Pop fans are in for a nostalgic treat this autumn as the BBC’s new documentary Girlbands Forever lifts the curtain on the biggest girl groups in UK pop history and the drama behind the hits.
The two‑part special, airing November 1 on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer, promises to tell the real stories behind the fame, with exclusive interviews from the women who lived it.
Featuring members from All Saints, Atomic Kitten, Eternal, Little Mix, Mis‑Teeq, and Sugababes, the series features candid conversations with Perrie Edwards, Kerry Katona, Melanie Blatt, Kelle Bryan, Heidi Range and Su‑Elise Nash, among others.
The programme also includes insights from industry experts including MNEK, Andy McCluskey, Nicki Chapman, Clara Amfo, Darcus Beese OBE, a very different looking Pete Waterman, and Tulisa Contostavlos, unpacking how girl bands shaped British pop.
Little Mix
Little Mix became one of the UK’s most successful girl groups after forming on The X Factor in 2011. However, their unity fractured dramatically in 2020 when Jesy Nelson announced she was quitting the band after nine years, citing struggles with mental health and the pressures of fame.
“I need to spend time with the people I love, doing things that make me happy,” she explained on Instagram, confirming her exit.
At the time, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall released a statement supporting Jesy’s decision.
“After an amazing nine years together, Jesy has made the decision to leave Little Mix,” they wrote. “We love her very much and agree that it is so important that she does what is right for her mental health and wellbeing.”
But the harmony quickly soured. Jesy’s solo debut Boyz, featuring Nicki Minaj, sparked accusations of “blackfishing” over her appearance in the music video.
When leaked DMs appeared to show Leigh-Anne calling Jesy a “horrible person”, Minaj publicly slammed her as a “jealous clown” on Instagram Live as Jesy sat aside and said nothing.
In 2021, Jesy told The Graham Norton Show: “We’re not talking anymore. It’s sad, but honestly there’s no bad blood from my side. I still love them to pieces.”
The rift marked one of the most dramatic girl band fallouts in years. The remaining trio announced an indefinite hiatus in 2022 to pursue solo projects.
Eternal
In the early 1990s, Eternal were R&B royalty – the first British girl group to sell over a million copies of an album in the UK.
The original line-up, Louise Redknapp, Kelle Bryan, and sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett, fell apart in 1995 when Louise suddenly quit mid‑tour, saying she felt “miserable and homesick”.
While fans were devastated, rumours of internal clashes and unfair treatment quickly spread. Some reports suggested Louise was pushed out as the band’s only white member, but management denied this.
Kelle later said: “It was devastating; no one could replace Louise.”
Eternal continued as a trio for a time, but the fallout never really healed.
Sugababes
With six number one singles and four UK top 10 albums, Sugababes are remembered as one of Britain’s most talented and turbulent girl groups.
The band was originally formed by Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan, and Siobhan Donaghy, but underwent several reshuffles.
Siobhan quit in 2001, claiming Keisha “made her life a living hell”. As reported by The Mirror, she told The Sun in 2009: “There was no doubt that I was pushed out. I’ll never forgive her. Though no one forgives that first bully in their lives, do they?”
Mutya also left in 2005, struggling with postnatal depression after the birth of her daughter.
“Everything became a downer, and I just couldn’t be bothered. It was horrible,” she told RWD magazine.
Keisha, the last original member, was reportedly sacked in 2009.
“Although it was not my choice to leave, it’s time to enter a new chapter,” she wrote on Twitter at the time. The original line-up is now back together, and even performed at Glastonbury earlier this year.
Girlbands Forever – All Saints
All Saints were the cool girl alternative to the Spice Girls: effortlessly stylish, effortlessly moody, and behind the scenes, effortlessly messy.
By 2001, Melanie Blatt, Shaznay Lewis, and sisters Natalie and Nicole Appleton were at breaking point.
Melanie later confessed: “[We] just weren’t getting on any more and we kind of hated each other.”
The final straw came over, of all things, a jacket. During a 2001 photoshoot, the members reportedly clashed over who would get to wear it, sparking a disagreement that ultimately led to the group’s split.
Shaznay revealed: “I would never in a million years have put money on the group ending over a jacket incident. But… it fired up so strong, it had to be over.”
After the break-up, the Appleton sisters released a tell‑all book, Together, detailing years of rivalry and resentment. But time heals most wounds, and All Saints reunited 17 years later.
Atomic Kitten
This pop trio, formed of Kerry Katona, Natasha Hamilton, and Liz McClarnon, became pop darlings in the late 1990s, but their behind‑the‑scenes fights were explosive.
Kerry once confessed: “Liz punched me from behind after we had a little row… then I stamped on her feet while we were up on stage singing ‘Whole Again’.”
Kerry left in 2001 after falling pregnant and was replaced by Jenny Frost, who later declared she’d “rather eat her own kidney with a spoon” than work with Kerry.
Despite multiple reunions, peace never lasted long. More recently, Liz McClarnon reportedly refused to take part in Girlbands Forever, allegedly blindsiding her former bandmates.
“Liz doesn’t want to do the documentary series at all,” a source told The Sun earlier this year. “The other girls think it’s a bit of a slap in the face.”
Girlbands Forever – the Spice Girls
No girl band story is complete without the Spice Girls, the group that defined an era. Their message of “Girl Power” inspired millions. But behind closed doors, tensions simmered.
When Geri Halliwell quit mid‑tour in 1998, the world was stunned.
“When Geri left, it was so bad,” Mel B recalled in 2014. “She left on my birthday and didn’t tell anybody. She just didn’t show up.”
“I just got very angry, really emotional about it,” Geri later said, revealing that she was frustrated after being told she couldn’t do interviews for a breast cancer campaign.
The band took an indefinite hiatus in 2000. However, they’ve since reunited (minus Posh) for tours and anniversaries.
Mel B summed it up in an interview with The Mirror: “We fight, we argue, we make up. It’s always been like that.”
Fifth Harmony
It wasn’t just British girl groups that imploded under pressure. US sensation Fifth Harmony, formed on The X Factor USA in 2012, also suffered a messy and public breakup.
When Camila Cabello left in 2015, the band released an icy statement saying they had been “informed via her representatives” of her exit. Camila quickly refuted the claim, saying it was “just not true” that she quit via her reps, which sparked a bitter back‑and‑forth.
Camila later referred to the feud in her song Psychofreak. “I don’t blame the girls for how it went down,” she sang.
Destiny’s Child
In 2000, fans of Destiny’s Child were stunned to turn on MTV and find LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson missing from the Say My Name video. The duo had seemingly been replaced overnight by Michelle Williams and Farrah Franklin.
Roberson later revealed: “We saw the Say My Name video on TV. That’s how I found out I was no longer in the group.”
The drama stemmed from a fallout with Beyoncé’s father and manager, Mathew Knowles, over alleged unfair treatment and favouritism. The pair sued for damages before the matter was settled out of court.
Despite the turmoil, Destiny’s Child went on to become one of the most iconic girl groups in history. All members reportedly reconciled years later.
Girlbands Forever airs on Saturday (November 1) from 9.20pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
Read more: Jade Thirlwall’s ‘grief’ over Jesy Nelson’s Little Mix departure
