S Club 7's manager has paid tribute to Paul Cattermole following his unexpected death, describing him as “a beacon of light for a generation of pop music fans".
Simon Fuller, who managed the pop group during their 90s success, was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the news and that the singer would be “greatly missed”.
The 46 year-old was found dead at his Dorset home, his family and the pop group confirmed. News of his untimely passing comes after S Club 7 confirmed a reunion tour to mark the band's 25th anniversary.
All original members, including Paul, announced they would be reuniting after a 20 year break. In a statement shared with the PA news agency, Mr Fuller said: “Paul was a beacon of light for a generation of pop music fans and he will be greatly missed.
“We’re all deeply shocked and saddened by this news”.
The seven-piece pop group was created by former Spice Girls manager Fuller in 1998, and were known for hit songs including Reach, Don’t Stop Movin’ and their debut track Bring It All Back.
Cattermole was dating bandmate Hannah Spearritt when he left S Club 7 in 2002 after four years to embark on a solo career. In a statement shared with PA, his family and the band said the singer’s cause of death was currently unknown but that police had confirmed there were “no suspicious circumstances”.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of our beloved son and brother Paul Cattermole,” the statement read. “Paul was found yesterday, 6th April 2023 at his home in Dorset and was pronounced dead later that afternoon.
“While the cause of death is currently unknown, Dorset Police has confirmed that there were no suspicious circumstances. Paul’s family, friends and fellow members of S Club request privacy at this time.”
S Club 7 disbanded in 2003 before returning to the spotlight with a medley of their best-known songs for a 2014 BBC Children In Need appeal.
In February this year they announced on BBC’s The One Show that they would be embarking on an 11-date arena tour, with the first show on October 13 in Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena, set to feature all original members of the band.
Other dates include shows in Dublin, Glasgow, Newcastle and Manchester.
Among those paying tribute to Cattermole was television presenter and DJ Vernon Kay, who said the singer “always had time for a chat” and the news was “so very sad”.
Kay, who will take over Ken Bruce’s Radio 2 slot later this year, wrote on Twitter: “From when I first started in TV all the way through CBBC, T4, TOTP, smash hits poll winners Paul and (S Club) were always there.”
Broadcaster Lorraine Kelly wrote that she was “struck” during her interviews with Cattermole by “how gentle and shy” he was in person. The 63-year-old host of ITV’s Lorraine chat show added she had been “looking forward” to the band’s reunion.
Following his stint as a solo artist, Cattermole became a member of the spin-off group S Club Allstars, previously S Club 3, with Bradley McIntosh and Jo O’Meara before Tina Barrett was added to the line-up in 2014.
The band was also known for the BBC children TV shows Miami 7 and LA 7, which saw them play fictionalised versions of themselves in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
In 2018, Cattermole said he regretted “in a way” putting his Brit Award, which he won with his then-bandmates for best newcomer in 2000, up for sale online after struggling to find work due to a back injury.
He told ITV’s Loose Women he was hoping the eBay bidding, which reached more than £66,000, would be done “quietly”.
The singer said the halting of his pop career had made him consider applying for a job in a shop, and he was “cool with delivering pizza”.
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