Michelle Heaton has opened up about the painful fallout with former friend Suzanne Shaw years after finding fame on the reality show Popstars. The 46-year-old singer first appeared on screens in 2001 during the hugely popular ITV talent series, where contestants battled to become part of a five-member pop group chosen by judges from a shortlist of 50 singers.
Although Michelle narrowly missed out on being welcomed into the winning group Hear'Say alongside Kym Marsh, Suzanne Shaw, Myleene Klass, Danny Foster, and Noel Sullivan, she went on to form Liberty X with Kelli Young, Jessica Taylor, Tony Lundon, and Kevin Simm. Despite losing the ITV competition, Liberty X went on to enjoy major chart success, selling more than three million records and winning a Brit Award in 2003 for their hit 'Just A Little'.
Tension Between the Bands
Michelle has now admitted that the relationship between the two groups quickly turned sour after the show ended. While on the podcast 'We Need To Talk' with Paul Brunson, she opened up about how painful the tension became back in 2001. She shared: 'From my memory, I believe it was Hear'Say who called us "flop stars". There was a wall from the get-go, as soon as Liberty X decided to release music, it was evident that they wanted us to fail.'
The star admitted she struggled emotionally after feeling abandoned by people she had become close to during the competition process. When asked how it felt to have former friends distance themselves, Michelle replied: 'It felt really harsh. We didn't know how to navigate it, and it felt like it wasn't the five people that we met. During all of it, all I wanted to do was reach out to Suzanne, because she was someone I got really close to. I really wanted to share that with her.'
Impact on Personal Friendship
According to insiders, Michelle was especially hurt by the sudden breakdown in her friendship with Suzanne following the end of the show. A source told The Sun that the singer found the experience difficult because she values loyalty highly in her personal relationships. They added that the experience ultimately taught Michelle to keep celebrity friendships at arm's length, though they claimed she has remained exceptionally close to Katie Price over the years.
While Hear'Say famously split in 2002 after internal tensions and feuds, Liberty X continued to thrive for years afterwards. The group made a comeback in 2012 for The Big Reunion, and Michelle still performs alongside Kelli and Jessica today. The insider insisted that there is no ongoing bitter feud between Michelle and Suzanne, saying they would be 'civil' if they met at an industry event, but claimed there is no trace of the personal friendship they used to have left.
Lasting Success
The source also said that while Michelle 'knows, deep down, she had the last laugh a long time ago', as despite being branded 'flop stars' by their competitors, Liberty X became a more commercially successful pop group than Hear'Say did. The Mirror has contacted Michelle and Suzanne's representatives for comment.
Michelle has also built a successful television career for herself, having been invited on shows such as Dancing On Ice and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.
