'I was never given that chance': Former Pussycat Doll Melody Thornton claims she was reduced to the role of 'back-up dancer' and didn't get to sing while part of the iconic girl group

By Eleanor Dye For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Former Pussycat Doll Melody Thornton revealed that she was 'never given that chance' in the girl group. 

The singer, 38, who left the band in 2010 to focus on her solo career, auditioned when she was just 19, joining Carmit Bachar, Ashley Roberts, Nicole Scherzinger, Jessica Sutta and Kimberley Wyatt to create the Dolls. 

Although she was nominated for a Grammy Award as part of the group and saw chart-topping hits such as Don't Cha, Melody has revealed her time in the band was very bad for her self-esteem. 

She told The Sun: 'I was just a back-up dancer. It was very painful for me. It was a big opportunity to show what I could do and I was never given that chance really.

'In order to carry on singing, people need to know that you can sing in the first place and that wasn't really the case for me in the group, so it was - actually very painful.' 

Wasted potential: It comes after Former Pussycat Doll Melody Thornton revealed she was 'never given that chance' when she was part of the group (pictured in February)

Wasted potential: Former Pussycat Doll Melody Thornton has revealed she was 'never given that chance' when she was part of the group (pictured in February)

Chart toppers: She joined Kimberley Wyatt, Jessica Sutta, Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts and Carmit Bachar (pictured left to right in 2005; Melody is far right)

Chart toppers: She joined Kimberley Wyatt, Jessica Sutta, Nicole Scherzinger, Ashley Roberts and Carmit Bachar (pictured left to right in 2005; Melody is far right)

Melody previously revealed she felt inadequate in the group in an interview with The Mirror. 

The multi-talented star revealed that so much damage was done to her confidence that she secretly underwent therapy for two years during her time in the group.

Revealing that she 'never felt insecure until joining the group', the beauty said: 'I was in therapy when I was in the Dolls and maybe two years after that. My last panic attack was 2014.’ 

Admitting that she could see why people may believe she blames Nicole Scherzinger, who was front woman of the noughties girl group, Melody shut down any ideas that there is any animosity between her and the raven haired stunner.

‘People would assume that I was so mad at Nicole because she sang and I didn’t. Well, no. That was her dream and it was coming true for her. I just wanted it for myself too. 

'I’m a phenomenal vocalist, you just never heard it. But it wasn’t Nicole’s fault,' she stated. 

No time to shine: Melody said she was reduced to a back-up dancer - an experience that was 'very painful'

No time to shine: Melody said she was reduced to a back-up dancer - an experience that was 'very painful'

When the band reunited in 2019, Melody did not join them.  

After the group broke up, Melody enjoyed a successful solo career and she is now performing as Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard, which is touring the UK.     

She has also made several appearances on Reality TV, including Celebs Go Dating (2017), Dancing on Ice (2019) and The Masked Singer (2022), which she won. 

Ashley RobertsGrammysPussycat Dolls

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