S Club were able to “celebrate” the life of Paul Cattermole with their reunion tour.
The late singer died of heart-related issues in April 2023 at the age of just 46 but when his bandmates Rachel Stevens, Tina Barrett, Jon Lee, Bradley Macintosh and Jo O’Meara hit the road again for the ‘Good Times’ show, they spent a lot of the time “just talking” about their tragic co-star.
Speaking on the ‘Happy Place’ podcast, she told host FearneCotton: “It was just devastating, obviously, the tour was happening, but we stopped and took a step back, and we just talked.
“We were there for each other, and really wanted to be mindful of his family, and be respectful… the tour took on a whole different meaning. “It became a really beautiful tribute and celebration of him.
“It was gorgeous to celebrate him in that way. He was always there. “There’d be lots of times where one of us would get emotional.
“It was really good. I think talking is the best thing ever, and it can never be a bad thing.”
The ‘Reach’ singers also featured Hannah Spearritt in their original lineup but, having dated Paul for period of time during their heyday, she felt unable to take part in the tour.
Prior to his death, Paul had endured years of financial hardship after shooting to fame as part of the ‘Bring It All Back’ hitmakers in the late 1990s and sold his BRIT award statue in an attempt to make ends meet.
But by the time Paul’s brother Colin went to see the show at London’s O2 Arena, the band had managed to buy the award back and were able Cgive it to him.
Colin wrote on Instagram: “This experience was not only surreal and emotional for me but also for my other brother, my wife, and Paul’s closest friends who shared the evening with us.
“After the show backstage, we had a heartfelt reunion with the band.
“To our astonishment, they had managed to retrieve my brother’s Brit Award and presented it to us as a touching gesture.”