All Saints were treated like "objects" during the height of their success.
The ‘Pure Shores’ hitmakers – sisters Natalie and Nicole Appleton, Melanie Blatt and Shaznay Lewis – found it frustrating that so much attention was paid to their appearance when they were so focused on their music.
Shaznay said: "Looking beautiful was the last thing on my mind. We were a band, we sang, we wrote our own music.
"In my head, that was the drive.
"And then you realise that’s not the main thing people were interested in.
"We learned very quickly that we were objects."
And the group also recalled how they were asked to dance topless behind a screen on ‘Top Of the Pops’ and are proud they were able to stand up for themselves.
Shaznay told Grazia magazine: "We were lucky in that we were strong, forceful women.
"Saying no caused a bit of a stink but we were never scared, which is probably what a lot of people found back in the day."
The group split in 2001 and reunited two years ago, and even now the quartet feel "pressure" to look good.
Mel admitted: "I feel way more under pressure today.
"A lot of the interviews we’ve done since we’ve come back have been about how we feel about our bodies, what we do to keep fit, whether we train.
"We never got asked that back in the day. This is a new thing.
"Our culture is obsessed with it, with social media, filters, all that s**t. I get involved and I hate myself for it.
"I’m an intelligent, strong woman. Why do I give a s**t?"
All Saints hated looks obsession
