'We weren’t wearing much': Aussie popstar remembers Bardot's TV-curated fame

As 1 of the archetypal popular stars curated done Australian world TV, vocalist Belinda Chapple recalls having nary thought what she was getting herself successful for astir 25 years ago, erstwhile she said yes to becoming a subordinate of miss set sensation, Bardot.

“There was nary reality television to spell connected oregon recognize really what we’d signed up for,” she told Stuff following the merchandise of her caller book, The Girl successful the Band.

She was 25 erstwhile the world bid Popstars deed Australian screens successful 2000. The format was simple: Find 5 pistillate singers and dancers, crook them into a miss set and person the process play retired connected nationalist television.

It followed from New Zealand’s debut of the franchise, which resulted successful girl set True Bliss. It was a clip earlier immoderate Idols, X Factors oregon Got Talents existed.

From the Australian amusement came popular sensation Bardot. Chapple won her spot unneurotic with Sophie Monk, Chantelle Barry, Sally Polihronas and Katie Underwood. Barry was aboriginal replaced by Tiffani Wood aft allegedly being caught stealing.

Their debut single, Poison, changeable consecutive to fig 1 successful Australia. The self-titled medium released the pursuing week followed suit.

Chapple’s publication astir the Popstars sojourn comes much than 2 decades, 1 eating disorder, plentifulness of heartbreak and an aggravated enactment docket aft she heard astir the bid successful a mag advertisement. It’s tipped as, “Bardot – a cautionary tale”.

When asked if she regrets signing the declaration - which gave the women conscionable a $35 a time stipend, and included a clause restricting the women from having their value alteration - she pauses for a moment, exhales a drawn out, “um” and settles on, “no”.

She would, “obviously” bash it each again if fixed the accidental of a do-over.

She says determination were plentifulness of affirmative experiences, and arsenic a performer, it was a “dream”. It’s just, “sad” that, “there were antagonistic sides".

Those cons were each laid retired successful the easy-to-digest book. One of the large ones was that contract, which meant the young women saw nary profits from the chart-topping releases oregon the galore gigs played (she’s heard “through the grapevine” that world popular prima contracts are still, “pretty overmuch the same”).

There were countless appearances and afloat schedules. Relationships failed, assurance was knocked and – 2 and a fractional years aft debuting connected Australian screens – a gathering was called wherever the radical was unceremoniously forced to disband.

Chapple auditioned for the world bid successful 1999 and (while cameras watched) made the last radical of 10. Once contracts were signed and the set of 5 was formed, the women had to unrecorded unneurotic successful the three-bedroom house, distant from their partners and family, for the duration of the filming.

It each took its toll connected Chapple’s intelligence wellness and assemblage image. She developed an eating upset during her clip with the group, who says with the instant fame came scrutiny.

“And you’re perpetually being photographed. Wherever you spell radical are staring astatine you. It’s a large happening connected your intelligence health.”

They also, “weren’t wearing much,” says Chapple.

“Everything was retired determination for everyone to see. We did a batch of FHM (For Him Magazine) ... which [was] truly large astatine the clip ... You had to beryllium beauteous brave to bash what we did. And we were.”

Looking backmost decades later, Chapple says her biggest acquisition from the acquisition was “not to beryllium truthful trusting”.

Towards the extremity of the book, she elaborate the time she and the different set members were pulled into a gathering with manager David Caplice, who informed the women the band’s clip had travel to an end. According to the publication helium had already acceptable Monk’s solo vocation successful motion.

“I couldn’t adjacent perceive to euphony anymore [after Bardot],” says Chapple who says the acquisition momentarily stripped her of her “raw passion” of euphony and performing.

She hasn’t spoken to Monk successful a long-time, but says determination is nary ill-will towards her erstwhile bandmate.

“I privation Sophie each the best. I haven’t seen her, but it’s kinda similar talking astir idiosyncratic from school.

“There’s nary atrocious blood, it’s different beingness ago.”