Atomic Kitten's Natasha Hamilton caught up in Whole Again 'bathroom sing-0ff'
The 42-year-old Atomic Kitten singer, who has performed solo at many festivals over the years, needed to go to the toilet at one event, and when she opened the bathroom door, she burst out laughing when she was greeted by "15 people" singing the 90s girl band's most popular track at the "top of their voice".
Natasha told Scott McGlynn on 'Celebrity Skin Talk': "There's so much nostalgia around Atomic Kitten. A lot of people, now when they're out and they hear it, it just takes them back to their youth.
"When I get to do these gigs, and I have the privilege of singing Atomic Kitten songs, it's always an incredible crowd, everyone's got their arms around each other, they're back in Y2K, living their best young life.
"So - that nice as well, I went to the bathroom, I went to the toilet, and as I opened the door, there's about 15 people singing 'Whole Again' at the top of their voice. Like having a bathroom sing-off. It was quite funny.
"So, yeah, good times."
'Whole Again' sold over 1 million copies in the UK - making it the fourth best-selling single by a girl group of all time, after the Spice Girls' songs, 'Wannabe' and '2 Become 1' and 'Never Ever' by All Saints.
According to Natasha, the song was placed in the "Guinness Book of World Records" for "increasing sales week-by-week".
The star said: "If you were to go down the statistics route, it's one of the biggest-selling girl band songs of the 21st century. It smashed records in sales.
"It ended up in the Guinness Book of World Records for increasing sales week-by-week, and the person to do that - previous to us having that accomplishment, the last person to do it was Michael Jackson."
And Natasha - who also told Scott that she would "love" to reunite with Liz McClarnon, 44, and Jenny Frost, 47, who replaced Kerry Katona, 44, after she left Atomic Kitten in 2001, one day, but does not think working with Kerry would happen again - said she will never get tired of singing the much-loved song, and is excited to see what happens with 'Whole Again' in the future.
She said: "The song is mammoth, it's huge. It's just one of them songs that never gets old, never gets boring and continuously just breathes a life of its own.
"It was reimagined in the world of football, it became 'Gareth Southgate You're the One' and you think, why are all these men in pubs watching football, singing an Atomic Kitten song from 25 years ago? But, somehow, it just worked.
"Who knows what will happen with it next!"
Follow Scott McGlynn on Instagram - @scottmcglynnofficial - to watch his 'Celebrity Skin Talk' show.
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The Age
3 hours ago
- The Age
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This story is part of the August 3 edition of Sunday Life. See all 13 stories. It's the clichéd British expat dream – to take up residence at Sydney's Bondi Beach – but for one of the UK's most famous exports, Melanie Chisholm, it was a reality for several months this year. The singer formerly known as Sporty Spice, thanks to her pivotal role in '90s pop phenomenon the Spice Girls, never thought she'd call the famous stretch of coastline her second home, but a coaching gig on The Voice and an Aussie boyfriend gave her a chance to reacquaint herself with a city she's always loved. 'Bondi is the health capital of Australia, if not the world,' she says. 'And being Sporty Spice, it feels like I found my spiritual home. It's a very natural spot for me to be in.' It may be nearly three decades since the Spice Girls conquered the charts with their debut single, Wannabe, but Chisholm, 51, still proudly embodies her famous moniker. 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Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘I am done with being hard on myself': Sporty Spice Melanie Chisholm at 51
This story is part of the August 3 edition of Sunday Life. See all 13 stories. It's the clichéd British expat dream – to take up residence at Sydney's Bondi Beach – but for one of the UK's most famous exports, Melanie Chisholm, it was a reality for several months this year. The singer formerly known as Sporty Spice, thanks to her pivotal role in '90s pop phenomenon the Spice Girls, never thought she'd call the famous stretch of coastline her second home, but a coaching gig on The Voice and an Aussie boyfriend gave her a chance to reacquaint herself with a city she's always loved. 'Bondi is the health capital of Australia, if not the world,' she says. 'And being Sporty Spice, it feels like I found my spiritual home. It's a very natural spot for me to be in.' It may be nearly three decades since the Spice Girls conquered the charts with their debut single, Wannabe, but Chisholm, 51, still proudly embodies her famous moniker. Dressed in a casual red-and-white-striped T-shirt and sport-luxe pants, she's already been on an early morning walk before her chat with Sunday Life. She's religious about her three days a week strength training but has come to accept exercise-free recovery days are important, too. 'I have been a 'go hard or go home' person for much of my life, and now trying to slow down is actually quite nice,' she says. Joining the Australian version of The Voice was a no-brainer for Chisholm, having been a coach on the UK children's iteration of the show in 2021. She was drawn to the opportunity to encourage new talent, having experienced what it's like to audition in front of a room full of strangers. 'There are many opportunities to sing on reality TV shows, but with The Voice, it's the only one that's very nurturing and is really all about the talent,' she says. 'It's the only show I am interested in being a part of.' Instead of breaking hearts and shattering dreams, Chisholm is mindful with her coaching advice. 'We always try to leave everybody with constructive criticism and give some guidance if they don't get through the competition,' she adds. A meteoric rise to pop-star status, and the inevitable challenges that follow, is a path Chisholm knows well. When the Spice Girls reached international stardom in the '90s, the shift in gears forever changed the lives of its members: Geri 'Ginger' Halliwell, Victoria 'Posh' Adams, Melanie 'Scary' Brown, Emma 'Baby' Bunton and Chisholm. Born in Lancashire, Chisholm's parents split when she was three years old. She spent most of her time with her mother, Joan, and would go on adventurous school holiday trips abroad with her dad, Alan. Her mother sang in bands, and met her new husband Dennis, a bass player at the time, at a pub in Liverpool. They married and have a son Paul. 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'There were certain parts of my experience that were difficult for me to unzip. On reflection, it was important to do that, and to know I can be a source of comfort for people who went through similar things. That certainly felt like a good thing to do, even if it was hard. 'It's almost like closing a chapter in my life. It's acknowledging the past – the good and the bad - and looking forward to the next phase of life.' When the Spice Girls called it quits in 2000, Chisholm focused on her solo career. She's released eight albums since 1999 and is in the process of adding the final touches to an album she's been working on for the last two years with English producer Richard 'Biff' Stannard, who's written many songs for Kylie Minogue. 'My new album has been a real labour of love,' says Chisholm. 'It's uplifting and I've had a lot of fun in the dance genre. I am leaning into the club world and my sporty side, which taps into different aspects of my personality.' Chisholm has relished watching Kylie's career boom as the Aussie singer has traversed her 50s, hence her decision to team with Stannard for her own club renaissance. 'Biff helped push Kylie even further into the stratosphere – it's been amazing to see,' she says. It's clear that Chisholm is embracing what Victoria Beckham, now an internationally renowned fashion designer, refers to as 'living life from the fifth floor'. 'When I turned 50 last year, I didn't feel concerned about it too much,' says Chisholm. 'And now, a year on, I've embraced all the positive things about getting older. The physical negatives of being this age are that you wake up with more aches in the morning, but having wisdom and feeling blessed to be alive is such a gift. I am focusing on that. I spent a lot of time being hard on myself, and I'm done with that.' As the 30th anniversary looms for Spice, the band's 1996 debut album, so does the talk of a reunion. The album sold more than 23 million copies worldwide and Wannabe reached No.1 in 37 countries, so the pressure is on to mark the occasion. The band has reunited several times in recent years, including for the closing ceremony at the 2012 London Olympics. And in 2019 there was a tour of the UK and Ireland, though without Victoria Beckham due to her fashion commitments. The five members discuss band matters regularly via a private WhatsApp group, figuring what might be possible for the milestone. 'And there are subgroups within the group,' says Chisholm, laughing. 'I definitely know there is a chat group that doesn't contain me, but somewhere else we keep Ginger or Posh out. Like all friendship groups, we have many ways of communicating.' Chisholm is reunion-ready, still holding onto some of those iconic outfits from the '90s in her mother's attic. 'I wish I had kept more, but I am not a hoarder,' she says. Loading There's also talk of a fashion collaboration next year, but for now she's focusing on new music and leaning into the pleasure of finding love again. 'I have enjoyed getting to know my boyfriend's family and friends – it feels like an extended family to me,' she says. Her Australian boyfriend, Bondi-based model and filmmaker Chris Dingwall, is also giving her a new perspective. (Chisholm has a 16-year-old daughter, Scarlett, with a previous partner, property developer Thomas Starr; they split in 2012.) It took meeting Dingwall, and spending time with him in the Aussie sun, to slow down from her busy pace. 'I am a bit of a workaholic,' she says. 'I decided last year, when I met my boyfriend, that I do have an incredible life. My work enables me to travel and I love what I do. It used to be all work and not a lot of play. I am changing that. 'I saw Barbra Streisand interviewed about her book recently, and the interviewer asked her, 'What is there left to do?' She said, 'I want to live more.' And at that moment, I thought, 'Yes, I want that, too.''
7NEWS
24-07-2025
- 7NEWS
Australian actor Henri Szeps, star of sitcom Mother and Son, dies aged 81
Legendary award-winning Australian actor Henri Szeps has died, aged 81. Szeps is best known for his turn as dentist Robert Beare in the ABC sitcom Mother and Son, a role he played from 1984 to 1994. His TV credits also include Number 96, A Country Practice, All Saints, Stingers, and mini-series Vietnam opposite Nicole Kidman, as well as dozens of feature film and stage appearances. He collected countless acting prizes and received an Order of Australia Medal in 2001. Szeps has lived in a residential care facility for the past two years, after revealing he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. 'His decline from Alzheimer's was largely peaceful, and Henri retained his sense of wonder and joie de vivre until the end,' his family said in a statement. He is survived by wife Mary, two sons and four grandchildren.
