Did You Watch ITV’s Big Reunion?
It’s hard seeing your favourite bands break up. They create songs that you love and then are not seen for 10 years. In 2013, ITV created The Big Reunion TV special, which followed the lives of original band members from popular British 90s bands.
Including Blue, Atomic Kittin, B*Witched and Liberty X, some original band members had not spoken in decades. So, we all tuned in to watch the likes of Ritchie Neville and the rest of 5ive work through their differences and patch up old wounds.
Let’s take a look at our celebs who starred on the show and what they have been up to since.
5ive
5ive are one of the most successful boy bands in the UK, selling around 20 million copies worldwide. Formed in 1997 until splitting in 2001, they dominated the charts and reached number one in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. Differing from every other boy band before them, 5ive wrote or co-wrote almost all of their songs. The group consisted of Scott Robinson, Abz Lowe, Sean Conlon, Jason Brown and our very own Ritchie Neville.
As well as being one of 5ive’s original band members, Ritchie Neville is also a sommelier and restaurateur, moving to Australia after the band broke up in 2001. In 2012, Ritchie then opened his own restaurant in Sydney named Guerilla Bar and Restaurant, which met with critical acclaim.
But, it’s the stage that drew him back and the chance to perform with 3 other original band members. For the first time in 10 years, Ritchie, Sean, Scott and Abz reunited in episode 4 of ITV’s The Big Reunion TV special, discussing in detail the tension between members and the idea of finding a 5th member. After an emotional series, the four performed to a crowd of 4,000 alongside the rest of the reuniting bands.
911
Forming in 1995, Simon Dawbarn, Lee Brennan and our celeb Jimmy Constable began touring across the UK, building up a teenage fanbase. Their career spanned 1 UK number 1 and 10 UK top 10s. They also received critical acclaim by winning awards such as GMTV’s “Search for the Next Big Thing” and were voted the “Second Best Newcomer” (after Spice Girls). However, behind the scenes, all three members had their own demons, which led to their split in 1999.
One of the original band members, Jimmy Constable began his career (alongside Dawbarn) as a dancer on the late-night dance show The Hit Man and Her. On The Big Reunion, all three members talk about their past mistakes, including alcoholism and mental breakdowns. Meeting for the first time in 10 years, all three of them have an emotional sit-down discussing past mistakes. The series ended with them performing a high-intense performance. Since then, 911 made a comeback, with their sold-out show 911: The Reunion and a further 15-date arena tour with The Big Reunion.
Honeyz
One of the original band members still standing, Celena Cherry shot to fame as the lead singer of RnB girl group sensation Honeyz. With 5 top 10 hits and a gold-certified debut album, Honeyz began their life as “Essence”, as a rival to the American group Destiny’s Child, with members Heavenli Abdi and our Celena. Then, with a name change and a new member Naima Belkhiati, Honeyz was born. At the 2000 Maxim Awards, then won “Best British Girl Band”, beating the likes of Spice Girls and Eternal. They were also nominated for Best British Breakthrough Act at the Brit Awards, also in 2000.
After breaking up, Celena turned to the world of acting. She appeared in soaps Doctors and Hollyoaks, uncovering a love for the screen. Alongside her husband, she auditioned for Britain’s Got Talent.
During their sting on ITV’s The Big Reunion TV special, the band members discussed their various members and Celena had to make hard decisions to find the best route for the band. Celena and the band performed to a packed-out stadium, with the episode receiving over 1.5 million views.
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