Natasha Hamilton says her Atomic Kitten fame almost broke her.
Atomic Kitten’s fame almost broke Natasha Hamilton.
The 43-year-old singer felt “overwhelmed” when she had “no exit plan” amid bills coming in whilst not earning money after she left the girl band in 2004 to spend more time with her eldest child, Josh, 23.
And Natasha – who was 16 when she joined Atomic Kitten with Liz McClarnon, 44, and 45-year-old Kerry Katona – said it took ages to get herself together again.
Natasha – who has four other children – explained to Heat magazine: “Being famous when you’re that young messes with your head. You’re cocooned, not living a ‘real’ life – no bills and no worries.
“After I had my first child and left the band, there was nobody advising me about anything. Suddenly, the money stopped, but the bills didn’t.
“I had no plan for what came next, and it was overwhelming. Honestly, it took a long time to put myself back together.
“There’s no exit plan in pop.”
Atomic Kitten was formed in 1998, and the group went on to dominate the world, selling over 10 million records worldwide, embarking on global tours and reaching number one with Whole Again in different territories in 2000.
With that, they generated a lot of media interest, which Natasha claimed the trio only received “three hours of press training once, in a pub”.
And Natasha – whose departure from the band in 2004 made the group go on an extended hiatus – admitted she had hardly any support, as a whole, being a teenage pop star.
She said: “Honestly, it was minimal. I left home at 16, and my parents were still working and looking after my younger sister. So, I had a chaperone, but her ‘shift’ finished at nine or 10pm. After that, we’d be dropped off at a hotel, and that was it.
“We were kids with no curfew, living just 10 minutes from London’s West End. Of course, we went out! When we got papped partying, it was almost encouraged – any publicity was positive, even if it wasn’t always the right kind.
“Nobody sat us down and said, ‘Don’t do that.’ We were just left to figure out this adult world on our own.”
And looking back, Natasha wished Atomic Kitten – later formed of Natasha, Liz and 47 year old Jenny Frost – had a team of mentors and people to guide them.
Asked if the music industry “wanted to keep you in the dark”, she said: “It wasn’t always that calculated – it was just the culture. It’s different for my own artists now.
“With my label, we won’t sign anyone under 21 or anyone who we don’t think is ready for the lifestyle. We give them business mentoring, teach them stagecraft, make sure they have people to guide them.
“I just wished we’d had that.”
Atomic Kitten fame almost ruined Natasha Hamilton
