Kelle Bryan breaks silence after pulling out of Eternal reunion over LGBTQ+ row
Kéllé Bryan has spoken for the first time since we reported she would be stepping back from an Eternal reunion.
Over the weekend, the Mirror reported Kéllé and her former bandmate Louise pulled out of an upcoming reunion for the quartet. The group were due to announce a huge tour for next year but transphobic comments made by the Bennett sisters saw Redknapp and Bryan pull out of the reunion.
Easther and Vernie had refused to play LGBTQ+ gigs and festivals including Pride in the reunion, objecting to their allegiance with the trans community. This would have been the first time in almost three decades that the four members would have performed together since Louise walked away in 1995.
Kéllé has now spoken out about the incident in a statement shared across her social media pages. The Loose Women star said: "Opportunities to reunite for an Eternal reunion tour with the girls has been discussed many times over the years. As mothers, the right opportunity and timing for all of our schedules have been tricky to arrange.
Kéllé Bryan has spoken out after stepping back from an Eternal reunion"The relationship with our fans and the joy of celebrating our success was, and still is, my motivation. My stance and allegiances have always been that I am an advocate for inclusion and equality for all.
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'Thank you for your continued support over three decades. God bless, Kelle x."
Fans have praised Bryan for speaking out, with one writing: "You and @LouiseRedknapp are the epitome of what an ally is and should be. Thank you." While a second added: "Thankyou so much, @kellebryan. It is a horrendously difficult and scary time at the moment. For someone to take such a principled stance over money is a really inspiring and warming thing to hear. Thanks a lot to you and Louise. I wish you all the best." "Thanks for doing the right thing. No room for hate," added another.
Eternal were due to perform for the first time in almost three decades but Vernie Bennett and Easther Bennett refused to perform at Pride events (Getty Images)Louise has since spoken out on Instagram where she shared the LGBTQ+ flag, which included the colours representing the transgender community, with the caption: "Always & Forever." Earlier today, Louise's close friend and publicist Simon Jones addressed the ongoing drama and said in a statement: "A message was sent to the team putting together the Eternal reunion stating that if it was to go ahead, neither Vernie nor Easther would perform at Pride shows or LGBTQ+ festivals. This was because the duo felt that the gay community was being hijacked by the trans community and they do not support this.
"Louise is a huge supporter and ally of the LGBTQ+ community and both herself and Kéllé told the duo they would not work with anyone who held these views, and as such the reunion as a four would not be going ahead. The team behind the proposed Eternal reunion are gay including management, PR and tour promoter, and neither myself nor any of the team would work with artists who held such views about the trans community."
Speaking to us over the weekend, 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. 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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