Latest news with #PussycatDolls
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Where are the Pussycat Dolls now? As Ashley Roberts speaks out on her struggles during her girl group years, a look at the very different lives of her bandmates
They were the ultimate girl group who took the pop world by storm in the early 2000's. But in 2010, the Pussycat Dolls officially disbanded, and plans for a reunion tour in 2020 were ruined by the Covid-19 pandemic. This week, original member Ashley Roberts opened up about her struggles during her time in the iconic girl band. Explaining how ill she got due to stress, the star admitted health professionals feared she had a brain aneurysm after a severe bout of sickness and headaches. Since quitting the band, Ashley has moved away from music and has become a successful showbiz correspondent. Fellow members Nicole Scherzinger, Melody Thornton, Carmit Bachar, Jessica Sutta and Kimberly Wyatt have also embarked on solo careers, from appearing on reality TV shows to winning Tony Awards. Ashley Roberts Since leaving the band, Ashley appeared on several reality TV shows, including I'm a Me Out of Here!, The Jump, and Strictly Come Dancing. In 2019, Ashley became the showbiz correspondent for the national Heart Breakfast radio show. Since 2022, she has been a presenter for Heart 00s, a spin-off from the Heart radio network. Ashley, 43, is now in a relationship with boyfriend George Rollinson, 25, who is an artist and has created elaborate pieces for the likes of celebrity clients Drake and Anthony Joshua. Last year, Ashley gushed to MailOnline that she was in a 'happy place' and said: 'It's really nice to be in a relationship that's kind and thoughtful and supportive and we have fun'. Despite being part of the iconic girl band, behind the scenes Ashely paid the price for trying to keep up with the high energy performances and intense schedule. Speaking candidly on Paul Brunson's podcast We Need To Talk the singer reflected on a terrifying health scare she experienced during her time in the band and her decades long battle with insomnia. She confessed: 'When I my body started shutting down, I thought ok it is time to take a pause.' Explaining how ill she got, the star admitted health professionals feared she had a brain aneurysm after a severe bout of sickness and headaches. 'We were in London doing a gig and I was sick and I was like 'Ok I'm just ill, you know, probably caught something.' 'I was vomiting and had extreme headaches and I'm thinking 'This it isn't getting any better and we I need to get on a flight to Germany .' 'I ended up going to the hospital and they said 'We think you are having a brain aneurysm. So we need you to chill,' and I was like 'Well I need to get on a plane.' 'Then as I am walking to the MRI my knee locks up and turns out I had viral arthritis, I didn't even know this was a thing. So I couldn't bend my knee.' She continued: 'My body was just like stop. I was having some kind of reaction to a virus that I had caught. But I was like the show must go on.' After leaving the group Ashley's health took another knock which she believes to have been caused by intense stress. The star explained: 'There was a literal physical manifestation of stored emotion in my body that has to come somewhere right? 'Unless you have got some sort of release the body is going to try and get it out and I feel like that's what my body was trying to do. 'I had eczema all over my legs, I had a stomach ulcer, I had shingles on my chin. I think stress was at the root from a young age and I was lucky to have performing and dance as an outlet but I think my body had been used to holding stress in.' Nicole Scherzinger There is no denying that Nicole has had the most successful run since the band disbanded, and is now loved-up with her rugby player fiancé Thom Evans. Once upon a time, Nicole was best known for hanging off the arm of Formula One star Lewis Hamilton, from whom she split for good in 2015, following an on-off relationship over several years. But she has proved herself as a global success, scooping victory on Dancing With The Stars in the US, and joining the judging panel on The X Factor UK. Her singing career has continued to blossom, as she reached No.1 in the UK charts for her song Don't Hold Your Breath. More recently, Nicole revealed she has her eyes set on a career in Hollywood after bagging her first Tony Award. She sobbed as she accepted her first ever Broadway honour at the star-studded 78th Annual Tony Awards, held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. She won the Best Leading Actress in a Musical award, for her performance of fading Hollywood star Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, based on the 1950 film noir of the same name by Billy Wilder. And after selling 55million records sold worldwide with The Pussycat Dolls and now clinching her Broadway gong, Nicole has revealed she now wants to tackle movies. Speaking to The Sun, she said: 'I would like to do movies and movie musicals. I would like to build my own show, there are roles I would like to create.' She added: 'You never know where your unexpected dream opportunity is going to come from.' Kimberly Wyatt Kimberly revealed that her world 'came crashing down' when the Pussycat Dolls reunion was axed, leaving her broke. She married English model Max Rogers in February 2014, and the pair have three children together. The American singer and dancer opened up about how the tour falling through impacted her family life. Speaking on the Mile Fly Club with Laura Hamilton, Kimberly admitted she had cleared her schedule to make way for the reunion - but went into 'panic mode' when it was axed. 'Three young kids, paying school fees and all these things - it changed our world,' she said. 'We've had to rejig our entire life because of it.' Kimberly added: 'You end lots of your work to open all this space to go on the road so when it all comes crashing down it was panic mode.' But Kimberly has become a popular face on British TV since her pop star days. She proved she was a culinary whizz and won the BBC's Celebrity MasterChef series in 2015. She also took part in The Jump, before appearing on the E4 show All Star Driving School. Kimberley then competed in Dancing On Ice in 2022. Now, Kimberly is a presenter on Hits Radio and often DJ's at celebrity events across the UK. Melody Thornton When the band were looking to add some vocal strength and auditioned for new members in 2003, Melody jumped at the chance. The 40-year-old left the group in 2010, saying at the time: 'I got into the group to sing. That was made very clear to me. But it became more and more apparent what was going on. 'Roles were being minimised and minimised, and then by the time it got on the show, it was very much like, 'Y'all play your part and this is what it is'.' Melody went on to bag a cameo in Keri Hilson's music video Slow Dance, as well as releasing her first official single Sweet Vendetta in 2011. She has popped up on several TV shows, including American reality series Bank of Hollywood, and ITV's Dancing On Ice. Melody also competed on ITV's Popstar To Operastar, where she lost out to X Factor's Joe McElderry, and Celebrity Island. When the Dolls were set to reunite in 2019, Melody did not join them with founder Robin Antin saying the time 'wasn't right for her. Jessica Sutta In 2010, Jessica left the Pussycat Dolls to embark on her solo career. The same year, she released her first single I Wanna Be Bad, but it failed to chart anywhere but Slovakia, where it peaked at 65. However, Jessica's second single Show Me gained a bit more success reaching number 1 in the US Billboard charts for Hot Dance Club Songs. Jessica married her husband Mikey Marquet in 2019, who she shares a three-year-old son with. She recently opened up about being unable to play with her son M.J., let alone get on stage, for more than three years. And that's because she's been battling a life-changing vaccine-related injury that caused debilitating muscle spasms, tremors and fatigue. Her symptoms came on within days of receiving her second dose of the Moderna vaccine to protect against Covid in December 2021. 'I woke up with a muscle spasm in my right rib that just would not get out,' she told the Daily Mail. 'It felt like a knife inside was burning. It wrapped around my rib cage and up and down my spine, and it felt like I was on the brink of death.' The spasms, which she still endures to this day, then gave way to tremors in her legs and involuntary head jerks that have since subsided. But she still feels as though her body has been 'completely hijacked'. To make matters worse, while her fellow Pussycat Dolls former bandmates have been accepting of her experience, she has now been dubbed an anti-vaxxer for speaking out. 'I'm willing to risk my reputation so this doesn't happen to anyone else,' she said. 'There are many people in the industry way, bigger than me with a bigger outreach, with vaccine injuries. But they won't speak out. And for me, I just couldn't hold my tongue.' She added that she does not consider herself anti-vaccine. 'I do believe in the technology in hindsight, right? But I will not blindly trust the medical system ever again after what happened to me. I'm not "anti" anything. I'm just anti being sick,' she said. Carmit Bachar Carmit was one of the main vocalists and was famous before joining the Pussycat Dolls, having previously danced on stage with Beyoncé and was the Vida Loca girl for Ricky Martin. Since quitting the band in 2008, Carmit, 50, has focused on her music career. She formed LadyStation in 2011 and released a single called Body In Motion, and ended 2018 with the release of a new single It's Time. Carmit also collaborated with Macy Gray in 2010 in her album, The Sellout. The redhead, who is mum to daughter Keala Rose, is a passionate campaigner for cleft-palate charities. She suffered from the condition herself as a child.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Nicole Scherzinger puts on a racy display in a sheer lace catsuit as she models TWO stylish looks while attending Dream Fest in Baku
Nicole Scherzinger turned heads as she modelled two stylish outfits during the international Dream Fest music festival at Sea Breeze in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Wednesday. The former Pussycat Doll, 47, looked nothing short of sensational in a sheer black lace catsuit as she took to the stage alongside a slew of backup dancers to perform several of her best hits including Don't Cha, Buttons, and Jai Ho! Her risqué ensemble featured a mesh and sequinned body as well as fringe sleeve detailing and shoulder pads. Commanding attention on stage, Nicole further elevated her look with a pair of black ankle boots. The singer-turned-Broadway star appeared in very high spirits as she put on an energetic performance, sending the crowd wild. Earlier in the evening, Nicole cut a glamorous figure in a white figure-hugging jumpsuit as she graced the red carpet ahead of the event. The eye-catching ensemble featured a silver jewel embellishment at the neckline and waist, dramatic cape sleeves, and flared legs. Posing up a storm for the cameras, Nicole further accessorised the glamorous ensemble with a stack of silver earrings. Discussing Nicole's performance at the festival, founder and Azerbaijani singer-songwriter Emin said: 'She has to be the hardest working person in showbusiness. Nobody would do this, not even me, and it's my own festival.' The international Dream Fest music festival will take place from July 23 to July 26 on the scenic shores of Sea Breeze Resort. Four days of open-air celebrations, dancing, music, and endless energy, over 50 artists are set to take to the stage to perform, including Tyga and Blue. Nicole has been very busy as of late with her Sunset Boulevard show on Broadway, and earlier this week, the star took to the stage one last time as Norma Desmond to bring the house down with a dramatic farewell performance. The star left fans stunned with her chilling finale look, which featured theatrical blood dripping down her neck. Nicole has won rave reviews for her role in the gritty Andrew Lloyd Webber classic, with her haunting portrayal of the character. In the lead up to her final show, tributes poured in to her via Nicole's social media. Her vocal coach described her as 'an absolute force of nature'. He revealed that on their first session, she looked at him right in the eyes and said: 'I'm a good student. Tell me what I need to do and I'm gonna get it done.' Nicole herself said that her final show would be 'magic in the making'. In a lengthy post to her Instagram, she wrote: 'Today, the sun sets on Sunset Blvd for the final time. 'After living and breathing Norma Desmond for the past two years, it's almost impossible to grasp that today is the last show. What began as a limited run, then extended, now somehow, nearly 10 months on Broadway have flown by. 'Norma's story is for anyone who's ever felt alone. Lonely. Abandoned. Outcast. 'For anyone who never felt like they belonged. 'For those who once loved something deeply and had it taken from them, aching to reclaim it. 'For the dreamers. The fighters. The believers. The warriors. For those unshakable in their purpose and power, doing what they love most. ''This is my life. It always will is nothing else.'' She added: 'Norma has changed me forever. Thank you, Broadway 'for the magic in the making.' 'Thank you and to the entire beautiful, brilliant @andrewlloydwebber @jamielloyd @alanwilliamsmd @fabianaloise and to the entire beautiful, brilliant @sunsetblvdmusicalcompany, for everything.' Fans flocked to her comment section and penned: 'Just absolutely incredible. I saw it 3 times and I would have seen it more if I could lol. You are a force my love. So proud of you!!!!!! Love you queen!!!!!' 'So happy I saw it twice. Wish I could have seen it 20 more times!' 'So beyond happy for you. Saw the show four (or was it five) times and every time you were even more nuanced, took different risks and had the audience in the palm of their hands. Brava! She's a Hawaiian Tony Winner!!!!!' 'You have given Norma the stage she deserves for a new Audience and a new generation! Saw it 3 times it was incredible every time! Brava my dear.' 'You have changed OUR lives forever with your talent, wisdom, bravery, and most of all your willingness to open up your heart and reveal it to us night after night. You are the North Star for all that it means to be a performer, and I am so beyond grateful that I got to live at a time in history to witness such beautiful art. Thank you, thank you, a thousand times thank you. ❤️ You are the GREATEST STAR OF ALL' The critically acclaimed musical runs for approximately two hours and 35 minutes and has earned Nicole a Tony at this year's awards. Nicole took over the role from acting legend Glenn Close, 78, who won her third Tony Award in 1995 for playing the part. After watching Nicole's performance earlier this year, Glenn said: 'You can't approach Norma with a faint heart. She tests your metal [and] demands that you dig deep.' She continued: 'Nicole's performance is an act of raw artistry and astounding bravery. 'She and the entire production blew me away. I loved meeting Nicole, [her co-star] Tom Francis, and many members of the ensemble backstage afterwards!' Sunset Boulevard has been a huge success and grossed more than $1.08 million during its first week of six previews alone at the St. James Theatre in New York City.
Perth Now
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Ashley Roberts thinks 'it'd be a shame' if Pussycat Dolls never reunited
Ashley Roberts is still holding out hopes for a Pussycat Dolls reunion. The Don't Cha hitmakers - which also included Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberley Wyatt, Carmit Bachar, Jessica Sutta and Melody Thornton - were set to reunite in 2020 after almost a decade apart, but the COVID-19 pandemic scuppered their plans. She told the We Need To Talk podcast: "We were ready to go, and Ms. Rona [Coronavirus] shut it down. "[And] there's legal stuff that was involved, so I can't actually speak about that. Unfortunately, legal stuff started happening and it wasn't able to get figured out. "But I mean, you never know, like honestly, because I didn't think we'd get back out there the time that we did. So it'd be a shame not to." The AGE-year-old singer and dancer admitted she wishes she'd have been able to take on a greater role in the group, where Nicole was positioned as the frontwoman of sorts. She said: "There was a structure to the group that we knew about. The structure was that Nicole was the lead singer... it was what it was. "Do I wish it was a bit more expansive? Yes. But also I was getting to live out my dreams. I don't want to sit here and bash and speak negatively about it." In November last year, Nicole and Pussycat Dolls founder Robin Antin "reached a settlement in principle" after a three-year legal battle of the cancelled reunion. The Poison singer was sued by Robin in September 2021 for allegedly refusing to take part in the comeback shows without full creative control and a 75 percent profit share. Her legal team branded the case "meritless", claiming she had simply asked to renegotiate her contract after the delay due to the pandemic. Later that month, Nicole announced the tour had been scrapped entirely, and in August 2022 she filed a cross complaint accusing the choreographer of mismanagement and misappropriating funds. Late last year, the New York Post newspaper's Page Six column reports the pair jointly filed documents in court in Los Angeles on Friday (01.11.24), which stated both 'parties have reached a settlement in principle, subject to the execution of certain written agreements.' The notice didn't disclose the terms of the agreement, but it meant a jury trial that had been scheduled for the following month was cancelled and replaced by a hearing on 28 July, 2025, to officially dismiss the case.
Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Ashley Roberts reveals terrifying health scare that saw her 'body shut down' as she details decades long battle with insomnia in candid podcast
She was part of one of the biggest pop groups in the world and enjoyed worldwide success with the Pussycat Dolls. However behind the scenes Ashely Roberts has paid the price for trying to keep up with the high energy performances and intense schedule. Speaking candidly on Paul Brunson's podcast We Need To Talk the singer, 43, reflected on a terrifying health scare she experienced during her time in the band and her decades long battle with insomnia. She confessed: 'When I my body started shutting down, I thought ok it is time to take a pause.' Explaining how ill she got, the star admitted health professionals feared she had a brain aneurysm after a severe bout of sickness and headaches. 'We were in London doing a gig and I was sick and I was like "Ok I'm just ill, you know, probably caught something." 'I was vomiting and had extreme headaches and I'm thinking "This it isn't getting any better and we I need to get on a flight to Germany." 'I ended up going to the hospital and they said "We think you are having a brain aneurysm. So we need you to chill," and I was like "Well I need to get on a plane." 'Then as I am walking to the MRI my knee locks up and turns out I had viral arthritis, I didn't even know this was a thing. So I couldn't bend my knee.' She continued: 'My body was just like stop. I was having some kind of reaction to a virus that I had caught. But I was like the show must go on.' After leaving the group Ashley's health took another knock which she believes to have been caused by intense stress. The star explained: 'There was a literal physical manifestation of stored emotion in my body that has to come somewhere right? 'Unless you have got some sort of release the body is going to try and get it out and I feel like that's what my body was trying to do. 'I had eczema all over my legs, I had a stomach ulcer, I had shingles on my chin. I think stress was at the root from a young age and I was lucky to have performing and dance as an outlet but I think my body had been used to holding stress in.' Later in the interview Ashley also opened up about her decades long battle with insomnia, as she admitted she began 'chugging' Nyquil (the US equivalent of Night Nurse) at just 14 years old. She began: 'NyQuil was my little bedside friend. I was coping, I didn't know what to do and I was not sleeping. I was like 14. 'Yeah I was putting a lot of pressure on myself for a choreographer that was coming into town. I wanted to show up and be the best I could be and I was so anxious I didn't sleep. 'Then I was so anxious the next night about not sleeping and then that happened for a few nights in a row and I thought I was going out of my mind. 'So I was just chugging that [NyQuil] every few hours to get myself through the night to get some sleep.' She continued: 'It became the norm because I was nervous if I didn't sleep I wouldn't be able to show up as myself and have the brain capacity to operate through school, work and dance. 'I was nervous that my mental health wouldn't be stable, probably counter productive but at the time I just thought "Sleep is important I need to sleep".' Ashley later began taking Xanax as she added: 'I started taking Xanax which was very helpful for many decades of my life. 'I had sleep issues since I was 14 and I didn't really know how to handle it and I just knew that this would knock me out for a few hours so I could get sleep.' Yet now Ashley explained that through routine she has managed to find stability as she credited her Heart Breakfast Show for helping her find balance. 'The structure, the stability and the routine has been a game changer and I have been able to teach my body to have that kind of rhythm. 'But that has taken time and I still don't have the perfect balance.'
RTÉ News
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Nicole Scherzinger: New music series shows Liam Payne 'in his element'
The former Pussycat Dolls star Nicole Scherzinger has said the new competition series, Building the Band, shows the late singer Liam Payne "in his element". Payne, who was best known for being one of the five former members of One Direction, died aged 31 in October 2024 when he fell from a third floor balcony at a hotel in Argentina. Prior to his death, he filmed as a guest judge on the Netflix competition series alongside Destiny's Child singer Kelly Rowland, host AJ McClean, and mentor Scherzinger. Speaking on The View, American actress and singer, Scherzinger, 47, said her favourite memory of the late singer was his "heart". She said: "When you watch the show, you'll see little glimpses of him after he's talking, or things where you just catch him off guard and it's when he smiles. "He smiles with his eyes. It's like he's giving you a hug, like he's embracing you and holding you. "Liam just had such a beautiful, beautiful heart. And I'm so happy that people get to remember him and see him in his light and in his element, giving back because he lived it." The series has been described as a "music experiment" where 50 singers must form a band without seeing or meeting one another. Payne was a former member of the pop group, One Direction, which was formed on The X Factor in 2010 with the help of Scherzinger who was a mentor on the series. The boy band, which consisted of Payne, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles, became one of the biggest pop groups in the world, with five albums and four world tours, until they went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016. Payne went on to launch his solo career and released his debut solo album LP1 in December 2019. The album included the songs Polaroid with Lennon Stella and Jonas Blue; Strip That Down featuring Quavo; as well as the track For You, with Rita Ora.
