At the beginning of his career, Paul Cattermole was a bright-eyed pop star who couldn't believe his luck living out his dream.
Now, on the brink of a comeback, and extra dates added to the reunion tour after phenomenal demand, Paul sadly passed away.
Similar to many young stars, Paul was whisked up in the rigid scheduling, constant travelling, and whirlwind of interviews, performances and parties.
However, once the S Club 7 days were over, he was left with an empty diary and no reason to get up in the morning. Overnight, he went from not having a second to think to all the time in the world stretching out in front of him.
As Ritchie Neville, from S Club’s contemporaries 5ive explained: “It was like strapping ourselves to a rocket and being dropped back down to earth five years later.”
For the ones who made money and were sensible with it, at least that anxiety is removed, but that doesn’t mean life is necessarily any happier or more fulfilling, reports the Mirror.
At the height of their success – 10 million albums sold worldwide, their TV show watched by 90 million viewers in over 100 countries – only Fuller was signed to the record label, with S Club 7 themselves classed as “affiliates”. Paul later described it as, “the worst situation to be in”.
“It’s not a fair way of doing things,” he said. “If you’re making 20-year-old kids work every single day of the week, you’ve got to make sure they’re paid well.”
Following his success, Paul was forced to sell his Brit Award on eBay to pay his tax bill, highlighting the struggles he experienced.
He then appeared on Loose Women to discuss his financial situation wearing a shirt they’d had to buy for him due to his money issues.
The S Club legend, who tragically died at the age of 46, made a kind act of returning the top he was given by TV bosses after they provided him with a smart black long-sleeved top so he could entertain fans and speak about his life.
Production expected the singer - who was 41 at the time - to keep the shirt, but Paul kindly decided to leave it behind - and took to Twitter afterwards to explain why, reports the Mirror.
Paul heartbreakingly explained that he didn't want anyone to think that he was stealing the shirt.
At the time, he tweeted: "Thanks to all the Ladies @loosewomen thanks for being so nice. I left the shirt in the dressing room. Just in case you though I had pilfered it."
Fans rushed to support Paul after his admission, reassuring him that he was brave to talk about his money troubles after the success of S Club 7.
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