Before Wednesday night’s show at Cardiff’s International Arena, the OfficialHope.com caught up with the girls backstage to find out all the latest goings on in their lives.
OfficialHope: Hi girls, first of all a question to all of you. You are now 20 shows into your 27-show tour, what has the tour been like overall?
Raquelle: Well I just cannot put this experience into words. This time last year I was uploading a few songs I had recorded onto my MySpace, and then last Sunday I was singing in front of 16,000 people live on stage at the O2 Arena!
Phoebe: The TV show was really something performing to a live audience every Saturday, but the tour is like a whole new level!
Emily: Yeah, I never thought I would be able to sing live in front of so many people, but once we’re all up there we support each other on stage, that’s what is so good about being in a group.
Charlie: During the TV show we all became really good friends but the tour has just brought us so much closer together, we really do know the ins and outs of each other’s lives now! I couldn’t think of any 4 other people that I would rather be spending this amount of time with than these girls!
[A big ’ahhh’ from the group]
Charlie: Although I would have loved to bring Jack along as well!
OfficialHope: Phoebe, Leah and Raquelle, you all live in and around London, what was it like performing to a home crowd at The O2 Arena?
Leah: It was amazing! The crowd were fantastic. It’s an experience I am sure I will never ever forget. Every concert is beyond belief but performing in my home town made me realise how much all of us really had achieved.
Phoebe: Performing at The O2 was definitely one of the highlights of the tour. It’s such a great venue and it was the biggest crowd of the tour so far so it was a challenge for everyone, but it all went absolutely fine and we all enjoyed it so much.
OfficialHope: Charlie, I bet little Jack can’t wait to see his mum again?
Charlie: I know, he’s been so good with me being away for so long but we’ve been on the phone nearly every day and my mum has done a great job of looking after him! Less than two weeks until mummy’s home now Jack!
OfficialHope: Emily, you’re the only one of the group that didn’t have a show near to your hometown, did your friends and family manage to come and watch you?
Emily: I know I think they forgot about the South-West of the country! My Mum has been to a couple of shows already and a few of my friends from Torquay are coming down to Bournemouth this weekend for my Birthday, and they’re coming to see the show on Sunday, I cannot wait!
OfficialHope: Well Happy Birthday for Sunday! 18 at last?
Emily: Yes, finally 18! Last year really was a rollercoaster of a year and I’m hoping this one will be just as exciting!
OfficialHope: Finally, the question on everybody’s lips at the moment, what are your plans after the tour?
Raquelle: Well we have some studio time booked for April, so straight after the tour we will be concentrating on working on some new songs of our own! Which we are all so excited about!
Leah: Yeah we can’t wait, there’s going to be no rest for us for sure! As well as working on the new material we also have many gigs booked all around the UK for the months following the tour. I’m preparing myself for another very busy year!
OfficialHope: Right girls, I know you have to go and get ready so thank you very much for your time! Good luck for tonight!