A court battle and bullying claims: Where are the members of Sugababes now?

The Sugababes are heading to Australia for their first ever official tour and will headline this year's Sydney Mardi Gras on February 25.

Twenty-five years since the launch of the OG line up that included best friends Mutya Buena and Keisha Buchanan with Siobhán Donaghy, the Sugababes are well and truly back on top of their game.

Before they arrive here in Australia, we wanted to take a look back at the Sugababes over the years and see what each of the member's (including the three later additions to the group) have been up to.

Watch: The OG Sugababes perform on NYE in 2022. Post continues below.

When Sugababes formed in 1998 thanks in part to All Saints band manager Ron Tom, singers Siobhan Donaghy and Mutya Buena were just 13 years old and Keisha Buchanan was only a year older. Their first single 'Overload' reached the top 10 around the world enjoying both commercial and critical success.

Recalling this whirlwind time, Buena said she wishes she had been able to enjoy it more.

"We were in the studio at the age of 12, got signed at the age of 14, and then our first number one; so everything was happening so quick," Buena said on the podcast Killing it

"By the age of 16, I was practically living in Germany, always travelling back and forth. It was all very exciting, but I never got a chance to appreciate it."

By mid-2001, Siobhan Donaghy had left the band and was replaced by singer Heidi Range. At the time, she said it was to pursue a career in fashion but she later shared that she had struggled with depression.

"I didn't know what was wrong with me. I thought I was crazy. Going mad," Donaghy told The Guardian in 2003 as she prepared to launch her solo career.

"Even though I was obviously feeling low, I was left to fend for myself. No one gave two f*cks about me."

The OG Sugababes in 2000. Image: Getty.

Donaghy recorded and released two solo albums in 2003 and 2007, before performing in a musical theatre role in London and taking on office work at Storm Models.

In 2009, Donaghy spoke about being 'bullied' out of the band by Buchanan, but the women have since resolved any issues. Both Donaghy and Buchanan recently reflected about how difficult it was for Buchanan as the only Black member of the trio.

"Even as a teenager, it was obvious to me that the three of us were treated differently, especially in other countries," Donaghy said in 2021.

"Some people would only direct questions to me. It was awkward and obvious to me then what was at the heart of what was going on, but I didn't know how to address it then." 

Back in 2001 and with the new lineup of Buena, Buchanan and Range, the Sugababes enjoyed massive chart hits like 'Push The Button' and 'Too Lost In You', which famously featured on the Love Actually soundtrack. 

They released three multi-platinum albums: Angels with Dirty Faces (2002), Three (2003) and Taller in More Ways (2005) and were nominated for six Brit Awards. These huge successes alongside their four UK number one singles and six further top 10 charting singles made the Sugababes one of the biggest girl bands of all time. 

In 2005, six months after the birth of daughter Tahlia, then 19-year-old Buena quit the band, saying she was suffering from postnatal depression. She later recalled how her mental health really suffered during that time on the Killing It podcast.

"There was always a lot of pressure on the group side," Buena said.

"I didn’t know I had postnatal depression, I would turn up to the studio and I would be acting so weird. Everything annoyed me, I could go from zero to 100 in seconds. I used to think what is going on? But it was my anxiety, I didn’t realise I suffered with it for so long, I didn’t even know what it was. I was getting nervous and angry, emotionally, I was all over the place."

Sugababes 2.0 with Heidi Range. Image: Getty.

Buena was replaced by singer Amelle Berraba whose vocals first appeared on the song 'Red Dress' from the Taller in More Ways album. She is the only Sugababes member to have a number one hit outside of the band.

Finally, Buchanan, the last original member, left the Sugababes in September 2009 . She was replaced by Jade Ewen, Britain's entrant in the 2009 Eurovision song contest.

In a post to fans, Buchanan claimed it wasn’t her choice to go.  

"Dear friends," she wrote on Twitter, "I'm sad to say that I am no longer a part of the Sugababes. Although it was not my choice to leave, it's time to enter a new chapter in my life ... I would like to state that there were no arguments, bullying or anything of the sort that lead to this. Sometimes a breakdown in communication and lack of trust can result in many things."

"I've been in this band for 11 years and I have achieved so much. I have a great family and friends who are behind me 100 per cent and at the age of 24, I'm now going out into this world on my own."

Buchanan later explained how her experiences of systemic racism and always being cast as 'the bully' affected her career and mental health in a television interview. 

"I wanted to shine a light on fairness. It wasn't about painting myself as a victim – who isn't a cow when they're younger? But a Black kid making a mistake is not treated with the same punishment.

"The things I still have to deal with to this day is that perception led into the way I dealt with business and people as I got older, and I became a complete walkover."

Sugababes version 4.0 with Amelle Berrabah, Jade Ewen and Heidi Range. Image: Getty.

Between 2009 and 2011, the fourth line up of the Sugababes released a further two chart topping singles and album, but things slowly began to stall for the group, even after they signed with a new management team.

After Sugababes 4.0 essentially collapsed in 2011, Heidi Range appeared in a number of reality television shows and musical productions in the UK. She is now a mum to two young daughters born in 2018 and 2021 with husband Alex Partakis. Jade Ewen and Amelle Berraba also continued to take on work in theatre and reality TV.

In 2011, original band member Mutya Buena, who had been busy pursuing a solo career in between retraining as a child psychologist, went to court to win the rights to their name.

While the lengthy court battle raged on, the three original group members got back together, performing as 'Mutya Keisha Siobhan' or MKS. 

It was a twist in the unusual story of the Sugababes that has thrilled fans around the world.

"We're kind of stronger than ever," Donaghy, who has since had two children with husband Chris McCoy, said in a 2018 interview.

"Things were really difficult when we were teenagers. The vultures were out, it was new to us and relations were strained or whatever. Then we got back together and you've got to go through that full circle of almost like therapy of working out who you are now and what happened back then. We've done all that now.

"We all like each other and we like hanging out. It's so weird because Keisha to me is one of the funniest people I've ever met and seriously enjoy her company, as I do Mutya's."

Listen to The Spill, Mamamia's entertainment podcast. Post continues below. 

They eventually reclaimed their name in 2019. And in 2022, after years of hard work and a COVID-hiatus, the Sugababes relaunch went to the next level. 

The band released a new album that included previously unreleased material, Lost Tapes, and performed to massive crowds.

"What happened for us last year... there was just something in the air," Donaghy said recently in an interview with News.com.au.

"Everything was magical throughout the whole year. Every gig just got bigger, and it just kept snowballing. We weren’t doing anything different – we always just show up and give it our absolute best – but there was total magic in the air."

While the Sydney and Melbourne shows are sold out, you can still buy tickets to see the Sugababes in Brisbane. Find out more about tour dates, tickets and what they're up to over on Instagram @sugababes. 

Feature Image: Getty.

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