Keisha Buchanan's Sugababes feud, King Charles snub and Peter Andre 'romance'

25 December 2023 , 16:00

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Keisha Buchanan is swapping the stage for Strictly (Image: PA)

Sugababes star Keisha Buchanan's life has been from the glamour people would expect of a pop star.

The musician who shot to fame at age 15 after being invited into the studio by her friend Mutya Buena invited Buchanan to join her and Siobhan Donaghy. Although she's enjoyed the high life, it hasn't always been that way for Keisha, 39.

Between 1998 and 2009, she and her best friend Mutya enjoyed touring the world with Siobhan, who eventually went on to leave the group in 2001. Following her decision to leave, Donaghy claimed she was pushed out by Keisha and described her as the "first bully" in her life.

However, that feud appeared to be over in 2011 after the original line-up decided to reform under the name MKS – their initials. As Keisha prepares to battle it out for the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Glitterball Trophy, we take a look at her life.

Love life

Keisha Buchanan had a public romance with Dean Thomas (PA)

Keisha will today appear on Strictly's Christmas special (Jonathan Hordle/REX/Shutterstock)

While Keisha has remained extremely quiet about her love life, she previously stated that her career made it difficult to date.

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Speaking to the Girl Group Gossip podcast, she said that she could have "avoided certain hairstyles" and that pictures of her are splattered over the internet. Keisha added: "So I'll meet a guy and he'll be like, 'Oh, I Googled you,' and that's the first thing that comes up. It's just embarrassing."

But the songstress had had several public relationships. Keisha was in a relationship with Ghanaian-born Freddy Adu from 2000 before they decided to call it quits in 2003. Several years later, Keisha embarked on a romance with Dean Thomas. The star thanked Leona Lewis for the match and admitted that she was over the moon.

"I met him through Leona," she said before adding: "Her boyfriend Lou Al-Chama and him auditioned to be in a band together a while ago and they've been friends ever since. We even joined them on holiday last Christmas, it was lovely." Although nothing was confirmed, Keisha was rumoured to be dating Peter Andre following the breakdown of his marriage to Katie Price.

Pete and Keisha were first linked in December 2010 when they were pictured together at various events - and she even turned up to his O2 gig with throat sweets in case he had trouble with his vocals.

But Pete denied there was any romance there, insisting at the time: "In truth, we're just good friends. We've got a lot in common in terms of our careers and she's given me such brilliant advice. "She's great and I really like her but there's no romance."

Sugababes feuds

Siobhan (left) previously branded Keisha a 'bully' when she left the Sugababes (Getty Images)

It's no secret that the Sugababes had various feuds throughout their various line-ups. Speaking to The Sun in 2009, Siobhan claimed: "There was no doubt that I was pushed out. It was clear that there was someone in that band who never wanted me in it and that's Keisha. She never wanted me in that band and made my life a living hell. I'll never forgive her. Though no one forgives that first bully in their lives, do they? No one does." Siobhan left the group in 2001.

But in 2023, during an episode of the Spinning Plates podcast, Siobhan said that during the early stages of their career, the trio were "nervous" which could have been portrayed as "moody". Nowadays, the group are the best of friends again and have gone on to achieve commercial success since winning back their band name.

But this isn't the only feud amongst the band as Keisha threw shade at her former bandmates in 2018. During a question and answer on Instagram, she was asked if she would ever reunite with "the past Sugababes members", to which she responded by sharing J.I.D's song Never, alongside the wording: "Love this song title." When asked if she, Siobhan and Mutya would perform songs such as About You Now and Get Sexy, she commented: "I think it's important to give our supporters a good mix of everything. GS is a no though lol."

The trio have since made up and put their differences aside (Dave Benett/Getty Images for Sep)

But there's no chance that former members such as Heidi Range, Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewen will reunite with the group (Unknown)

Several years later, she and Mutya hinted that they were not on the best of terms with Amelle Berrabah and Jade Ewan who later joined the band. Speaking to The Sun, they said there is "no bad blood" between the trio.

Keisha said: "I think collectively we would all agree that Heidi had her part of it and is a massive part of Sugababes. For her to have done that journey with us, she is just as important to the journey of Sugababes." Mutya said: "We've seen Heidi and there's no bad blood or anything like that." She said there isn't time for tension, with her adding: "You've always got to give people their flowers."

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But in 2009, when Buchanan left the group, she claimed it wasn't her choice and was allegedly told that her two bandmates felt "bullied" by her. She was subsequently replaced by Jade Ewen before the band split two years later. Speaking in a BBC interview, Keisha said: "I don't know if people know this but I didn't actually leave but I was replaced while still being in the band.

"I remember being sat down and told 'This person feels bullied, that one there feels bullied' and I was like 'I was giving that one a foot massage legit the day before! If I had an opinion it was very much like 'Ok, you're being a bully'. That was the word." At the time of her departure, she alluded to a feud, saying: "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 [sic] to this. Sometimes a breakdown in communication and lack of trust can result in many different things."

King Charles snub

Keisha made her feelings about the then Prince Charles clear (Instagram)

Could Keisha lift the Glitterball trophy? (BBC/Guy Levy)

In 2018, Keisha made her feelings for the then Prince Charles extremely clear.

Taking to Instagram, she shared a snap of herself and her former bandmates Heidi and Amelle meeting the future King to celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Prince's Trust in 2006. The trio met Charles at the Tower of London but while Heidi and Amelle appeared to be overjoyed, Keisha was not.

Sharing a snap on Instagram, Keisha appeared to be giving Charles the 'side-eye' while looking far from impressed. Writing alongside the image, she penned: "My shade was so real that day, obviously I was polite etc but I couldn't help but think of Diana. Mmm hmmm," alongside a series of emojis.

Their meeting took place ten years after Charles and the late Diana, Princess of Wales divorced in 1996 after a 15-year marriage, during which there were allegations of infidelity on both sides.

Daniel Bird