The BBC has announced a new documentary, Girlbands Forever, which focuses on some of the UK’s biggest girl bands from the 1990s onwards.
Following the success of Boybands Forever, which first aired in November last year, Girlbands Forever is set to air on BBC Two later this year.
The documentary will feature in-depth interviews with members of some of the UK’s biggest girl bands, including former Sugababes member Heidi Range and Little Mix’s Perrie Edwards. Kelle Bryan (Eternal), Kerry Katona (Atomic Kitten), Melanie Blatt (All Saints) and Su-Elise Nash (Mis-Teeq) are also set to star.
It will also feature interviews with big names from across the music industry, including Pete Waterman, Tulisa, MNEK, Clara Amfo, Andy McCluskey and Scott Mills.
Louis Theroux, one of the executive producers alongside his wife Nancy Strang, said: “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of making this wonderful series. I well remember when the Spice Girls, Eternal and All Saints burst on the scene in the 90s. It was a special time in pop music and British culture generally. Then in their wake came a parade of girl bands, made up of girls who were all in different ways beautiful, talented and often very funny. Going back and rediscovering all that music and those videos and the interviews they did has been an absolute pleasure.
“There was pain behind the music, too, and as is so often the case there was price to be paid for that level of young fame. But mainly we wanted this to be a celebration of a time of very special music and talent.”
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Jonathan Rothery, Head of BBC Popular Music TV, added: “Following the fantastic, headline-grabbing Boybands Forever series from Louis Theroux and Nancy Strang at Mindhouse, the focus now turns to the stories of some of the UK’s most influential girl groups. Girlbands Forever promises a nostalgic trip through that time in pop music history, as well as an exploration into the truth of being a young woman thrust into the spotlight, the lived experiences and the lessons learnt.”
The three-part documentary Boybands Forever, which revisited the success of boy bands including Take That, East 17 and Westlife, was praised by critics and viewers alike.
It highlighted the pressures faced by the young men in these groups, with East 17’s Tony Mortimer telling NME shortly after: “I was always asking for a break, but I never got one. I only needed six weeks off, but it went on and on and became a bit much. You were told to keep working with the threat that if you don’t do it, the whole thing will stop so you had that hanging over your head, thinking: ‘Well, I can’t be selfish and stop this for everyone because I need a break and I’m burning out’.”
The first episode, which focused on Take That and East 17, prompted Robbie Williams to pen an open letter to Take That’s former manager Nigel Martin-Smith over claims the latter made in the documentary. Williams, who also appeared in the doc, hit back following claims Martin-Smith made about his drug addiction.
The second episode explored the careers of Five, who head out on their first tour in 25 years in October this year, as well as 911 and Damage, while the third focused on Blue and Westlife.
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