Hear'Say might have been the actual winners of 2001 TV singing contest Popstars, but it was runners up Liberty X who went on to dominate the charts.
Bandmates Michelle Heaton, Tony Lundon, Kevin Simm, Kelli Young and Jessica Taylor sold three million records worldwide and had seven top 10 singles from 2001 to 2005 including Just a Little, Thinking it Over, Got to Have Your Love.
Their debut album, Thinking It Over, reached number three in the UK albums chart in 2002, but the band was dropped by its record label amid dwindling sales in 2004 before splitting for good in 2007.
So what have the stars been up to in 15 years since? From heartbreaking booze battles to celebrity marriages and the secret talent behind some of One Direction and Little Mix's music, here's what came next for Liberty X...
Jessica Taylor
Jessica enjoyed success on the fourth series of Dancing on Ice which saw her land a place on Torvill and Dean's 25th Anniversary Bolero Tour.
She appeared on the Weakest Link in 2006; The Chase in 2013 and also Hole in the Wall.
Now 42, Jess Taylor became Jessica Pietersen when she married former England cricketer Kevin Pieterson at Castle Combe, Wiltshire, in 2007.
Their son Dylan Blake Pietersen was born in May 2010, followed by daughter Rosie in December 2015.
Kevin was axed from the team after alleged infighting back in 2014, and at the time he said the change had saved his marriage.
“England did me a favour in sacking me in 2014 because it has helped me with my relationship with my kids no end. I didn’t want to be a lousy dad," he told The Sun at the time.
“Jess has been a rock to me but we’ve had tough times. People don’t understand the pressure that goes on between the four walls of home when it’s all going wrong, like it did for me on a daily basis for a year.
“We’ve put up with a hell of a lot while I was playing for England.
“That massive fallout I had with England raised my profile and assisted and enabled me to turn a bad thing into a good thing. People think, ‘cricket, cricket, cricket’. Well, stuff cricket. It means that what Jess and the kids have now is so special. I’ve got such a wonderful life. I wouldn’t want to be back on that England treadmill. It becomes monotonous.”
Kelli and Michelle were bridesmaids at Jess' wedding and they remain friends to this day.
Kelli Young
Kelli, 40, married Triple 8 singer Iain James before welcoming their twins in 2012.
The star from Derby was forced to deny rumours of a rift with Michelle when she and Jessica formed 80s inspired group Danger Minx alone in 2006.
"Michelle was fully aware of the project - but she's doing her own thing. She also lives in Ireland now as well, so it wouldn't have been practical," she told Take 5 magazine.
"I'm really looking forward to the next step. It's all guns blazing for Danger Minx."
Kelli - who is a recurring panelist on Loose Women - reunited with Liberty X for ITV2 series called The Big Reunion in 2013.
And her husband Iain is a successful songwriter who has penned tracks for the likes of Little Mix, One Direction and Leona Lewis. He also co-wrote the number one hit, Read All About It, by Professor Green and Emeli Sandé.
Tony Lundon
The 43 year old from Galway presented a quiz series called TOAST in Ireland before moving to New York in 2010 to study film.
He set up his own company called The Cell Productions and started helping celebrities such as Ed Sheeran and Jamie Laing from Made in Chelsea establish their YouTube channels.
He married girlfriend Kelly Ann Leatham in December 2010 at Ballintubber Abbey in County Mayo and they have three children - Leo, born in April 2012, and twins Rioghan and Max, born in February 2013.
Kelly went into labour during rehearsals for the Big Reunion, forcing Tony to miss a few sessions.
Kevin Simm
Chorley singer Kevin, 41, quit showbusiness to become a wedding photographer.
But he made a comeback in 2016 when he auditioned for The Voice and went on to win the series after being mentored by Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs.
He released a solo album and had a UK hit with the single All You Good Friends.
Then in 2017, Scottish group Wet Wet Wet got in touch while looking for a replacement for lead singer Marti Pellow. He is now a permanent band member.
Kevin married wife Laura in 2008 and they have two sons, Charles and Oliver.
Michelle Heaton
Michelle, who turned 43 today, has had a rough ride.
In 2012, she underwent a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction after learning she has the BRCA2 gene mutation that increases her risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
Then last year she spent a month at The Priory after her alcoholism almost cost her her life. Upon entering the rehab facility, tests showed her liver was severely damaged and a therapist told her, "We didn’t know if you were going to make it."
Michelle - who has children Faith, 10, and AJ Hanley, seven with husband Hugo Hanley - said that at her lowest point, she would wake up and head straight to the local off-license to buy vodka instead of taking her kids to school.
Michelle had been drinking heavily for a several years, but the end of 2019 and all throughout 2020, the star hit rock bottom and would consume two bottles of wine and a bottle of vodka in less than 24 hours.
She said: "I would always promise myself this was the last time I was going to drink or use cocaine. But I’d wake up with the fear of it not being there and have to buy more vodka."
She has described addiction as like having an affair, with her once saying: "I was in love with alcohol. There's the sneaking around, the lies. It's protection of your addiction."
Things came to a head after a massive bender landed her in hospital in December 2020 and Michelle remains happily sober.
Frank offers confidential advice about drugs and addiction (email frank@talktofrank.com, message 82111 or call 0300 123 6600) or the NHS has information about getting help.
