Rachel Stevens defends her 'fun' lads' mag past as she insists she was expressing 'sensuality not sexuality' and admits she was 'consumed' by anxiety in S Club 7
Rachel Stevens has defended her lads' mag past, insisting it was a 'bit of fun' and denouncing claims the shoots were 'degrading.'
The S Club 7 star first took part in a sexy shoot with FHM back in 2000 when she was aged 22 and appeared on the magazine's 100 Sexiest Women list 11 times.
Now 46 and back in the limelight with the S Club reunion tour, Rachel insisted she has no regrets and joked that winning 'Rear of the Year' in 2009 is 'one of her biggest achievements.'
During a chat with the Guardian, she explained: 'It was of that time. Everyone has a voice. It was a bit of fun. Why not? FHM for me was always about expressing sensuality instead of sexuality and everyone expresses it in different ways.'
The mother-of-two also admitted she was 'consumed' by anxiety during the early years of her pop career after her group was thrust into the limelight in the Nineties.
Rachel Stevens has defended her lads' mag past, insisting it was a 'bit of fun' and denouncing claims the shoots were 'degrading' (pictured at the FHM 100 Sexiest Women Party in 2003)
The mother-of-two also admitted she was 'consumed' by anxiety during the early years of S Club 7 (Clockwise L-R Rachel, Hannah Spearritt, Jo O'Meara, Jon Lee, Tina Barrett, Bradley McIntosh and Paul Cattermole in 2000)
Rachel confessed: 'I was strong and driven and fiery and passionate, but I ended up becoming a very dulled-down version of myself because it was: "Keep going, put the smile on." I look back at interviews and think: "Who is that person?"
Asked about her overriding memories of that period in her life, Rachel replied: 'If I'm really honest, the thing that comes to mind is anxiety. I was consumed with it.
'I was nervous all the time. Always worried. Feeling insecure. I just didn't feel safe.'
S Club generated millions during their initial run of success.
Rachel and her bandmates only received a fraction of the money, but she's now philosophical about the situation, admitting it was a 'tricky one' and that she feels lucky to have had the experience.
The singer has been on the promotional trail for her autobiography, Finding My Voice, in which she details her split from ex-husband Alex Bourne and subsequently moving forward with professional skater Brendyn Hatfield.
She announced she had split from her childhood sweetheart, Alex, in July 2022, just one month shy of their 13-year anniversary.
Rachel went official with Brandyn in November 2023 after being paired together on Dancing On Ice the year before.
The S Club 7 star first took part in a sexy shoot with FHM back in 2000 when she was aged 22 and appeared on the magazine's 100 Sexiest Women list 11 times
During an appearance on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour last week, the singer confessed that ending her marriage felt like 'jumping off a cliff.'
Speaking about the split, she admitted: 'It's a lot of navigating, especially with the girls because they've always been at the forefront.
'I'm very lucky, their dad is a great dad and we've always been so aligned with keeping them really safe in it and being really honest.
'We've had great advice on how to age-appropriately speak to them and help them feel safe in it all, because that was my biggest fear - how they are going to be in all of this.'
The former couple share two daughters, Amelie, 12, and Minnie, nine.
She continued: 'You're changing your life. It's not only a marriage it's a family around it, it's your friendship groups, your home, your children.
'Changing your whole life, for me it felt like jumping off a cliff, like wow, it's the unknown.
'But I've always believed that we have to be happy, we have to be true to ourselves and it's not something you decide overnight, it's something that takes so much thought and questioning.
'I haven't talked about it a lot publicly because I'm so mindful of everyone involved.'
The singer has been on the promotional trail for her autobiography, Finding My Voice, in which she details her split from ex-husband Alex Bourne (pictured in 2017)
She announced she had split from her childhood sweetheart, Alex, in July 2022 and the following year she went official with Dancing On Ice partner Brandyn Hatfield (pictured)
On how she navigated moving forward with Brandyn, Rachel said: 'We've just been really mindful and thoughtful of everyone involved and it was a very slow process.
'But when you go through growth in your life, you change and your outlook on life changes.
'You realise this is what I need, this is what I want, this is what I deserve. And everything is new and it all just kind of happens.'
She added: 'It all just evolves and it's not black and white, it's just an amazing growth experience.'
