Liberty X and Hear’Say team up for HUGE 13-arena comeback tour as they enlist Kylie Minogue’s secret weapon for gigs

THEY are the ultimate Noughties throwback bands who defined a generation with their music and ushered in a new era of reality TV.

But 25 years after they were pitted against each other on ITV’s Popstars, and Liberty X are teaming up to embark on a 13-date arena next year.

All five members of Liberty X — , , Jessica Taylor, Kevin Simm and — will return, while , Noel Sullivan, , and Danny Foster will make up Hear’Say, with so far rejecting the offer.

And as Bizarre’s Jack sat down with the group at a top secret London location, they also revealed that musical director Steve Anderson and Dan Shipton — Zara Larsson’s creative director — have been recruited to to make the shows the best they can be.

Danny said: “We’ve put our ideas into the pot. There are nine people involved — nine different creative ideas — so we want to do what’s best for the fans when they come and celebrate with us.”

Kym added: “It will be epic hit after epic hit, really. It’s going to be a party.”

Michelle said: “I think people are going to be happily surprised about how it’s going to come together and what it’s going to look like.”

So top-secret is their reunion, all nine members have been banned from travelling together for fear they’ll be seen.

Michelle laughed: “We have been in closets for a week.”

Our interview is only the second time the groups have all been in the room together, and Kelli admits the idea to reunite was one they came up with themselves.

She said: “Jessica and Michelle came up with the idea and then we took it out there.

“I started talking to a few people, but actually, really, thought it was best to just approach the guys ourselves.

“We slipped into the DMs of Suzanne first and then Noel, and then it rolled away — we kind of got it going ourselves, to be honest.”

Tony added: “We spent a lot of time on Zoom calls and discussing how all of the moving parts would work. But really, we only got together to shoot the promo a few weeks ago.

“That was the first time we were kind of on set together again, just in each other’s company. It’s been amazing.”

Kelli and her Liberty X bandmates were all in their early twenties in 2002, when they released their No1 hit, Just A Little — the girls writhed around in skin-tight PVC catsuits.

While those outfits will, sadly, be staying locked in the archive and the moves toned down, in a trailer for the tour the black pvc is back.

Kym said: “I’m a 50-year-old grandmother, so for me to be doing those kinds of dance routines that we used to do . . . 

“They may not be as energetic as they used to be, but there will be a nod to it, for sure.”

Jumping in, Kevin joked: “We wanted to hang around with some birds in catsuits again and earn some money.”

Then, taking a more serious tone, he added: “It has been 25 years since we were all on Popstars, and I think there comes a point where we’ve got to celebrate that.”

Danny continued: “We are the originals. So many other shows came along, like Pop Idol and , Popstars gets a little bit forgotten.

“But that’s the beauty of this project — it was nine kids with a dream, and we’ve just come full circle to be back together.

“That’s what this project’s about. It’s about unity, it’s about diversity — it’s not about rivalry.”

The 13 reunion shows will kick off at Dublin’s 3Arena on April 17 next year, before gigs across the UK including in Birmingham, Nottingham, Leeds, Glasgow and Manchester.

And it’s fair to say as they gathered for our chat, there were a few nerves about the journey they are embarking on.

Michelle admitted: “I was just a bunch of nerves yesterday. The anticipation . . . I felt sick and tearful.

“I think it’s hard to imagine something as big as this actually happening until it happens.

“And the more that we’ve been together — we’ve spent a lot of time together lately, done some singing together and dancing — it’s real. I’m just buzzing.”

Kelli added: “I was nervous until we did a cheeky little rehearsal together, but when I was there . . . 

“Now it’s about coming together and working together. I can feel how it’s going to be. It’s more exciting now for me.”