Rachel Stevens has paid a heartbreaking tribute to her late S Club 7 bandmate Paul Cattermole following his death.
The singer sadly died at the age of 46 last Thursday, and his cause of death is currently unknown.
The news came just weeks after the iconic band announced their plans to reunite to celebrate their 25th anniversary.
Although the band released a statement on his death last week, Rachel has since taken to her own social media to pay tribute to Paul.
The 45-year-old wrote: “Thank you so much for all your beautiful messages of love and support 💔🙏🏻.”
“The out pouring of love for our Paul has been so incredibly special and has meant so much. I hope he knew how loved he was ❤️.”
“Such a kind, gentle and sensitive soul with the most incredible energy and such a wild free spirit. He would light up any room 💫.”
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Rachel continued to write: “We are heartbroken but so grateful for the memories we all shared 🙏🏻.”
“An absolute shining star who we will love and miss always. RIP darling Paul 💔.”
In a statement announcing his death last week, Paul’s family and S Club 7 said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of our beloved son and brother Paul Cattermole.”
“Paul was found yesterday, 6th April 2023 at his home in Dorset and was pronounced dead later that afternoon.”
“While the cause of death is currently unknown, Dorset Police has confirmed that there were no suspicious circumstances. Paul’s family, friends and fellow members of S Club request privacy at this time.”
A statement on the band’s Instagram account added: “We are truly devastated by the passing of our brother Paul.There are no words to describe the deep sadness and loss we all feel.”
“We were so lucky to have had him in our lives and are thankful for the amazing memories we have.
“He will be so deeply missed by each and every one of us. We ask that you respect the privacy of his family and of the band at this time.”
In February, S Club 7 announced they were reuniting for a comeback tour in celebration of their 25-year legacy.
All seven members – Bradley, Hannah, Jo, Jon, Paul, Rachel, and Tina – planned to come together for an 11-date arena tour across the UK and Ireland.
At the time, the band said: “After eight years it feels amazing to announce that we’re reuniting and performing together again. We’re so excited to bring the S Club Party back to our fans across the country to celebrate 25 years of S Club 7.”
“We can’t even believe it’s been so long! Music and friendship have always been at the core of everything that we’ve ever done. We hope everyone can join us for one big party!!”
Collectively, S Club 7 amassed four UK number one singles with Bring It All Back, Never Had a Dream Come True, Don’t Stop Movin’, and Have You Ever, as well as the UK number one album 7.
They recorded 4 studio albums, released 11 singles that all entered the Top 5 UK charts, and went on to sell over 10 million albums worldwide.
The band’s celebrity status was also cemented with their TV shows; Miami 7 and L.A. 7 became record-breaking favourites on children’s TV and were watched by more than 90 million people in over 100 countries – L.A. 7 remains the highest rating programme of all time on CBBC.
