Strictly's Kym Marsh recalls violence in Hear'Say days as bandmate claims 'it was brutal'

express.co.uk:

Kym Marsh, 46, first rose to fame in the TV talent contest Popstars aged 24, but the traumatised star has previously admitted that her group, Hear'Say, was under so much pressure that every single member had "been ill" as a result.

While she recalled graphic violence from members of the public in quotes unearthed during her Strictly Come Dancing 2022 stint, her former bandmate, Noel Sullivan, who has spoken of having to hide his sexuality, said they were never allowed to think for themselves.Kym survived the group for a matter of months before dramatically declaring: "I quit!" over the stress of constant arguments, and a rumour that she had "refused" to play for British soldiers at a concert abroad.Yet, according to an unearthed interview with the devastated star, things only became worse for the members over time."[Hear'Say] had bottles thrown at them on stage... [and] someone stubbed a cigarette out on Myleene in a club," she recalled.Meanwhile, her former co-star Noel lamented: "Hear'Say was a machine and we were surrounded by an entourage that didn't allow you to think for yourself."Noel, whose choreographer husband James Bennett is now Oti Mabuse's assistant, was left so traumatised by his experiences that he says he would have to be "mad" to consider ever going back to singing.The abuse was intense, with members of the public reportedly queuing up to see the band at a festival just for the chance to hurl bottles at them while they were onstage.While Kym simply fled the group, Noel fled the country, recalling: "It was pretty brutal here.

I couldn’t really function without people giving me abuse on the streets."He added to Metro that one of the hardest aspects of being in the group was "hiding my sexuality, being.