Compared to sugary sweet Spice Girls and TV-generated Girls Aloud, Sugababes were the edgy, bad girls of early 2000s UK girl bands. Their R&B-infused efforts stood out as more sophisticated and mature than their counterparts, with hits like ‘Round Round’ and 'Overload' defining a new kind of British pop.

What the band did suffer from however was three lineup changes that eventually ousted the original members, and regular headlines in tabloid newspapers for alleged bullying and infighting. Even now the group is back together and heading out on tour, social media comment sections are still filled with cries of “where’s Heidi?”

So let’s set the record straight. Who are the members of Sugababes, what actually happened, and where are they now? Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about the interesting history of the Sugababes, and how to snag VIP tickets to their 2025 tour dates.

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Siobhán Donaghy

We’ll forgive you for not remembering Siobhán from Sugababes’ first album, considering she left the group in 2001, however since the original members reunited she’s actually one of the members that have been in the group the longest. Siobhán and Mutya met as teenagers after being signed as solo artists to First Access Entertainment, and with the addition of Keisha they formed the original Sugababes lineup.

Siobhán’s voice is integral to their debut song ‘Overload’ (she sang the whole first verse) and the 2000 One Touch album in general, contributing lyrics and vocals. Unfortunately Siobhán exited the group on a press tour in Japan in 2001, which was swiftly followed by rumours that she’d fled out of a bathroom window, or that school friends Mutya and Keisha bullied her out.

It’s clear that Siobhán cared about the music, as she later released two solo albums Revolution In Me (2003) and Ghosts (2007) with a similar smooth, R&B-pop sound. Ever since the Sugababes reformed as Mutya Keisha Siobhán in 2012 she’s been all-in, and it finally paid off when the girls got the right to the Sugababes name in 2019.

Mutya Buena

If Sugababes stood out for their nonchalant, ‘bad girl’ personas, Mutya Buena was the poster girl for their edgy look. Her signature thin eyebrows, dark hair and Monroe piercing gave her a cool girl vibe, especially evident in music videos for ‘Freak Like Me’ and ‘Round Round.’

Mutya was an original Sugababes member, staying with the group through four albums and Siobhán’s departure, until December 2005 when she bowed out after the release of the single ‘Ugly.’ She cited wanting to spend more time with her daughter as her reason, but her loss was felt as it seemed the group was slowly losing its alternative look, settling for safe pop hits to maintain chart status. 

She did achieve success as a solo artist, with ‘Song 4 Mutya’ and ‘Real Girl’ reaching the top 10 in the UK, and even releasing ‘B Boy Baby’ featuring Amy Winehouse, a clear inspiration for Mutya’s look. But, it was Mutya that first filed for the original members to get rights to the Sugababes name, showing that all along she clearly missed being in the group.

Keisha Buchanan

Keisha is the last of the three original members, and is the longest serving. She was originally brought into the studio by Mutya, as the two were friends from school, and she immediately fell right into place to complete the trio. Keisha’s vocals are distinctive and, arguably, are what makes Sugababes’ sound.

One of Sugababes’ most commercially successful hits, ‘Push The Button,’ was based on a crush Keisha had on a guy she kept seeing in the elevator. Along with producer and songwriter Dallas Austin, the two conceived her iconic spoken bridge. Sugababes is Keisha’s baby, and she survived three lineup changes to continually contribute lyrics and lead vocals on songs.

When Keisha was eventually ousted from Sugababes the UK was up in arms. Tabloids rang the death knoll for the band when Jade Ewen was flown in to take her place, reporting that Sugababes had officially lost its alternative, R&B sound that had captivated the country in the first place. Even if it started as a happy accident, Keisha is integral to the group.

Heidi Range

The year was 2002. Siobhán had (apparently) just escaped the band Lara Croft-style via bathroom window. The future of the Sugababes was looking uncertain. Enter Heidi Range in the ‘Freak Like Me’ music video, appearing in a dark and dingy club and getting hazed by Mutya and Keisha before eventually being accepted into the group.

Heidi was there for the biggest successes of the group, including major singles ‘Push The Button,’ ‘Round Round,’ and ‘About You Now,’ and stayed till the bitter end in 2011. Most people grew up remembering Heidi as part of the group, and were therefore surprised Sugababes’ reunion did not include her.

However, Heidi has been nothing but supportive of the original girls, as much as some tabloids would love another classic Sugababes fall-out to report on. While she has performed at the odd charity event or theatre production, she is more focused on being a mother to her two daughters.

Amelle Berrabah

Amelle was added to the lineup after Mutya’s departure, and she had some big knee high boots to fill. She did this by entering the stage on the song ‘Red Dress’ and the incredibly iconic Comic Relief charity single ‘Walk This Way’ featuring Girls Aloud. Not a bad start, especially when trust in the group was beginning to wane, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing for her.

A couple of arrests in 2007 and 2008 had her labelled as the ‘bad girl’ of the group, a little too far compared to the more nonchalant attitude of earlier iterations of Sugababes. While charges were dropped, it didn’t help the band’s image, and the subsequent Catfights and Spotlights album was their worst performing yet.

There was a lot of unrest between members and management in the final days of Sugababes, unfortunately leading Amelle to develop nervous exhaustion. After a break from that environment, she does still perform Sugababes songs as a solo artist and has been “supportive from afar” according to Keisha.

Jade Ewen

Poor Jade. An eleventh hour addition after Keisha was removed, she didn’t stand a chance against tabloid and fan backlash. She was plucked from the top 5 on 2009’s Eurovision Song Contest and hastily placed on a plane to Los Angeles to pick up the pieces of the Sweet 7 album.

This was in 2009, and it wasn’t long until the group ceased activities in 2011. Jade had been working on a solo album which was quickly scrapped before she joined the group, and fans assumed she’d resume recording, but the project never materialised. Justice for ‘My Man,’ which reached number 35 on the UK charts.

Jade seems to have kept a low profile in the years since, taking a few acting roles in theatre productions such as In the Heights on the West End and Princess Jasmine in the musical Aladdin, but isn’t often included in discussions about an alternate Sugababes reunion.

Get Sugababes tickets

Finally working under their original name, OG members Keisha, Mutya, and Siobhán are touring the UK this April to bring fans Sugababes’ biggest hits and brand-new single, ‘Jungle’! VIP Sugababes tickets are still available for shows in Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, and Newcastle!

Get premium seating with the best views of the stage, access to hospitality lounges, and complimentary food and drink, to dance the night away in style to Sugababes’ top songs. It’s not too late to book your place now.

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