# Hear'Say
**Hear'Say** were a British pop group formed in February 2001 through the ITV reality television show *Popstars*, the first UK series of the international Popstars franchise. The original lineup of Danny Foster, Myleene Klass, Kym Marsh, Suzanne Shaw, and Noel Sullivan was selected from thousands of applicants and signed to [Polydor Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/polydor-records); the group scored the fastest-selling debut single in UK chart history, released a chart-topping album, and split in October 2002 after less than two years together.[1](https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/hear-say) • [2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/hearsay-mn0000457487)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Formation | Created in February 2001 by judges of ITV's *Popstars*, the first UK series of the format[1](https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/hear-say) |
| Original members | Danny Foster, Myleene Klass, Kym Marsh, Suzanne Shaw, Noel Sullivan; later joined by Johnny Shentall in 2002[1](https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/hear-say) • [3](https://www.heart.co.uk/showbiz/music/hearsay-band-members/) |
| Debut single | "Pure and Simple" sold 550,000 copies in its first week, the fastest-selling debut single of all time at that point[4](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/popstars-top-the-charts-but-what-s-in-it-for-them-5365209.html) |
| Debut album | *Popstars* reached number one and sold 1.6 million copies[5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/sep/21/popandrock) |
| Total sales | Three million records sold internationally, with two UK number one singles[6](https://www.cambridgescholars.com/resources/pdfs/978-1-4438-6216-5-sample.pdf) |
| Split | Announced 1 October 2002, with members blaming abuse from the public[7](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2002/oct/01/artsfeatures1) |
| Reunion | Four original members announced a joint 2027 arena tour with Liberty X; Myleene Klass is not taking part[8](https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2026/1008/1594513-hearsay-liberty-x-reunion-tour-to-kick-off-in-ireland/) |
## Formation on Popstars
The first British *Popstars* series, broadcast in 2000 and early 2001, auditioned contestants singing solo with the aim of creating a new boy-girl pop group. A judging panel of three, television producer [Nigel Lythgoe](https://www.edgepedia.org/nigel-lythgoe), music promoter [Nicki Chapman](https://www.edgepedia.org/nicki-chapman), and music mogul Paul Adam, auditioned aspiring singers across the UK and eliminated them over several weeks until ten finalists remained, from whom five were chosen both for singing ability and for fit as a group.[6](https://www.cambridgescholars.com/resources/pdfs/978-1-4438-6216-5-sample.pdf) AllMusic puts the applicant pool at 3,000.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/hearsay-mn0000457487)
The winning five were three women, [Myleene Klass](https://www.edgepedia.org/myleene-klass), Kym Marsh, and [Suzanne Shaw](https://www.edgepedia.org/suzanne-shaw), and two men, Danny Foster and Noel Sullivan. Ten million viewers tuned in on 3 February 2001 to see who had been picked, by which point the members were already household names even though their first single was a month away from release.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/sep/21/popandrock) The show was structured as a docusoap with two peaks: the auditions building to the unveiling of the five, then episodes following the process of rehearsing, recording, marketing, and finally charting.[9](https://popular-number1s.com/2015/09/21/hearsay-pure-and-simple/)
## Chart records
**"Pure and Simple"** went straight to number one. It sold 160,000 copies on its first day in shops, the highest one-day sale for any group's debut single and the biggest one-day sale since [Elton John](https://www.edgepedia.org/elton-john)'s "Candle in the Wind" remake in 1997, and 550,000 copies in its first week, beating the first-week record of 464,000 set by [Britney Spears](https://www.edgepedia.org/britney-spears) with "...Baby One More Time" in 1999.[10](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/it-s-only-manufactured-but-thousands-of-pop-fans-like-it-5365117.html) • [4](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/popstars-top-the-charts-but-what-s-in-it-for-them-5365209.html) The song was co-written by [Betty Boo](https://www.edgepedia.org/betty-boo) (Alison Clarkson) with Tim Hawes and Pete Kirtley, and had initially been released in the Far East by an outfit called Girltalk before being secured for the *Popstars* project.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/sep/21/popandrock)
The hastily recorded, eponymously titled album reached number one within weeks of the single, selling over 250,000 copies in its opening period and entering the books as the fastest-selling British debut album of all time.[11](https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/apr/08/burhanwazir.focus) Within two months of formation, Hear'Say had become the first British act to top the singles and album charts simultaneously with debut releases.[12](https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/how-myleene-survived-hearsay-7258005.html) The album went on to sell 1.6 million copies, and fans aged between seven and seventy flocked to the concerts.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/sep/21/popandrock)
The speed of the rise had few precedents. The group's formation, first single, and album all arrived within a 15-week span; by comparison, the [Spice Girls](https://www.edgepedia.org/spice-girls) spent two years honing their material before signing to [Virgin Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/virgin-records) in 1995.[11](https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/apr/08/burhanwazir.focus) [Merchandising](https://www.edgepedia.org/merchandising) followed quickly: dolls, a clothing range, toys, and a tribute band appeared while the group was still in its first months.[11](https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/apr/08/burhanwazir.focus) • [5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/sep/21/popandrock)
## Backlash and decline
The commercial success drew criticism from within the music industry. Blur's [Damon Albarn](https://www.edgepedia.org/damon-albarn) reportedly denounced the group as "crap", and [Stereophonics](https://www.edgepedia.org/stereophonics) singer [Kelly Jones](https://www.edgepedia.org/kelly-jones) accused them of copying an Oasis song.[10](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/it-s-only-manufactured-but-thousands-of-pop-fans-like-it-5365117.html) Questions were also raised about the members' earnings: weekend reports suggested they would receive only 4p from each single sold, while Granada Television, the show's producer, insisted the band were on "a proper cut" under a percentage system.[4](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/popstars-top-the-charts-but-what-s-in-it-for-them-5365209.html)
By the time of their 2001 tour, the tide had turned. A review of their Glasgow show noted that sales were slow and ticket prices were being slashed.[13](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/hear-say-secc-glasgow-5364110.html) [Kym Marsh](https://www.edgepedia.org/kym-marsh) quit the band in early 2002, citing differences with Myleene Klass, and the group recruited Johnny Shentall as her replacement.[3](https://www.heart.co.uk/showbiz/music/hearsay-band-members/) • [12](https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/how-myleene-survived-hearsay-7258005.html)
On 1 October 2002, less than two years after their creation, the group announced their split, blaming abuse from the public. Members told *The Sun* that their lives had been made difficult by abuse in the street and jeers when they performed. "We have had enough. The public make you and break you," Danny Foster said.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2002/oct/01/artsfeatures1) A source close to their label Polydor later observed that the band's hold on success had been tenuous in a way nobody involved had anticipated: even pessimistic forecasts had imagined two or three albums, not four singles.[5](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/sep/21/popandrock)
## Aftermath and reunion
As a band, Hear'Say sold three million records internationally and achieved two UK number one singles.[6](https://www.cambridgescholars.com/resources/pdfs/978-1-4438-6216-5-sample.pdf) The runners-up from the same *Popstars* final, Michelle Heaton, Tony Lundon, Kevin Simm, Jessica Taylor, and Kelli Young, formed Liberty X, which enjoyed several years of chart success with ten UK Top Twenty singles.[6](https://www.cambridgescholars.com/resources/pdfs/978-1-4438-6216-5-sample.pdf)
The split members moved into separate entertainment careers: Kym Marsh became an actress on *Coronation Street* from 2006 to 2019, Suzanne Shaw built a musical theater career and won *Dancing on Ice* in 2008, Noel Sullivan moved into musical theater including a 2009 West End debut in *Grease*, Myleene Klass became a television and radio presenter and classical crossover recording artist, and Danny Foster formed the soul and Motown act Danny Foster and The Big Soul Corporation.[14](https://www.nationalworld.com/recommended/hearsay-reunion-tour-danny-foster-kym-marsh-suzanne-shaw-noel-sullivan-myleene-klass-then-and-now-perform-9285575)
In October 2026, four of the five original members, Danny Foster, Kym Marsh, Suzanne Shaw, and Noel Sullivan, announced a 13-date joint arena tour with Liberty X for April and May 2027, celebrating 25 years since both groups were formed on *Popstars*. The tour opens at Dublin's 3Arena on 17 April 2027 and includes London's The O2 and Manchester's AO Arena. Myleene Klass is not taking part, saying the commitment was not something she could take on at the moment.[8](https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2026/1008/1594513-hearsay-liberty-x-reunion-tour-to-kick-off-in-ireland/) • [15](https://www.the-independent.com/tv/culture/myleene-klass-hearsay-reunion-tour-b3062014.html)
## References
1. [Hear'Say Concert History, Concert Archives](https://www.concertarchives.org/bands/hear-say)
2. [Hear'Say Biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/hearsay-mn0000457487)
3. [Who were members of Hear'Say? From the original line up to now, Heart](https://www.heart.co.uk/showbiz/music/hearsay-band-members/)
4. ['Popstars' top the charts. But what's in it for them?, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/popstars-top-the-charts-but-what-s-in-it-for-them-5365209.html)
5. [Back to reality, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2003/sep/21/popandrock)
6. [I Want to Change My Life, Cambridge Scholars Publishing](https://www.cambridgescholars.com/resources/pdfs/978-1-4438-6216-5-sample.pdf)
7. [Hear'Say announce split, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2002/oct/01/artsfeatures1)
8. [Hear'Say, Liberty X reunion tour to kick off in Dublin and Belfast, RTÉ](https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2026/1008/1594513-hearsay-liberty-x-reunion-tour-to-kick-off-in-ireland/)
9. [Hear'Say – "Pure And Simple", Popular (number ones)](https://popular-number1s.com/2015/09/21/hearsay-pure-and-simple/)
10. [It's only manufactured (but thousands of pop fans like it), The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/it-s-only-manufactured-but-thousands-of-pop-fans-like-it-5365117.html)
11. [Nothing's pure and simple, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/apr/08/burhanwazir.focus)
12. [How Myleene survived Hear'Say, London Evening Standard](https://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/how-myleene-survived-hearsay-7258005.html)
13. [Hear'Say, SECC, Glasgow, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/hear-say-secc-glasgow-5364110.html)
14. [Hear'Say then and now: what the band members do today, NationalWorld](https://www.nationalworld.com/recommended/hearsay-reunion-tour-danny-foster-kym-marsh-suzanne-shaw-noel-sullivan-myleene-klass-then-and-now-perform-9285575)
15. [Myleene Klass reveals why she won't join Hear'Say for 25th anniversary reunion tour, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/tv/culture/myleene-klass-hearsay-reunion-tour-b3062014.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Ensembles and groups › Rock, pop, and metal bands › Idol groups, boy bands, and girl groups › Western and global girl groups*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license