Hannah Spearritt has quit the S Club 7 reunion following the tragic death of bandmate Paul Cattermole in April.
The group had announced in February that they would be reuniting for a special 25th anniversary tour in October.
While the band will continue with the tour, they have announced that Hannah Spearritt will not be taking part.
Speaking on Instagram, Rachel Stevens, Tina Barrett, Bradley McIntosh, Jo O’Meara and Jon Lee made the announcement.
Jo and Tine wiped away tears as they paid tribute to Paul, saying he would “light up a room” as they added: “In all honesty, we’ve been a bit of shock.”
Explaining Hannah’s absence, Jon said: “You have probably noticed that there is only five of us here today, and although Hannah will always be part of S Club 7, she won’t be joining us on this tour.
“We wish her all the best for the future.”
The five also announced that they would be renaming their October tour in honour of Paul, changing the name from the S Club 7 Reunited Tour to the Good Time Tour, “because that was his song”.
The band’s social media and website has also been rebranded to read S Club rather than S Club 7.
Paul was found dead at his Dorset home on April 6.
We are truly devastated by the passing of our brother Paul. There are no words to describe the deep sadness and loss we all feel. We were so lucky to have had him in our lives and are thankful for the amazing memories we have. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/CFpkjU62aD
— S Club (@SClub7) April 7, 2023
A joint statement from Paul’s family and bandmates confirmed the news, saying: “It is with great sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of our beloved son and brother Paul Cattermole.
“Paul was found yesterday, 6th April 2023 at his home in Dorset and was pronounced dead later that afternoon.”
S Club 7 posted on Twitter: "We are truly devastated by the passing of our brother Paul. There are no words to describe the deep sadness and loss we all feel.
“We were so lucky to have had him in our lives and are thankful for the amazing memories we have.
"He will be so deeply missed by each and every one of us. We ask that you respect the privacy of his family and of the band at this time."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here