She was voted the sexiest woman of all time by FHM magazine and built up a legion of male fans who were infatuated with her in her pop heyday.
But 25 years later, and now aged 48, Rachel Stevens has revealed that she no longer gets chatted up or asked on dates.
Currently single after splitting from her ex-boyfriend Brendyn Hatfield who she met while taking part on skating show Dancing On Ice in 2022, the former S Club 7 singer also conceded that she may have to turn to dating apps to find love again.
In an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, Ms Stevens said: ‘No! I never get chatted up. I get people very occasionally come up to me, there will be some people who come and say hi which is lovely but otherwise I just go about my day.
‘I have not been on any dating apps but I’m really open to it, I just love meeting people and you’ve got to follow your heart.’
Ms Stevens catapulted to fame in the late 90s when she was chosen to be in S Club 7 by music svengali Simon Fuller. While there were seven members of the group, Ms Stevens was the stand out star, and immediately won millions of male fans of all ages.
She also became a favourite of the tabloid press, with her relationships with the likes of Holby City hunk Jeremy Edwards and Gavin Dein, the son of former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein commanding many column inches.
And during a time when lads mags were popular, Ms Stevens was the most sought after pin up – and rather than be embarrassed about her risque pictures, she looks back on her cover girl days with fondness. She says she will live off the title of sexiest woman of all time title forever.
Rachel Stevens has revealed that she no longer gets chatted up or asked on dates. Here the star performs at Emirates Stadium on June 5
The S Club singer was once voted the world’s sexiest woman. Here, she holds an award for Sexiest Brit in 2003
‘It was so fun,’ said Ms Stevens. ‘I loved it but it was so of that time and that moment, the 90s and noughties. I mean, life has done a 360 now. It was really fun and I’ll live off that forever. It’s great title to have, it was very, very flattering and lovely.’
Ms Stevens, who has two daughters Amelie, 15, and Minnie, 12, from her marriage to estate agent Alex Bourne which ended in 2022 after 13 years, says that her mother still has them stored away.
‘My mum’s got a load of stuff at home, she’s got everything bless her, my book is out on the table, she’s so sweet, like all of my magazines and everything. I’ve got it all stored away.
‘Some things I’ve got out… I should shouldn’t I? I should get them up. I could get a huge one up on my wall! It’s good to celebrate everything that we do.’
Ms Stevens, who is to be announced as the ambassador for Vitabiotics Perfectil’s ‘Back to Basics’ campaign is about to join S Club for their second reunion in three years. Their return has meant that her children have been able to see her perform.
‘It’s so lovely, and then our latest show that we did, it’s just really special to be able to, for them to be a part of it, and see it.’
As she heads towards 50, Ms Stevens is feeling good about the future and happily celebrates each year getting older.
‘We have wobbles all the time,’ she says. ‘We’re all human. We all have wobbles, men, women, all of us, and that’s perfectly natural in life because it’s sort of guiding us and showing us the way.
Ms Stevens will become the new face of Vitabiotics Perfectil’s ‘Back to Basics’ campaign as she is set to join another S Club reunion
Join the discussion
Why do you think some celebrities struggle to find love despite their fame and past popularity?
‘I think, ageing is such a privilege, and I celebrate every year, and one of my main focusses now is staying really present and mindful about how I’m living my life. So creating really nice routines, wellness routines, looking after myself, and having fun and doing things that you love and feel passionate about and, creating a life you love and then you love it any age right?
‘And also, it’s embracing those wobbles, because I think sometimes we can be quite unkind to ourselves and beat ourselves up about not being in the best mood or whatever, but actually our feelings are there for a reason, they’re showing us something.
‘So I’m trying to be more in touch with how I feel and embracing every single part of myself.’
This week Rachel will be announced as the ambassador for Vitabiotics Perfectil’s ‘Back to Basics’ campaign.
She said: ‘It’s been a really fantastic collaboration to become their ambassador for this campaign because it is about simplifying your routine. There’s so much noise in the market, isn’t there? In the beauty world and in the wellness space.
‘And we’re also so busy running around a million miles an hour and this campaign is about taking things back to basics and trust, because using a brand like the Perfectil, which is trusted, science led, it’s just simplifying your routine and using it as part of a holistic approach to your wellness which I just love.’
Readers can check out Perfectil by visiting this website.
