UK Top 5, followed by the emotional ballad Black Heart, which earned them the BRIT nom.
They were compared to early Spice Girls thanks to their bold fashion and outspoken energy, but were eventually dropped by their label Warner.
It happened after they clashed over a decision to record a version of TLC 's Waterfalls.
The girls weren't happy with covering the iconic record, with Karis previously telling the Daily Star: 'We are pretending 'Waterfalls' didn't happen.
'That song was never our decision. We love the TLC version, but we didn't like it as a single for us.'
They haven't released new music since 2016 and Alexandra last year posted on their official Instagram to confirm they have no plans to share new tracks.
She said: 'Hey loves, I'm sorry to say we aren't announcing new music before I get your hopes up.
'Your girls a mumma (been for a couple years now lol) and I am starting a new business within the parent and baby space.'
Meanwhile, Karis now plays the iconic Tina Turner in the hit West End musical - and gave Britain's Got Talent viewers a preview of the show, which tells the story of the late singer.
6
6
6
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
8 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Isla Fisher opens up about her 'tough' divorce from Sacha Baron Cohen: 'I'm trying to remind myself of my new identity'
Isla Fisher has spoken out about the 'tough' end of her decade-long marriage to Sacha Baron Cohen. The Aussie actress, 49, and Borat creator, 53, who share three children, split at the end of 2023 after 14 years of marriage. The Wedding Crashers star has now told Harper's Bazaar she suffered through 'a tough couple of years' amid their divorce, but is excited for what's to come. 'I've had a tough couple of years, but I'm making it through. I'm really excited for the next chapter,' she told the publication. 'I'm refocusing on my career, because previously I was very much focused on my kids, which I still am... [They're] my true love. But I'm enjoying tackling work again.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Isla added that, aside from refocusing on her career, she was also re-establishing her identity outside of her marriage to Sacha. 'I'm trying to remind myself of my new identity as somebody outside of a partnership and to stay as buoyant as possible,' she said. It was a similar sentiment the former Home and Away star shared with Stellar in March. 'I definitely am trying to focus more on myself professionally, something that was always on the back burner,' she continued. 'I always put motherhood first but everyone's a lot older now. 'Obviously my kids are always going to come first—every parent feels that way—but it is nice to go back to work and feel of value or be able to contribute at least to the arts in a way that's meaningful to me.' Isla certainly hasn't been resting on her laurels, having recently starred in the likes of the supernatural Stan series Wolf Like Me and such big-screen fare as Dog Man, and Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy. She also has five projects in post-production, according to IMDB, including the third instalment of the magic-tinged heist franchise Now You See Me, and Spa Weekend, which is currently in production on the Gold Coast. Isla and Sacha revealed in a joint statement in April 2024 they had 'quietly separated' the year before. 'After a long tennis match lasting over 20 years, we are finally putting our racquets down,' they told fans. Discussing the split with the Sunday Times, Isla said: 'It's the most difficult thing that I've been through and I've learnt so much about myself in the process. 'I never imagined my family being separated but we are committed and loving parents.' Isla explained her own parents separated when she was nine-years-old and admitted their peaceful arrangement was what she now strives for.
Daily Mail
38 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Love Island couple Meg and Dejon's 'game plan' is revealed as they are accused of 'showmance' for the final after blazing rows
Love Island's Megan Moore and Dejon William's 'game plan' has been revealed as they have been accused of only staying together for the final. Dejon, 26, has come under fire for his behaviour towards Meg, 25, after keeping her around but continuously flirting with the other bombshells that enter the villa. The couple appeared to go from strength to strength as they are now officially boyfriend and girlfriend and confessed that they 'love' each other. However, things went awry in recent episodes, with the pair becoming embroiled in a string of blazing rows during what was supposed to be a romantic date night. During Friday's episode, Meg addressed Dejon's confession that he would couple up with Yasmin Pettet if he wasn't coupled up with her. While Dejon looked stony-faced, Meg shared: 'Because every single challenge that has been happening recently, you know how upset I've been. 'You know how bad I felt the last couple of weeks, so for you to put someone's name on the board that actually talks down on you constantly. What the f**k?' After attempting to interrupt her on multiple occasions, he replied: 'Because I put Yas's name on the board, that doesn't mean I want recouple.' Megan then cut him off and explained she 'doesn't want to hear it anymore', to which Dejon concluded that it was 'fine' before they were reduced to sitting in silence. After watching the tense scenes, viewers flocked to X - formerly known as Twitter - to share their theories that the couple are only together to make it to the final. Comments included: 'Narrrr Dejon's game plan has failed him And he's crashing out real bad !! Now he can't even hold it together . He has hated this girl from early'; 'No Megan, Dejon is annoyed because his game plan is failing & his Mrs is 'making him look bad'; 'dejon's game plan is simple. trap her, make her your girlfriend, say i love you, then use all those things against her. master manipulator final boss'; 'Dejon had a game plan entering the villa but he picked the wrong girl and now it's backfiring #loveisland #loveislanduk'; ''You're trying to make me look bad' Dejon is actually in here with a game plan. He wants the 25k and brand deals for real.' Just moments later, the couple narrowly avoided being eliminated as Megan and Conor were instead sent home, despite Dejon and Meg both voicing their concerns that it would be them. It is just latest 'game-playing' accusation Dejon has been hit with as fans of the show have claimed he and Meg 'won't last three months'. During a game of Knowing Me, Knowing You, the islanders were asked who they would couple up with if they were not with their current partners. Dejon confessed that he would couple up with Yas because he has previously explored that connection earlier in the season. The comment shocked Meg as she explained Dejon had never expressed that she would be his number two in the competition before. This unsettled Dejon and he accused Meg of trying to make him look bad in front of the cameras. Speaking at the fire pit, Dejon quipped: 'You're trying to make me look bad. And I don't understand why you are trying to make me look bad.' And this is just latest accusation Dejon has been hit with as fans have claimed he has 'shown his true colours' with the TV show comment and say he and Meg 'won't last three months' In defence, Megan replied: 'I am not trying to make you look bad' which prompted Dejon to say: 'At the time, Billykiss was also in the villa. I said to Yas you are my number one. 'And then after you, it would be if I had to, it would be Yas and Billykiss.' Megan replied 'yeah' to which Dejon remarked, 'so you do remember the conversation?' Smiling, she explained: 'yeah I do remember you say that,' but Dejon cut her off and added: 'I know but I know what I am saying. You just tried to act like I didn't tell you that. That's a big thing.' This conversation sparked outrage among viewers as they claimed he was controlling and was gaslighting her. Taking to X, one penned: 'all my disdain for meg aside the way dejon speaks to her is so off putting and uncomfortable. if he is gaslighting her and speaking to her like that infront of cameras on a national tv show what on earth will he be like behind close doors'; 'the gaslighting from dejon here is CRAZY. meg is literally calm and collected and didn't even say there was an issue, just said how she felt. for someone who didn't care what other people thought of him, dejon seems to care way too much'; 'dejon lowkey scary look at how he looks genuinely annoyed at meg for getting things wrong and belittled her after it… i don't even like her but free her fr'; 'That conversation between Meg and Dejon was a masterclass in emotional abuse. Ladies in real life make sure you never let a man speak to you like that' 'blu tells dejon that meg isn't that popular outside the villa and suddenly dejon is picking fights with her' 'Dejon knows the public hate him and now he's looking to blame Meg for that' 'DEJON DEFLECTING AND BLAMING MEG. HOW DARE YOU SAY BECAUSE THE CAMERAS ARE AROUND YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE ME LOOK BAD. EWWWWWWWW. TOXIC BEHAVIOR AGAIN.' Love Island fans have already accused Dejon of being a 'game-player' after he declared his love for Meg on Tuesday night. The episode saw the Islanders' families and friends enter the Mallorca villa to deliver their verdicts, with Meg's mother and sister having some choice words for Dejon. In awkward scenes, Meg defended Dejon as her mother Nathalie and sister Paige warned her about 'letting him away with a lot' before branding him a 'player'. After the tense meeting, Dejon was quick to take things to the next level with Meg, pulling her on to the terrace to declare his love for her. 'Like the feeling comes, even when I think about you, like this feeling in my chest, but saying it has been hard for me because it's such a big thing,' he told her. 'But honestly like, I do I love you,' he added, prompting a smiling Meg to say the all-important three words back before they shared a kiss. After a tense meeting with Meg's family, Dejon was quick to take things to the next level with her, pulling her on to the terrace to declare his love for her However, viewers were less than impressed as they took to X - formerly known as Twitter to claim that the declaration was all part of his plan to win the £50,000 prize. They branded the couple as 'fake' as they claimed it seemed like Dejon had 'studied' previous years of Love Island and had planned the timing for his love declaration. Comments included: 'Dejon has studied love island sooo well WOW I wouldn't be surprised if these two win at this point'; 'Dejon and Meg really going for the ''I love you'' in an attempt to win the £50k... fair'; 'The way Dejon has carefully curated the path he's paved with Meg… In the history of Love Island, I don't think we've ever seen anyone as shamelessly calculated and competitive as him. The funniest part? He thinks we don't see it. No good Dej'; 'Dejon and Meg the fakest of them all. In the history of love island Uk, this is the fakest I've ever seen, especially Dejon'; 'Producers of love island stopppp forcing Megan and Dejon on ussss'; 'Dejon really studied the love island game lol'; 'Dejon is never getting past the game player allegations. He's gotta know how this looks - why is he acting like an AI bot who's watched 100 episodes of love island?' 'Like the feeling comes, even when I think about you, like this feeling in my chest, but saying it has been hard for me because it's such a big thing,' he told her However, viewers were less than impressed as they took to X - formerly known as Twitter to claim that the declaration was all part of his plan to win the £50,000 prize And his fellow Islanders also seemed less than convinced as they received quite the mixed reaction upon telling the group their news. Though the other Islanders all clapped and cheered them, the truth later came out during a challenge, where they had to share their true feelings on other couples. The Islanders repeatedly brought up Dejon and Meg's love declaration as they questioned the timing, before they were voted as the 'fakest' couple. Yasmin was very vocal after voting for them in the category, recalling how Dejon had repeatedly been caught out for not being truthful about his flirty chats. She claimed: 'I think there's been a lot of times D where you've been caught out on movie nights or saying certain things and downplaying certain situations with other girls that have been in this villa. 'And I think sometimes it can seem like things have been rushed between you two.' Toni Laites also voted for them as 'fake' because they never told her about her ex Harrison Solomon having sex with Lauren Wood despite using their 'friendship' as an excuse after arguments. NAME: Dejon Noel Williams AGE: 26 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Semi-pro footballer and personal trainer WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who is beautiful on the inside and out, looks after themselves and is healthy CLAIM TO FAME? My dad being an ex-professional footballer. I've met all kinds of famous people through him. When I was younger it was weird because he was just my dad, but we'd go to a game and fans were asking for photos. I've met David Beckham, he was really nice. Megan Moore NAME: Megan Moore AGE: 25 FROM: Southampton OCCUPATION: Payroll specialist WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I'd like to meet someone who is tall, with a nice tan, nice eyes and a nice smile. He needs to have a good fashion sense and a really good, funny personality that I can get on with HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE? Bankrupt, right now. But we're going to make sales and get on that corporate ladder and be booming. Profits, profits, profits! NAME: Shakira Khan AGE: 26 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Construction Project Manager WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who is tall, charming, witty, with big arms, a good smile and just really funny. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE? Booming, but they're all frogs. It's a busy love life but I've not found 'the husband', I'm looking for 'the one'. I'm looking for the ring. NAME: Harry Cooksley AGE: 30 FROM: Guildford OCCUPATION: Gold trader, semi-professional footballer and model WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? The girl next door that makes me laugh and can hold eye contact with me. I don't think I'd go for the most obvious girl, I like a real sweet girl. CLAIM TO FAME? I'm the body double for Declan Rice. So when he does a shoot, any body close ups will actually be me. You'll never see my face, but you'll see my shoulder or chest, that kind of thing. NAME: Toni Laites AGE: 24 FROM: Connecticut OCCUPATION: Las Vegas Pool Cabana Server WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I'm looking for darker hair, definitely muscular but not too muscular. Super fit. Clean hair cut. Someone that can make me laugh - I'm super outgoing. And someone that's quite active. Maybe one day we could start our own family together. I WANT TO DATE A BRITISH GUY BECAUSE... I've lived in three different states and I'm still single. It's time to try something new! I have some British friends and they're pretty charming. I think all Americans love a good accent. British men are just more polite, with better manners. NAME: Yasmin Pettet AGE: 24 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Commercial Banking Executive WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I'm looking for a guy who is fit, has a nice body and who is funny with a bit of banter. WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST ICK? A guy that's stingy NAME: Jamie Rhodes AGE: 26 OCCUPATION: Electric Engineer WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Bubbly, cheeky, outgoing, good face card and a nice bum. WHAT KIND OF ISLANDER DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE? I'll be in amongst the drama! It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, I'm gonna take it by the horns and go for it. NAME: Ty Isherwood AGE: 23 OCCUPATION: Site Engineer WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I go off energy, if we vibe. I've typically dated brunettes, tanned, nice teeth with a nice smile. WHAT KIND OF ISLANDER DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE? A head turner! I get along with lads easily and like to make people laugh. NAME: Cacherel 'Cach' Mercer AGE: 24 OCCUPATION: Professional Dancer WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who's emotionally intelligent, beautiful, charismatic, caring, affectionate, and I'd say an intro extrovert. WHAT KIND OF ISLANDER DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE? I think I'm gonna get into trouble, I feel like I'll be the joker of the group! I'll also be the person people come to for advice… and a bit of eye candy at the same time. ......................................................................................................................... Angel NAME: Angel Swift AGE: 26 OCCUPATION: Aesthetics Practitioner and Salon Owner WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I'm ready to make memories with someone, go travelling with them and fall in love WHAT KIND OF ISLANDER DO YOU THINK YOU'LL BE? I feel like people have been getting their heads turned very easily. I do feel like I have quite a good chance of turning someone's head.
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Why the Oasis reunion tour is 'catastrophic' for Edinburgh Fringe performers
For years now, many performers at Edinburgh Fringe have spoken about their struggles to afford the sky-high prices for their accommodation each August. This year, with Oasis's reunion tour coming to the city for three nights, the cost of securing a room for a month at the biggest arts festival in the world is even higher. Comedian Marc Borrows says "the 'Oasis effect' on the Fringe economy has been catastrophic". Rather fittingly, his stand-up show this year is called The Britpop Hour. "It's an idea I'd had in my back pocket for a while," he explains. "Then the band reformed and when I saw they were playing Edinburgh I thought 'yeah, this is the year to do this!'" While he's thrilled that the Gallagher brothers are coming to town, it means many performers are taking a financial hit. "I'll give you an example, I tried to get the same flat that I've had the last two years at the Fringe, a student flat, nothing fancy, and it costs an extra thousand pounds this year." Because of the increased demand for beds, newcomer Amy Albright will be sleeping in her red Volkswagen for her two-week stint at the Fringe. "Costs are even more expensive," she says. "It's just not an option for me, so instead I'm living in my car." With blackout blinds and a portable coffee maker, she says it's actually not as bad as some might think. "I park just outside of town in a really nice safe area, I use a gym for showers ... this saves me so much money ... I wouldn't be able to afford to perform at the Fringe otherwise." Holly Spillar's show Tall Child explores her relationship with class. She was fortunate enough to be one of 180 recipients of a £2,500 bursary from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. It is the third year the Keep it Fringe fund has been run, backed this year by a £1m injection of government money. As Holly explains: "I live month to month on a minimum wage job ... and it costs me about five grand to do the fringe." Alongside the grant, she's also had to take out a loan, which she says will take her two years to pay back. "It's a very precarious situation you put yourself in just to be in the room," she adds. Chloe Petts - now an established name on the comedy circuit - says the problem needs to be recognised for being less about Oasis and more about a problem that's been brewing for years. "Accommodation is just totally out of control," she says. "If this leads us to further conversations about that, then fantastic but ... it has to be a conversation about how it's totally unaffordable for the average person to come to the Fringe, and I think that's stopping a lot of people coming up who deserve to be here." Scottish comedian Susan McCabe, a lifelong Oasis fan, reckons there's no point getting too worked up, especially given the siblings fractious relationship. "We are here every year and they may not even be here for those three gigs ... they might have fallen out by then!" She adds: "It is what it is, at the end of the day ... they were the greatest rock and roll band of the 1990s, just let them be."
