INTERVIEW
MEL: ‘The secret to my youthful looks? Cigarettes & Champagne!’
The All Saints star tells Closer about her dating plans, how she’s stayed young and the possibility of the girl band reforming
S in1997 as part of hit girl band All Saints when she was just 22. And now – 26 years on – Mel Blatt looks just as gorgeous as she cheekily tells Closer how she’s managed to defy time and preserve her stunning looks.
Speaking at the VIP launch of Florattica Rooftop Bar, Mel, 47, laughs, “The secret is Silk Cut cigarettes and Champagne. I smoke about 40 a day!”
Alongside her All Saints bandmates Natalie Appleton, 49, Nicole Appleton, 48, and Shaznay Lewis, 47, she enjoyed a string of hit singles such as Pure Shores and Never Ever, and the girls swiftly secured themselves the title of ’90s icons. In their seven years together, the band had five number one singles, won two BRIT Awards, and sold over 10 million records worldwide – making them one of the best-selling girl groups of all time.
NO BAD BLOOD
But despite the stardom and success, the four went their separate ways in 2001. Appearing on Alan Carr’s Chatty Man in 2016, they addressed their split by revealing, “We kind of hated each other. We didn’t carry on for the money like some bands.” Despite splitting on less than friendly terms, there’s now no bad blood between the All Saints ladies. The foursome first reunited back in 2006, parting ways again in 2008 – before reuniting for a second time in 2013.
When asked whether the band would follow in the footsteps of S Club 7 – who have recently announced their reunion tour – Mel says, “We have technically been reunited for the last seven years, but I’m not sure if we’ll be performing or releasing new music any time soon. We’re all doing our own thing at the moment. And Nicole had her baby not too long ago – so we’re all taking it easy. When we’re ready, we’ll get back in the studio.”
UNDER WRAPS
Nicole recently welcomed her second child at 47 with Facebook executive Stephen Haines – after hiding her pregnancy for nine months.
Meanwhile, Mel is currently single after splitting from Jamiroquai bassist Stuart Zender in 2006. The pair – who share daughter Lilyella, now 24 – split after eight years together, reportedly due to hectic schedules. But since then, Mel has kept her love life under wraps.
