04 August 2023 , 11:55
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N-Dubz caused quite a stir when they shot to fame with their hits Strong Again and Number 1 during the noughties. Yet the trio consisting of Tulisa, her cousin Dappy and Fazer, also had a rocky time when taking a break from the band.
The group parted ways with their record label in 2011 due to creative differences and gave their final performance together in September of that year before going their separate ways. Dappy insisted they hadn't split up, but instead embarked on solo careers. However they stayed in the headlines not always for their music, thanks to multiple scandals rocking the trio before they decided to reunite last year.
From a stint on the X-Factor to health updates and clashes with fans, N-Dubz were busy during their time apart. We take a look back at those 11 years as they get set to release their latest album as a band again.
X Factor fame
Tulisa worked as a X Factor judge for two years (Ken McKay/Talkback Thames/REX/Shutterstock)Tulisa was picked as Cheryl's replacement as a judge on The X Factor for the eighth and ninth series of the music competition, in which she first mentored the groups category and worked with Little Mix in 2011. Three out of four of Tulisa's acts were eliminated in the first five weeks of the show, yet Little Mix went on to become the most successful girl group in X Factor history.
She worked with the girls category in 201,2 which included Lucy Spraggan and Ella Henderson. However, she was the first judge to lose all her acts in the live shows. Tulisa did not join the tenth series of the show in 2013 and was replaced by original judge, Sharon Osbourne. The singer briefly returned to The X Factor for its eleventh series as Louis Walsh's guest judge and also appeared on the first night of the final temporarily filling in for Mel B.
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Scandals
In her second year on X Factor, Tulisa's life was rocked by horrific scandal as a sex tape featuring herself and former boyfriend Justin Edwards was maliciously leaked online. Speaking in her BBC Three documentary, Tulisa: The Price of Fame, she explained: "The first year [on X Factor] was a very happy time. I think it was the tape where it all went wrong for me.
"When the tape came out I felt like I had lost control again. This isn't how I wanted to be portrayed and afterward going back out there it was the thought of facing the audience, the crowd. Even though I was a judge, I was being judged. More than anyone, more than the contestants. The judges get judged the most. I just found it so hard to face people again."
In 2013 she faced another scandal when she was arrested on suspicion of supplying class A drugs. It was part of a sting operation by undercover reporter Mazher Mahmood – known as the Fake Sheik – and he claimed she's brokered a deal to sell him drugs while he was posing as a wealthy film producer. The case went to court but Tulisa's trial sensationally collapsed, with Mahmood being accused of tampering with evidence. He was later tried on related charges and sentenced to 15 months in prison.
Later that year, Tulisa headed back to court after being accused of attacking TOWIE star Vas J Morgan in a bust-up at V Festival in Essex in 2013. She claimed the TOWIE star had insulted her mentally ill mother. She was convicted of assault and ordered to pay a £3,000 fine. She later lost an appeal against the conviction.
Clashes with fans
Dappy has clashed with a few fans over the years (Getty Images)When the trio appeared on The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1 in 2010, Dappy sparked outraged after a text message came in from a listener. They had said Dappy was "vile" and "a little boy with a silly hat" and that the act were "losers". The singer reportedly scribbled down her phone number from the studio console and sent threatening text messages the following day including one telling her she was "gonna die".
Dappy's management later apologised on his behalf and offered free tickets to one of his concerts, but he has not apologised to the woman personally. N-Dubz were then dropped from the Government's anti-bullying "R U Cyber Safe?" campaign. In 2020, Dappy branded an N-Dubz fan a "fat, ugly pig" after she said she liked his new music. Jade tweeted the pop star's post about his new song Splash, saying: "#Guiltypleasure #Nananiiiii."
But she was stunned when he launched into an expletive-filled rant at her after sliding into her DMs. Jade explained that she had said the singer was a guilty pleasure, as he was "old school", but this just provoked Dappy and he blasted: "See now f**k off you fat ugly pig." He continued: "Don’'t ever listen to my music again you tramp."
Legal battle
Tulisa's most high-profile work during her time off was a long-running legal battle against music stars will.i.am and Britney Spears, who she accused of denying her a writing credit on their hit 2012 track Scream and Shout. She claimed to have co-written the song for The Female Boss, but dropped it from the listing and will.i.am later re-jigged it for his Britney collaboration, with Tulisa's vocals still heard on the track. Tulisa won the case in 2018 and was given an official credit on the record and 10 percent of the publishing rights and income.
Health
In 2020, Tulisa revealed she had Bell's Palsy. The condition is a type of paralysis that temporarily affects the ability to control the facial muscles and Tulisa says she was diagnosed after sustaining nerve damage due to a horse riding accident. "There's been times people have criticised the way I look and my face, not knowing I'm going through a Bell's Palsy attack," she said on Loose Women. "Someone online said I looked like I was having a stroke. I have emergency steroids on me and I know how to handle it. Some of the worst comments would be too harsh for daytime television. The worst things you can say about women."
Reunion
In May 2022 the trio announced new music and a tour across the UK and Ireland, and tickets sold out in minutes. The tour faced a few challenges after a show in Nottingham was postponed last minute and fans were furious. However, other fans have had great experiences, with one couple getting engaged on stage and sending a 15,000-strong crowd wild. The group's new album, Timeless, has been released today following months of anticipation.
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