Rachel Stevens returns to work for the first time since S Club 7’s Paul Cattermole’s death

Rachel Stevens has paid a touching tribute to S Club 7 band member Paul Cattermole as she returned to work for the first time after his death.

The singer, 45, hosted her first 00s show on Heart Radio on Saturday afternoon, taking a moment to pay an emotional tribute to her late bandmate.

Paul was found at his home in Dorset last Thursday and was pronounced dead in the afternoon, his family said Friday, leaving his S Club 7 bandmates in shock.

His cause of death is not yet known, but police said there were no suspicious circumstances.

Returning to work after his tragic death, Rachel paid tribute to Paul when she replaced Ashley Roberts in hosting Heart Radio’s 00s party show.

She shared her “heartbreak” but said it felt “special” to be able to honor Paul while she played her band S Club 7’s smash hit Two In A Million, which she says “brought a lot of memories”.

She said, “Thank you so much for coming to me. And as much as I love being at the Heart 00s party to play all my favorite songs, it’s a bit of an emotional show for me today, but it feels so incredibly special to be able to honor Paul.

“We are heartbroken, but we are all thankful for the memories we shared together. So I want to take a moment to play this for you, a song that holds a lot of memories for me, it’s S Club 7 Two In A Million.’

Rachel’s tribute came during her first show from 4 to 7 p.m. on Heart as a stand-in host, as she replaces Ashley on the air for the next few Saturdays while the star of The Pussycat Dolls is on vacation.

It comes after Rachel was spotted in London on Thursday in her first public appearance since the devastating news of Paul’s death.

She made a gloomy figure as she headed to Global Studios in London on Thursday before taping her Heart 00s Radio show.

Rachel looked casual in a cream striped sweater and loose black jeans as she entered the radio studio.

Despite the band’s recent heartbreak, Rachel still managed to put a smile on her face as she headed to work.

Rachel’s outing came after S Club 7 confirmed that their 25th Anniversary tour will continue later this year and will pay tribute to their late bandmate Paul.

It comes after S Club 7 issued a joint statement following Paul’s death, saying he will ‘never be forgotten’.

The group shared a heartfelt message on their Instagram on Saturday, along with a photo of Paul taken during the group’s heyday.

They wrote: ‘Thank you to all our incredible fans and friends who have shared their love for our brother Paul.

“At this difficult time for all of us, it gives us strength to know that he will never be forgotten.”

On behalf of Paul’s family, the group also said fans could make a donation to the National Youth Music Theaterwhich Paul attended during his childhood.

They wrote, “In lieu of flowers, Paul’s family has asked that anyone who wishes can join us in making a donation in his honor to the National Youth Music Theater, an organization that brought Paul so much joy growing up.”

S Club 7 have vowed their 25th anniversary tour will continue and will likely include a tribute to Paul.

Sources close to the band say that while it’s too soon to make a public decision on how their 11 concerts will go, they want them to take place because the late singer was so excited about it.

The Mail on Sunday revealed that Paul was one of the first of the seven stars to agree to take part in the reunion shows.

An insider said: ‘Paul was so excited, even though he seemed uncomfortable on the outside, he was looking forward to reliving old happy times with the group.

“That’s why there are some members of S Club 7 who are determined to keep the tour going. To them it seems like the perfect way to honor him.

“There have been some meetings and some of the group are inconsolable, they are in pieces. It all came as a great shock to them.’

Paul was found last week at his home in Dorset, and his death was announced by his family on Friday.

Police said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

His ex-girlfriend and fellow S Club 7 star Hannah Spearritt is said to be ‘in pieces’ after she was told the news by the band’s management team.

In a joint statement on Friday, his family and S Club 7 said: ‘It is with great sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of our beloved son and brother Paul Cattermole.

Paul was found yesterday, April 6, 2023, at his home in Dorset and was pronounced dead later that afternoon.

Although the cause of death is currently unknown, Dorset Police have confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances. Paul’s family, friends and fellow S Club members are requesting privacy at this time.”

The Mail revealed that last Friday a member of the team from the group’s manager, Simon Fuller, called the six members – Hannah, 42, Rachel, 44, Tina Barrett, 46, Jon Lee, 40, Jo O’Meara and Bradley McIntosh, 41 – to tell them the news.

The source added, “Hannah couldn’t even talk about the news, her boyfriend has been having the conversations needed.

“She’s inconsolable, this is coming out of nowhere and she’s just numb.”

Fuller, who launched the band in 1998 and led the forthcoming reunion tour, is said to be “deeply upset” by the news.

Meanwhile, the band paid tribute to Paul on social media, posting a black and white photo of the singer in the band’s heyday.

They wrote: “We are truly devastated by the passing of our brother Paul. There are no words to describe the deep sadness and loss we all feel.

“We were so lucky to have had him in our lives and are thankful for the great memories we have. He will be greatly missed by all of us.”

S Club 7 recorded four studio albums, released 11 singles all of which entered the Top 5 UK charts and sold over 10 million albums worldwide.

Paul left S Club 7 in 2002, citing ‘creative differences’, and the group changed their name from S Club 7 to simply S Club before breaking up for good a year later. After their split in 2003, the band went in all directions.

Rachel went on to pursue a solo music career and came second on Strictly Come Dancing in 2008.

Hannah, who is mother to daughters Tora and Taya, enjoyed an acting career, appearing in BBC One soap opera EastEnders and British drama Primeval, among others.

In 2021, Paul launched a new YouTube channel called Tarot Me This where he called on fans to make a donation in exchange for a reading, explaining that “clairvoyance” was his new job.