Fame and fortune was lavished on pop stars of the 1990s, but some buckled under the pressures of being in the spotlight.
Going from a nobody to a somebody was a big leap for many, and several high profile stars have ended up going off the rails after being given too much cash - and too much fame - too soon.
Robbie Williams has previously spoken of how his stardom had a devastating impact on his life, leading to stints in rehab, drug and alcohol addictions, and almost near-fatal overdoses.
He’s managed to turn his life around, and said he struggled to cope with being “ridiculously famous” after shooting to fame in the boyband Take That.
Here, we take a look at the singers who have had their lives plagued by the pressures of fame…
Mark Owen
He was the baby-faced member of the hugely successful boyband Take That, who shot to global superstardom after releasing their first single in 1991, and enjoyed a string of hits, including It Only Takes A Minute, Babe, Relight My Fire and Pray.
The band split in 1996 following the departure of Robbie Williams, and reunited as a foursome in 2006, but despite their success, it was Mark’s personal life that hit the headlines in the late 2000s.
In 2010, he confessed to a serious drink problem, and said that had contributed to him being unfaithful to wife Emma for years, confessing to sleeping with 10 women.
Mark said he was “deeply sorry” for the affairs, including one with Neva Hanley which lasted for four years, and ended just one month before he tied the knot with Emma, the mother of his two children.
“I'm so deeply sorry for the pain my actions have caused my family and friends,” he said at the time, as it emerged he had also sent his mistress cheques totalling £12,000 in one year alone.
A few weeks after his infidelity was exposed, Mark went to rehab to tackle his booze problems, and he and Emma have stayed together, with the couple celebrating their 12-year wedding anniversary.
Lee Ryan
The talented singer was part of the boyband quarter Blue, who enjoyed a hugely successful career between 2000 and 2005, even getting the chance to release a single with music icon, Sir Elton John.
But after Lee parted ways with his bandmates Antony Costa, Simon Webb and Duncan James, the former heartthrob struggled to adjust to life as a solo artist.
He tried to reignite his career by signing up for Celebrity Big Brother in 2014, but he came away looking like a love rat after he was caught in an awkward love triangle with fellow celebs Jasmine Waltz and Casey Batchelor.
Lee had a brief romance with Jasmine in the house, but when she was evicted, he made a move on Casey, but both were mortified when Jasmine made a surprise return.
The singer sadly began to struggle with depression, and said he suffered a breakdown after splitting from his partner Samantha Miller, the mother of his son Rayn.
He confessed to drinking two bottles of whisky a day to “numb the pain” of his heartbreak, but gave up the booze when he appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2018, and even reportedly enjoyed a brief romance with his dance partner Nadiya Bychkova.
But after being voted off in week three, Lee was back drinking, and he told The Sun he still struggles to stay sober.
Sadly, he declared bankruptcy in 2015, and last year, he claimed he had no money to pay a £1,500 fine.
Paul Cattermole
The former S Club 7 star left the band at the height of their fame in 2002 over “creative differences'' with his band members, including Jo O’Meara and Rachel Stevens.
But he was later left struggling for cash after quitting the limelight, and was eventually forced to sell the BRIT Awards he won while in the hugely successful pop band - Best Single in 2002, and Best Newcomer in 2000 - and told bidders on eBay : “Grab yourself a bargain!”
Paul confessed he needed to sell the priceless gongs because he was “skint” and there were “bills to pay”, and listed them for £65,000 each.
In 2021, it was reported he had begun a new career on YouTube as a tarot card reader, and encouraged fans to sign up to his channel, Tarot Me This.
AJ McLean
The Backstreet Boys singer has been open about his battle with the booze, and said he was addicted to alcohol for 20 years before a comment from his daughter prompted him to take action once and for all.
In 2001, he said his bandmates Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson and Howard Dorough staged an intervention after becoming concerned about AJ’s health.
“They basically broke into my house, and they dumped ice water on me while I was passed out in my bed,” AJ told Good Morning America.
The singer confessed he was “never sober” during the darkest periods of his addiction, and in 2019, he decided to go on one last trip to Las Vegas to put it all behind him after indulging in secret drinking sessions behind his wife’s back.
But he sparked concern when he missed his flight home, and when he finally returned, he was scolded by his young daughter Lyric.
“You don’t smell like my daddy,” she told him, prompting AJ to finally kick his addiction.
Nick Carter
The youngest member of the Backstreet Boys was prompted to give up the booze after almost dying from a heart condition, following years of drink and drink abuse.
He went off the rails following the American boyband’s stratospheric rise to fame in the 1990s, and he confessed he “did ecstasy, cocaine and drank a large bottle of vodka a night”.
He blames his depression on the drink and drug binges in his heyday, and his addiction led to him gaining weight.
Nick was arrested for driving under the influence in 2005, and a year after attending rehab, the singer was back on the booze.
But, he had a health scare after one heavy night - admitting he had downed 20 shots - and woke up thinking he was having a heart attack.
The incident prompted him to be diagnosed with the potentially fatal condition cardiomyopathy, and he decided to kick his booze and drug habits.
Farrah Franklin
The singer was part of the second Destiny’s Child line-up, alongside Kelly Rowland and Beyonce Knowles.
Farrah joined the girl group along with Michelle Williams, with the new members replacing original singers LaTavia Roberson and LeToya Luckett.
However, she quit the group in 2000, and was not replaced, leaving the trio to enjoy huge superstardom as a group and as solo artists.
Since leaving Destiny’s Child, Farrah has been arrested numerous times, and in 2011, she was held by cops for disorderly conduct, and again in 2014.
Two years later, she was arrested and charged for public intoxication and marijuana possession, after she was found having an argument with a man outside a gym at 3am.
When quizzed by police officers, Farrah told them she hadn’t drunk enough, and was too broke to pay her $250 bail fine.
However, in recent years she’s ditched the booze, and now works as a fitness influencer on Instagram.
