Rachel Stevens has defended her lads’ magazine’s past, insisting it was “a bit of fun” and criticizing claims the shoot was “demeaning.”
The S Club 7 star first took part in a sexy shoot with FHM in 2000, when she was 22 years old, and appeared on the magazine’s 100 Sexiest Women list eleven times.
Now, at 46 and back in the spotlight with the S Club reunion tour, Rachel insists she has no regrets, joking that winning ‘Rear of the Year’ in 2009 is ‘one of her biggest achievements’.
During a conversation with the Guardian, she explained, “It was of that time. Everyone has a voice. It was a bit of fun. Why not? For me, FHM has always been about expressing sensuality rather than sexuality, and everyone expresses that 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 came into the spotlight in the 1990s.
Rachel Stevens has defended her boys’ magazine past, insisting it was a ‘bit of fun’ and claiming the shoots were ‘degrading’ (pictured at the FHM 100 Sexiest Women Party in 2003)
The mum-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, fiery and passionate, but I ended up being a very jaded version of myself because it was, ‘Keep going, put on the smile.’ I look back at interviews and think, “Who is that person?”
When asked about her most important memories of that period in her life, Rachel said: ‘If I’m completely honest, all I think about is fear. I was consumed by it.
“I was nervous all the time. Always worried. Feeling unsafe. I just didn’t feel safe.”
S Club generated millions during their initial success.
Rachel and her bandmates only received a fraction of the money, but she is now philosophical about the situation, admitting it was a ‘tough issue’ and that she feels lucky to have had the experience.
The singer has been on the promotional trail for her autobiography, Finding My Voice, which details her divorce from ex-husband Alex Bourne and subsequently moves on with professional skater Brendyn Hatfield.
She announced her split from her high school sweetheart Alex in July 2022, just a month before their 13th anniversary.
Rachel officially became a couple with Brandyn in November 2023, after they were linked together on Dancing On Ice the year before.
The singer has been on the promotional trail for her autobiography, Finding My Voice, which details her divorce from ex-husband Alex Bourne (pictured in 2017)
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’ve been very lucky, their dad is a great dad and we’ve always been so aligned about really keeping them safe in that and being really honest.
“We got some great advice about how to talk to them at the right age and how to help them feel safe in all of this, because that was my biggest fear: what they’re going to be like in all of this.”
The former couple have two daughters, Amelie, 12, and Minnie, nine.
She continued, “You’re changing your life. It’s not just 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, that we have to be true to ourselves, and that’s not something you decide overnight, it’s something that you have to think about a lot and ask questions.
‘I haven’t spoken much about it publicly because I care so much about everyone involved.’
She announced her split from her high school sweetheart Alex in July 2022 and officially got married to Dancing On Ice partner Brandyn Hatfield the following year (pictured)
Rachel talks about how she moved forward with Brandyn: “We were very conscious and thoughtful about everyone involved and it was a very slow process.
‘But when you experience growth in your life, you change and your outlook on life changes.
“You realize this is what I need, this is what I want, this is what I deserve. And everything is new and it all just happens.’
She added, “It’s all just evolving and it’s not black and white, it’s just a great growing experience.”