Atomic bombs

Former Atomic Kitten singer Natasha Hamilton on the pressures of growing up in a girlband and why she had to leave

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When she joined Atomic Kitten in 1999, Natasha Hamilton thought she'd landed the best job in the world. But faced with punishing tours, frayed friendships and fears about her weight, the reality was very different.

Now, Natasha is taking part in new BBC documentary, Girlbands Forever, to reveal how her years in the band left her in pieces, both mentally and physically.

The Liverpudlian was just 16 when she auditioned for manager Martin O'Shea and pop star Andy McCluskey, who were looking for a singer to join Kerry Katona and Liz McClarnon in their girlband.

"Liz and Kerry had been together 18 months and were thick as thieves," says mum-of-five Natasha. "On the second audition day I went to their flat to learn some dance moves. Just being an excitable 16-year-old, when Kerry was teaching me the moves, I was like, 'Oh, what if we did this?' Kerry didn't like that. She went back to Andy and Martin and said, 'I don't like her. If she's in the band, I'm leaving.'

"I remember crying my eyes out because I just knew this was the opportunity that I'd been waiting for."