1st Stop for JADE EWEN and THE SUGABABES News,Photos,Videos, Information and Events Diary.Also Jade Ewen's Favourite blog and is the difinitive record of her music and career.
Mutya Keisha Siobhan were the founding members of Sugababes Back in 2000, on the back of the girl power movement, Siobhan Donaghy, Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan launched a different kind of pop sound to the ears of the UK. Their debut single ‘Overload’ was showered with public and critical acclaim (NME described it as ‘hauntingly infectious’) and peaked at number 6 in the charts
Roll on 13 years and the girls are back, musically reunited for the first time since rumours of infighting and bullying plagued the young band. For many the Sugababes are now seen as the epitome of manufactured pop; Siobhan leaves and is replaced by Heidi Range, Mutya leaves and Amelle Berrabah is ushered in to her place 48 hours later, and then when Keisha is show the door, up pops Eurovision starlet Jade Ewen.
The biggest talent in the original line up was always Siobhan Donaghy. She left the band in 2001 and pursued a solo career that wowed critics with her vocal abilities. Back in 2003, she released her first commercial solo single ‘Overrated’ with many proclaiming that her talents were very much underrated.
While Siobhan may have been the critics choice, it was the commercial success of the Mutya, Keisha and Heidi combo that really set the charts alight. The trio scored a huge array of number ones including Freak Like Me, Round Round and Hole in the Head. Nominated for six BRIT awards, they picked up best dance act in 2003.
Mutya Buena also enjoyed solo success with her album Real Girl. She peaked in success with a vocal appearance on Groove Armada’s ‘Song 4 Mutya (Out of Control)’ that peaked at number 8 in the charts. Despite being uncredited on the track, Buena could take some consolation that the song was named after her!
So fast forward to 2013. The new Sugababes are on a bit of a hiatus and the originals in the shape of Mutya Keisha Siobhan (MKS) are about to be be let loose on the charts again. One can’t help but think that the Sugababes b(r)and may only ever be rekindled for the likes of ITV2′s The Big Reunion (but that in itself would raise questions as to who the producers would bring back together).
Whether the two groups ever come head to head, remains to be seen. MKS are actively working the summer festival circuit and have been writing songs with ex-All Sainter, Shaznay Lewis. The sound of their new song ‘Flatline’ is very reminiscent of the soulfully amazing early day Sugababes, so it will be interesting to watch whether MKS can reach the same levels of success more than a decade on.
Flatline is released on 1st September, 2013.
The stars are donning their aprons, ready to do battle. Katy Brand, Heidi Range and Jo Wood tell us about their experiences in the heat of the kitchen
Celebrity Masterchef contestants Katy Brand, Heidi Range, Jo Wood and Janet Street Porter
BBC
Aprons at the ready and sharpen those knives! For a new batch of 16 celebrities are about to get their hands dirty in the kitchen as we welcome back Celebrity MasterChef.
Kicking off the new series are Jo Wood, the ex-wife of Rolling Stone Ronnie, Sugababe Heidi Range, Loose Woman Janet Street-Porter and comedian Katy Brand.
The first surprise that judges Gregg Wallace and John Torode have in store is a mystery box challenge – the main ingredient being a large spider crab.
Here, Jo, Heidi and Katy tell us how they got on while filming the show...
Was it a scary experience?
Heidi: I really enjoyed it but it was terrifying. ?I didn’t expect to be so nervous. When The Sugababes were on tour, the thing I used to enjoy on my day off was finding a recipe. I’d pour a glass of wine, put on some music and cook. That’s my way of relaxing, but this was totally different.
Jo: It was great, although I didn’t know what to do when I saw the spider crab sitting there. I was expecting a fillet of fish! My son Tyrone always said I should be on the show, so I thought, “I’ve got to do it”.
Katy: My rule for reality TV is if I’m going to do it, I have to genuinely learn something new, and I learned so much. I watch it too, so to be actually there was quite surreal. I nicked my apron so I could remind myself that it really happened... and to intimidate my own dinner guests.
Were John and Gregg scary?
H: They were lovely actually and they really encouraged me.
K: They were a bit frightening. They’d wander around as you’re cooking and sometimes creep up on you and stick their fingers in the bowl to taste something. I had to control my instinct to rap them on the back of the hand with a wooden spoon!
'A bit frightening': John Torode and Gregg Wallace
What are you like in the kitchen?
J: I love being in the kitchen. My mum taught me how to do a roast chicken when I was nine, so I’ve never been afraid in the kitchen.
K: I cook often, but I wouldn’t say I’m brilliant at it. Generally I’m quite cool, although when you’re cooking for more than five people it’s hard not to get a bit uptight. A stiff G&T helps.
What’s your favourite food to cook?
H: I love spicy food, so I like making curries or spicy seafood dishes.
J: I like to do one-pot meals, where you put everything in the oven and cook it slowly over a long time. Then people can help themselves.
K: I recently learned how to make a lovely slow-cooked pork ragout to go with homemade tagliatelle. And I do like to roast a chicken.
What would you cook for a special date?
H: Most men like curries, don’t they? I’ve cooked it for my boyfriend Alex a few times and he eats bowl after bowl.
J: I make a really mean curry with chicken, orange lentils, garlic and leeks.
K: I think you can’t go wrong with a good steak and bottle of red wine. Spend as much money as you can afford on those and all will be well.
Who was your biggest rival on the show?
K: I didn’t really think of them as rivals. At one point I even forgot about the elimination until we were put in the holding pen, awaiting our fate. They were all great, and Janet is genuinely one of the most hilarious people I’ve ever met.
J: Yes, she is hysterically funny. I laughed and laughed, and she scared John and Gregg. She’s very competitive. I love her!
Have you had any cooking disasters?
H: On the first challenge show my spinach was a disaster. I’d only half cooked it.
J: When I was on tour with Ronnie, I had a portable stove that I’d cook on. One day I was making toast, eggs and bacon for breakfast and I set off the smoke alarm. He was in a mad flap waving a towel around.
K: I once served a turkey for 10 people at Christmas and what we carved was delicious, but we discovered it was raw underneath.
Do you pour yourself a glass of wine while you’re cooking?
J: If I start drinking while I’m in the kitchen I tend to lose concentration and that’s when I burn things, so I wait until I sit down to eat. Then I can relax.
K: I do! The only question is how many...
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What happened to the celebs who won the MasterChef title in previous series?
MATT DAWSON 2006
Since winning, former rugby union star Matt ?has further pursued his love of food, hosting shows including Monster Munchies and Real Family Cook Off.
NADIA SAWALHA 2007
The TV presenter and Daily Mirror food columnist says winning the show was a turning point as she got into ?food writing and hosted Junior MasterChef.
LIZ MCCLARNON 2008
Atomic Kitten Liz has become a regular on ?food programmes, and even seen her own pasta dish appear on the ?menu at Pizza Hut.
JAYNE MIDDLEMISS 2009
TV and radio presenter Jayne scooped the ?crown after cooking ?at Sir Richard Branson’s fabulous hotel in the Moroccan mountains.
LISA FAULKNER 2010
Life really did change for actress Lisa after winning.
Not only is she enjoying a food career hosting C4 show What’s Cooking?, she is also dating ?judge John Torode.
PHIL VICKERY 2011
Back in 2003, rugby union star Phil was in the England team that won the World Cup.
Then he won MasterChef which left him “gobsmacked”, saying it was the stuff of dreams.
EMMA KENNEDY 2012
Actress and presenter Emma rated MasterChef as the hardest thing she’d ever done.
“Baking a cake made me cry and a caramel took me to the point of death,” she says.
Broadcaster Janet Street-Porter and comedian Katy Brand pair up to cook at the Royal Albert Hall, going head to head with businesswoman Jo Wood and Sugababe Heidi Range.
PUBLISHED: 12:18, 31 July 2013 | UPDATED: 13:23, 31 July 2013
The sun might have been replaced by rain clouds, but Heidi Range isn't ready to give up on summer just yet.
Wearing a short white sundress and towering stilettos, the Sugababe posed for photos as she headed into the ITV studios on Tuesday.
Looking bright and breezy, the 30-year-old showed off her glowing tan as she chatted about her forthcoming appearance on the new series of Celebrity MasterChef.
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Chasing the sun: Heidi Range wore a short white sundress and towering stilettos as she headed into the ITV studios on Tuesday
Despite the fact that it was raining, the singer seemed in great spirits as she arrived at the London studios, carrying a large umbrella.
But Heidi was certainly dressed more for the blazing heat than for the grim conditions, going bare-legged as she fought her way through the puddles.
And it looked like she'd been making the most of the heat wave, sporting a natural-looking tan, offset by the bright white of her zip-up dress.
Topped up the tan: The Sugababe looked like she'd been catching some rays as she sported a glowing tan
Unfazed: The singer may have been battling the rain but she didn't seem too bothered as she wore a huge grin on her face
She wore her trademark blonde hair in a side plait and kept her make-up minimal, posing with one hand on her hip.
Sitting on the Daybreak sofa, Heidi spoke about her prowess in the kitchen which will be showcased on Celebrity MasterChef, airing on Wednesday night.
'I'm alright when I'm at home, but when I got in there it was slightly different,' she said, admitting that her culinary skills weren't quite up to scratch.
Simple style: Heidi wore her blonde hair in a side plait and added natural-looking make-up to the look
New challenge: The blonde star will be a contestant on the new series of MasterChef, proving her culinary skills
'You can't phone up your mum and there's a time constraint - you haven't got time to have a glass of wine,' she added.
The singer, who starred on Dancing On Ice last year, admitted that she loved a new challenge and relished the opportunity to learn new thing.
'I don't know why I do it to myself, but it's about learning something new,' she said. 'It's not about your personal life, it's more about learning skills.'
And it seems that Heidi will have a lot on her plate in the next year, as she's joining the cast of new touring musical Happy Days in January, as well as recording new material with Sugababes.
'I start on the tour in January. I'm playing The Fonz's love interest,' she said of the show. 'I've not met Henry Winkler yet but he is creative consultant for the show.'
Chef it he making? In a bid to learn new skills, Heidi has taken on the challenge of MasterChef
With MKS on a winning streak with their brilliant new comeback single “Flatline” (available September 1 — stay strong!), there’s still the lingering question: What are the rest of the Sugababes up to these days?
Heidi Range, I assume, is still working on her line of high street tea cosies. Jade Ewen is likely still drying off after being the first contestant eliminated on Splash. And as for Amelle Berrabah? Why, she’s kicking off her solo Suga career.
Amelle’s clearly still in a Sweet 7 state of mind, because she’s keeping the dance-pop energy coming with her solo work: The Suga songstress just premiered the video for her Adam J and Nightcrashers collaboration “Love (Is All We Need),” a club-pop anthem that fits snugly within the current EDM-driven climate. Obviously, it’s up to Amelle and her distinctly soulful, smoky vocals to carry the tune up to new heights — and she does it with la-la-la-la-love.
The accompanying video about a girl (reference) and a boy falling in love, but it’s really all about Amelle getting sexy (reference) and looking sweet and amazing (reference) in front of those flashing lights and smoke machines.
And that is what Sugababe Amelle is doing these days. (Calls to MKS were not immediately returned.)
“Love (Is All We Need)” will be released on August 19. (iTunes)
SUGABABES' Jade Ewen has stuck the boot into ITVs diving show Splash — saying that the best thing about the programme was the pay cheque.
The singer, 25, said she was hoping that the show which saw celebs being trained to dive by Tom Daley would be "like Strictly Come Dancing on the water" but it fell short of the mark.
She said: "I had fun, yeah. I didn't know what it was going to be like.
"It could have been amazing like Strictly Come Dancing on the water - it wasn't.
"If I'm really honest they paid me amazingly, I only had to dive once. I was very happy."
Talking about Olympian Tom, she said: "He is fit. He's such a nice guy as well. He hasn't got any ego about him. It would be quite easy for him to get too big for his boots, but he's lovely."
Despite being a flop critically, Splash has been re-commissioned for a second series which will hit screens next year.
Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer's guests include PhoneShop's Martin Trenaman, Alex Brooker, Sugababes singer Heidi Range, plus music from Eliza Doolittle.
Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer's guests include PhoneShop's Martin Trenaman, Alex Brooker, Sugababes singer Heidi Range, plus music from Eliza Doolittle.
Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer's guests include PhoneShop's Martin Trenaman, Alex Brooker, Sugababes singer Heidi Range, plus music from Eliza Doolittle.
Heidi Range competes against Jo Wood and Shayne Lynch (Pic: Getty)Singer Heidi made her name as one third of Britain's multi-million selling girl band the Sugababes - and hopes to cook up a storm on our screens in the new series of Celebrity MasterChef.
This week, the 30-year-old star competes in the opening heat against comedian Katy Brand, broadcaster Janet Street Porter and Jo Wood, the ex-wife of the Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood.
The following three heats will feature contestants such as Boyzone star Shane Lynch, boxer Joe Calzaghe, entertainer Les Dennis, actors John Tomson and Brian Capron, and cricketer Mathew Hoggard. Eight fnalists from the four heats will then prepare for battle in the final fortnight of tense kitchen challenges.
Here, Heidi tells how her culinary skills were tested to their limits...
I adore spicy food and am really into making fish curries. But I'm not very good at baking
Heidi Range
How did you become involved in Celebrity MasterChef?
I've always really enjoyed cooking. When I was on tour with the band, one of my favourite things to do when I got home would be to try a new recipe. When I was approached I thought it would be a great chance to hone my skills.
Did everything go well?
I had a mix-up with the meat in one of the challenges. I thought it was pork, but it was Chinese spiced duck breast. You lose all common sense when you are under pressure and you say the stupidest things.
Did you ever feel like you were going to crack under the pressure?
I got stressed when I had to cut up a massive spider crab. I didn't know what to do with it and my hands were shaking like a leaf. It is intimidating because the cameramen get a close up and you start to doubt yourself. You think, "Is it because I'm messing it up?".
Were John Torode and Gregg Wallace kind to you?
When I saw the spider crab, which looked bigger than my head, John and Gregg could tell I was fazed by it. I was standing there thinking, "Has it been cooked?", but clearly it had because it wasn't crawling around the table. John said I was shaking more than a castanet and he put his arm around me!
Did you put on weight from food tasting?
I lost about six pounds! I wasn't interested in eating the food, as I was so stressed.
What is your favourite recipe?
I love making curries. I absolutely adore spicy food and I am really into fsh curries at the moment. But I am not very good at baking and wish I could make lovely cakes.
What is the most romantic meal you have cooked for someone?
I cooked a romantic feast for one of my boyfriends but I ran away with the Mexican theme. I bought a botle of Tequila and made nachos, chilli and burritos with lots of guacamole. But there were only two of us. It was a bit OT. I didn't get the sombreros out; that would have been a step too far!
Do you like cooking for your boyfriend?
I do love to cook for him and he cooks for me. I have been with him for a few months now (Heidi was previously engaged to TV presenter Dave Berry). We have no plans to move in together yet. I am currently living with my sister and am really happy with the way things are.
If you could invite five dream guests to dinner, who would they be?
Frank Sinatra, so he could sing to me and tell me all the stories from his heyday, and Peter Kay to make me laugh. Bette Midler is fascinating and I have always loved Madonna. And Prince Harry would be a good laugh. He has a mischievous glint in his eye and he would have a few tales to tell.
What are your plans for when Celebrity MasterChef finishes? Are you getting back together with the Sugababes?
We are on a break but we haven't split up. I've got a new project starting next January, which I am excited about. It's a Happy Days musical touring the UK for six months before it transfers to the West End. I'm playing the Fonz's girlfriend Pinky.
Morning! This is what is going on on Channel 4 right now! We've got Alex Brooker, Heidi Range, Martin Trenaman and Eliza Doolittle joining us today. Rebecca is with us twice with gourmet burgers and Riesling wine, and we have rockpool creatures too. We're cooking Gruyere filled courgettes, crab and leek lasagne, duck salad, and gooseberry and elderflower posset.
