My child was in a S Club Juniors, ask me anything

[BeEagerEagle]

In 2001, my child auditioned for a CBBC show called ‘S Club Search’ and got a place in a child pop group who initially were meant to support S Club 7 on a one time support gig basis. This band was called S Club Juniors, later known as S Club 8.

The band ended up taking off and we basically had to sign or children away to Simon Fuller’s management to release a single. The kids were given tutors and chaperones, and spent most of their time in hotels (the ones London based stayed either their parents) or on the road. After that, they went on tour and I only saw my child once every couple of months. It was brutal but I knew that’s what they wanted to do.

they released two albums and the second one didn’t do that well, Simon Fuller tried them on a TV show called I Dream, however that also tanked. My child will admit that themselves. They all got dropped when aged 14-17. He said they had grown out of their roles a bit.

Now they are in their late thirties and trying to get back into the entertainment industry fully but it’s difficult. They’ve never quite got over their time in the band. They released music but it never really went anywhere. They would never say so, but it doesn’t help them that two of their fellow band members went on to become big stars, both were in a chart topping girl band and now are TV presenters.

their band (minus the two still-successful members) were meant to reunite for a TV show a long while ago, but for various reasons it didn’t happen. When S Club reunited, S Club juniors didn’t get asked to reunite as there was ‘no call’ for it and only a few were up for reuniting. (My child, and another boy and girl member)

they are still acquaintances with S club 7 and went to Paul Cattermoles funeral.

I know my (now adult) child doesn’t regret the choices they made as a child, but feels sad as an adult.

AMA- child (now adult) is also here to answer questions too and is happy to answer questions about specific members and music!

Which of the parents did you get along mostly with?

Aside from Rochelle and Frankie, do the other members all have good relationships I.e. go to each others weddings type relationship?

Also, just wanted to say thank you for this, am finding it very interesting.

Frankie and Rochelle’s parents were close already and knew each other before the band.

Without outing my child I can’t really say. All us parents liked each other enough but rarely met unless it was group business. I do remember well that a few parents went on holiday with a few of the kids in the early days but not all were there.

the best way I can describe the relationship parent to parent was like meeting colleagues you like well enough but don’t see out of work.

The boy who got kicked out (who has now changed his name) his mum seemed lovely at first and knew London very well (helped with directions) however backed her son’s behaviour which did not go down well.

a lot of the parents (not me) acted like secondary managers to the kids a lot of the time.

when one step closer was announced at number 2, we had a little party and us parents learned the dance routine which was very funny.

Interesting thread for sure but i'm somewhat confused if it's real....Your child (I'm assuming son) saw Rochelle at a reunion and she barely spoke to him/her other than to say 'hi I remember you' yet they are both in a WhatsApp group together with the other members and know you/your child well enough to discuss what you're posting on mums net ?! :-/

If you read further back I’ve spoke about the reason F and R don’t speak often in the WhatsApp group.

What do you think your DC would be doing now for work had they not had this experience?

I have answered this already I think, but I have no doubt they’d still be working in the entertainment industry in some capacity. 😀

I was wondering this sort of thing too! The OP seems to know alot of inside gossip about each band member....I just find it hard to beleive that a patent could know and remember so much! But maybe I'm wrong.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11784527/amp/S-Club-Juniors-now.html

This is interesting and details what members are doing now.

I'm very intrigued by your post OP!

As I said, my child helped answer a lot of it. The band doesn’t have a manager or publicist anymore- can you really see Simon fuller on mumsnet?

don’t answer that 😆

Is your child still close with any of the other members (outside of the WhatsApp group)?

Lol, I guess I was thinking more just an insider in the industry in general....
But if you ARE one of the mums and just very well informed....I now think based on the info you've given and what's in the article you are Daisy's mum as she no longer works in entertainment (as you said your child doesn't) and also you seem to know alot about her specifically!
If not her, I think you must be Stacey or Hannah's mum.
Know your not going to tell us who it is but it's fun guessing, and really insightful reading the inside scoop of this thread, as I'm 37 so remember Sclub 7 and Sclub juniors well!

They say not really. It's not for any bad reason, it's just that everyone has their own families, kids and other jobs now.
The ones who don't have kids are often travelling between
USA and UK frequently for work.

No idea why it formatted that way!!

Rochelle and Hannah did not.

We had a glass or two of wine together the other night and didn’t realise so many people would be interested. It’s been a fun trip down memory lane for both of us. The group has had a giggle at some of the questions!

I didn’t answer your second question. Most of the members get on but aren’t super close. Two of them it’s a bit awkward between/they don’t get on super well but it’s not a hatred or anything. Just acceptance that they aren’t meant to be friends.

So your child is one of the boys

This is embarrassing

From my S club Juniors maths, you say you didn't see them too often, which means they were one of the four who stayed in the house, maybe? and you also said it's somebody who was up for the reunion, which tells me you're Stacey's mum! I might be wrong, but that's my guess! They were an incredibly talented band I'm a mum myself now, but I remember being a huge fan when they were around. Their performance on TOTP One Step Closer was so good considering how young they were. Shame they never sang live more, but I guess with there being 8 bodies, it would have been challenging.

I have so many questions after knowing I have this open opportunity!

Being a mum and watching it unfold what was the moment you realised your child was part of something pretty huge?

Were there ever moments when you wanted to pull your child out of it all?

What are they all like as people, the members? Who's the funniest? Did they all have a role like peacemaker or joker?? Would love you to describe each members in a few words

What was something totally unexpected that surprised you about the music industry as a parent?

Were there any diva moments from the kids or parents? If so how was it dealt with?

What was the weirdest fan reaction your child experienced?

What advice would you give to parents whose children want to go in the spotlight?

Did the kids ever get a creative input on anything or point-blank refuse clothing, ideas, or anything the later it went on?

Who was the shyest or most outgoing in real life compared to how they came across on camera?

Did any of the kids get along at auditions, as Frankie knew Rochelle, and I remember at the finals seeing Calvin and Daisy sitting together?? Did they click early on?

Do you remember how the kids reacted to each other's auditions? or was there any quiet admiration or rivalry?

Who in the group was most different off camera to how fans saw them?

Where was the automatic high music video filmed? I'm sure it was behind a hotel, but which one?

In the summer special episodes they're performing on a pier where is that?

What plaques were they awarded, and do they still have them all?

Was it true the producer of TOTP slagged off the kids and then they went on to prove him wrong? If so was it hard to bite your tongue as a parent?

Did you all get backstage passes and VIP free tickets as parents?

How did they learn all the dances so quickly if they could only work 4 hours a day? Because I remember watching all the performances, and I remember them having to relearn another version for TOTP then I remember different remixes and variations. Like, how on earth did they learn everything with such minimal time?

Tell the members they should do another series that Jay did so we can see where they're all at 5 years later for any members who are up for it. Even if it's not Jay interviewing and Stacey does it, for example?

They were a huge part of many people's childhoods, including mine!
Also been reminiscing with my friends about the band and we all want to know if you could ask your daughter or son to put together a list of famous S Club Junior hot spots either where they recorded at, filmed a video, danced, or rehearsed or where the house was? hotels they stayed in? the derelict school they did one step close video? like almost fan hotspots as that'd be really cool. Sorry for the many many questions but it's stuff I've thought of!

This may take a LONG time to answer but we will do it!

How is it embarrassing? They were a successful band at the time, and people like myself who were big fans at the time are curious the backstories and ins and outs you'd never really get the chance to ask about or have access too. It's only embarrassing if you have zero interest in this thread. Why are people so nasty.

I realised it was getting pretty big when they were invited on ALL the s club tour dates rather than just one. Towards the last date, Simon Fuller said a record deal might be happening and asked how we all felt about it/ if we were happy to let the kids do it.

2Hmm. Not really. I missed them like hell though

1. RE nicknames/roles, yes lol. Calvin was known as the heart throb (lol). Jay the professional. Frankie “the girl everyone wants to be”. Hannah the baby of the group. Aaron the dancer. Stacey the shopaholic. Rochelle the calming influence. Daisy “the girl with the hair”.
2. How manufactured it is. Children were picked at the audition because they looked right, not just because of their voices. You’d think with kids they wouldn’t be so…shallow? I’m not sure.
3. One member was a bit of a “diva” at the start because they’d had experience in the industry a bit more than everyone else and had parents who knew the industry well. Most of the other members had regular parents who didn’t work in it. However this member calmed down once away from the parents. Towards the end, two members had a bit of an argument because one felt like the other was taking attention away from them in a music video.
4. One of the members would have girls bringing them ketchup to gigs because they liked it so much.
5. My advice would be to let your child take the lead in regard to auditioning within reason and don’t push them into anything. Don’t get angry or critical if they get a knock back. Most of the members had been knocked back loads in the past. Even Frankie and Rochelle.
6. The most input they got was in their wardrobe- kind of. Someone would bring a huge rail of pre approved clothes and let them pick out whatever they wanted. They had no input in what they sang or the dance routines.
7. Most outgoing by far (and neither mind me saying this) was Stacey. Shyest was Hannah.
8. Auditions were so hectic that they didn’t have much time to speak to one another. Most of them sat with people they knew, e.g Frankie with Rochelle and Hannah with her sister who was also auditioning.
9. I think everyone was a bit envious of Frankie - fuller made it clear how impressed he was with her from the very beginning but didn’t say much to anyone else.
10. Probably Jay but not in a bad way.
11. Spain!
12. Child says you will have to link this as they don’t remember!
13. The plaque for the first album and the Disney award along with loads of merch are at one of the mums houses in the attic. They didn’t get a copy/award each- it was one between 8!
14. It was true he was reluctant to have them on as they disapproved of child stars. He wasn’t particularly personal/nasty according to my child. Just worried about the kids going to pieces as it was all live, and people complaining/ the show being ruined.
15. We couldn’t go backstage but we got free seats at the front.
16. The reality is that Gary the choreographer went over and over and over again and again until they got it. Most were really quick learners but a couple did struggle. At the beginning a lot of the routines were quite simplistic, but one step closer was a challenge. During the auditions another complicated dance routine was taught (it was to s club party by sc7) and I know the judges did pick based on that to a degree. As they lip synched mainly, most of their rehearsals were dance based. Their live appearance on TOTP was a struggle.
17. I will do

I realise I’ve not numbered that very well hopefully it’s ok and you understand it

Why do you think Simon Fuller saw so much potential in Frankie? I’m not aware that her voice was any better than the other members and she comes across as shy, even in the Saturdays. And I don’t mean this horribly but she was no prettier than the other girls. Daisy was always the one us little girls wanted to be!

You weren’t wrong about having loads of questions 😂