23 September 2023 , 16:29
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Louise Redknapp has pulled out of an Eternal reunion - after a row over the group's appearances at LGBT festivals such as Pride.
We can reveal the Nineties R&B group had reformed for a huge tour next year - but trouble hit when bandmates Easther and Vernie Bennett refused to play the festivals, objecting to their allegiance with the trans community. Louise, alongside bandmate Kelle Bryan, were left stunned and pulled out immediately in June, leaving the sisters to tour together as Eternal.
It would have been the first time the band had performed in their original line-up since Louise quit for solo stardom in 1995. A source said: “Louise, Kelle, Easther and Vernie had all signed up to perform a huge nationwide tour next year, culminating with a huge show at pop festival Mighty Hoopla, which is loved by the gay community.
A snap of the band Louise shared online“Then in June the girls received an email from Easther and Vernie who refused to play any gay festivals or Pride. They said they can’t support the LGBTQ community now it has an alliance with the trans community, a stance Vernie in particular has been public about on socials.
“Louise and Kelle were stunned and pulled out immediately - Louise's fan base is 98 percent gay men. She and Kelle believe everyone is welcome to their shows. It’s a real shame for their fans who have been waiting such a long time for this moment.”
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Eternal became international icons of the 1990s with hits like Stay and I Wanna Be The Only One, shifting 10 millions records worldwide. Their debut album, Always and Forever became the first album by a female group to achieve over a million sales in the UK.
Louise left the group before their second album in 1995 to pursue a solo career with the band’s label. They broke up in 2000 and made a brief comeback in 2014 for ITV ’s The big Reunion - without Louise.
On Wednesday, Louise - dating CEO Drew Michael - wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of her former bandmates: “Where it all began… 30 years ago today Stay was released. I remember it like yesterday… Happy 30th Anniversary to my Eternal girls.”