Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Hana Carter

Where are the noughties one-hit wonders now? From drug addiction to being 'poisoned'

Noughties pop sensation Nelly Furtado was branded "unrecognisable" by her fans after she was spotted on the red carpet.

Despite the Say It Right singer being one of the biggest names in the early 2000s, she is one of many living a completely different life now.

It must be a tough adjustment to leave a life of fame and fortune for a quieter lifestyle - but for some it may have been a blessing in disguise.

We take a look at some of the brightest stars who struggled to shine after the Millennium.

Nelly Furtado pictured in 2001, when her career was booming (Matt Baron/BEI/REX/Shutterstock)
She took a break from the spotlight and focused on charity work instead (Getty Images)

Daniel Powter

Is there anyone who doesn't know the song "Bad Day"? Probably not.

Daniel's hit single was everywhere in 2005, but he struggled to keep the momentum up.

The Canadian singer released another single Next Plane Home in 2008 which peaked at number 70 in the UK charts.

The 51-year-old still performs now, but opened up about his struggles with drugs and alcohol.

Daniel Powter's track 'Bad Day' became a huge hit but he struggled to keep up the momentum (Publicity Free Pic)
Daniel spoke openly about his battles with drug addiction (instagram.com/dpowtermusic)

He sought comfort in drugs after he was abused as a child, and spoke about his experience on Channel WUSA9: "I thought that [addiction] was my problem. But it wasn't. That was my solution.

"It wasn't until I started digging in, taking a look at myself, saying I gotta work on some stuff (that) I don't want to look at (that I figured it out)".

He didn't name his abuser, but he said that he was molested from the age of seven.

Blu Cantrell was taken into police custody after she suffered a breakdown where she claimed she had been poisoned (PA)

Blu Cantrell

American singer and song writer Blu Cantrell is still working in the industry, despite battling mental health demons.

The star, who teamed up with Sean Paul to release their UK number one track 'Breathe', was taken to police custody in 2014.

She was spotted screaming in the street that "someone had poisoned her with gas" and called herself a "one-hit-wonder".

She performed at the O2 arena in 2020 with Kisstory's Blast Off Tour (Redferns)

Blu was hospitalised and monitored by doctors.

She appeared on NBC's Celebrity Circus in 2008 and in 2020 she performed at London's O2 Arena.

Nelly Furtado

Nelly became an instant star after she released her track "I Am Like A Bird" in 2000.

In 2006 she took a step out of the limelight after she suffered a nervous breakdown.

"I had a nervous breakdown on stage," she told the Daily Mail in 2017. "I was on the Loose tour [2007] and my daughter was with me – I was being a mum and a singer on the road. I was exhausted."

Nelly has a daughter who appears to have followed in her footsteps (Startraks/REX/Shutterstock)
Fans said how different she looked now after taking a break from performing (Getty Images)

"Then one night I went on stage and I suddenly realised how stressed out I was. I actually cried my way through the first two songs.

"I took a break from music and went home. And I realised that being at home and having the whole family experience was what I was seeking."

In that time, she spent a lot of time travelling and also did charity work with Save The Children.

Now 43, she is reportedly recording new music in Colombia and in December will be taking to the stage at Beyond The Valley music festival in Australia.

Daphne and Celeste were booed when they performed at Reading Festival (Instagram)

Daphne and Celeste

The US duo behind the tracks U.G.L.Y and Ooh Stick You were dropped by their record label in 2001.

In 2015, the pair tried to make a comeback and were booked to play at Reading festival, but were met by unimpressed fans.

After a last minute reshuffle, they stepped onto a stage in front of tens of thousands of people who were expecting to see Blink-182.

They were met by boos and had bottles, litter and even a wheelchair thrown at them.

The American pop duo made waves in the early 2000s (Getty Images)
The duo during their disastrous Reading Festival performance in 2000 (Redferns)

Daphne, whose real name is Karen DiConcetto, is now a TV writer and producer.

She is married, lives in Los Angeles and has a son called Samir.

Celeste Cruz enjoyed a brief stint of acting, where she appeared in 30 Rock, and is now married and also has a son called Leif.

Booty Luv

Cherise Roberts and Nadia Shepherd formed Booty Luv in 2005 and their hit Boogie 2nite soared to number one in the UK dance charts.

Their cover of Don't Mess with My Man in 2007 also made it to the top of the dance charts and reached number 11 on the top 40.

Their last single was released in 2013, but they still perform together.

One True Voice

They lost out to Girls Allowed on Popstars: The Rivals in 2002 but kept going as a band until 2003.

It appeared to be a bit of a messy split, after band member Jamie Shaw said he was "over the moon" about it.

After leaving the band, Jamie ended up working as a publicity assistant for BBC's Doctor Who.

He then worked as a personal assistant for The Great British Bake Off star Matt Lucas.

Fellow band member Daniel Pearce has been a backing singer for Dizzee Rascal and also released a remix of Kanye West's Bound 2 with DJ Sigma.

One True Voice (left-right) Daniel Pearce, Keith Semple, Anton Gordon, Matthew Johnson and Jamie Shaw (PA)

Des'ree

Desirée Annette Weekes made a name for herself with her track Life, but had to take a step back from music after suffering from an under-active thyroid.

She went back to her record company Sony to restart her career, but was turned down.

She then walked away from the industry and retrained as a nutritionist and naturopath.

In 2019 she released a new album A Love Story, which didn't make it into the charts.

Desirée Annette Weekes had to take a step back from performing due to health concerns (ex)
She made a come back with a new album in 2019 but it failed to make the charts (instagram.com/desreeofficial)

The 411

The British girlband who formed in 2003, announced that they were reuniting in 2021 for a one off gig at Mighty Hoopla in 2022.

Suzie Furlonger had to leave the band for a second time after they made a return due to commitments as a backing singer.

The vocalist has performed alongside Take That, Kelly Rowland and Cliff Richard.

She tried out for The X Factor in 2008, but didn't make it to the finals.

(Getty Images)

Tanya Boniface married 70-year-old singer Peabo Bryson, who is known for singing Disney's Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast soundtracks.

They had a son together, but in 2019 Peabo suffered a heart attack - which he survived.

Carolyn Owlett went into PR and is now an associate media director at PR agency Push.

Tisha Monique Martin still makes music and released a new single this week.

Carolyn Owlett now works in PR (instagram.com/cazzarazza411)
Tanya married 70-year-old singer Peabo Bryson (instagram.com/tanyabryson411)

Samantha Mumba

Samantha Mumba stepped into the public eye when she was just 17-years-old.

The Irish singer-songwriter released Gotta Tell You in 2000, which was followed by Baby Come Over.

In 2002 she gave acting a go and landed an appearance in the film The Time Machine.

Samantha is now a radio DJ in Ireland (Corbis via Getty Images)

Do you enjoy reading about celebrities? Sign up for all the best celeb news from the Mirror here .

After heading back into music, she struggled to hit the same level of success.

She is now a presenter on Dublin radio station 98FM.

Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at webcelebs@mirror.co.uk or call us direct 0207 29 33033.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.