S Club Allstars

Lore & Background

In 2008, Bradley McIntosh, Jo O'Meara, and Paul Cattermole wanted to reform S Club 7, but the other four members were focused on solo careers. They toured as S Club 3, performing at nightclubs and festivals, with their first show on 17 October 2008 at Tokyo Club in Bradford. On 12 November 2008, a bottle was thrown at O'Meara during a Bradford performance, causing a severe cut to her head; a 20-year-old man was arrested, claiming it was justice for her role in the Celebrity Big Brother controversy involving Shilpa Shetty. The group turned on Mansfield Christmas Lights on 12 November 2009 and toured British cities through 2011, then Australia with Big Brovaz in 2012, making their television debut on The Morning Show on 31 May 2012.

Tina Barrett joined in February 2014, making the group a four-piece. After the full S Club 7 reunion in May 2015, Cattermole left the spin-off group, and O'Meara, McIntosh, and Barrett continued as S Club 3. On 1 December 2017, they announced their first single "Family" on This Morning, released on 11 December. On 18 August 2019, Rachel Spearritt joined them for a one-off performance in Falmouth, Cornwall. O'Meara left on 6 August 2020 to focus on a solo album; Amelia Lily was considered as a replacement, but McIntosh and Barrett continued as a duo named S Club Live. In 2022, Stacey Franks, a former S Club 8 member, joined, and the group was renamed S Club Allstars. Their final performance as S Club Allstars was on 23 December 2022 in Nottingham. A planned duo show as S Club Live on 17 February 2023 on the Isle of Wight saw only Bradley perform.

Reader's Guide

S Club Allstars represent a lesser-known but persistent branch of the S Club franchise, maintaining the group's presence in live music after the original S Club 7 disbanded. Their evolution from S Club 3 to S Club Allstars reflects the challenges of sustaining a pop group with rotating members, including departures due to personal projects and a tragic death. The group's significance lies in their role as a touring entity that kept the S Club name active for over a decade, performing at nightclubs, festivals, and television appearances. Their discography is minimal, with only one single, "Family," but their concert tours, such as the 2012 Australian tour with Big Brovaz and co-headlining 90s nostalgia tours, highlight their appeal to fans of late-1990s and early-2000s pop. The group's history also intersects with controversies, such as the 2008 bottle-throwing incident linked to O'Meara's Celebrity Big Brother participation, and the later death of Paul Cattermole in 2023. Ultimately, S Club Allstars serve as a footnote in pop history, illustrating how spin-off groups can extend a brand's legacy while navigating lineup changes and shifting public interest.

Did You Know?

• The group's first performance as S Club 3 was on 17 October 2008 at Tokyo Club in Bradford.
• Jo O'Meara was hit by a thrown bottle during a Bradford performance on 12 November 2008, requiring hospital treatment.
• S Club 3 turned on the Mansfield Christmas Lights on 12 November 2009.
• The group released their only single, 'Family,' on 11 December 2017.