Kym Marsh opens up on ‘fat’ comment that scarred her Popstars experience as she hints at band reunion

"There were so many things that happened at that time that you'd never get away with today," Ms Marsh told the publication.

"There's that famous scene where Nigel Lythgoe called me fat. I've never been anywhere near massively overweight, but even if I was, how dare you? It really upset me."

She continued: "I felt humiliated and ashamed, and insecure about myself. I was chosen to be in Hear'Say because of my talent but then hearing a comment like that made me feel like an object, an item, not a human being."

Footage from the programme recently resurfaced showing Mr Lythgoe, who earned the moniker "Nasty Nigel" for his harsh critiques, telling Ms Marsh she needed to shed weight before a major performance.

Despite the difficult experience, Ms Marsh acknowledged the show's significance in launching her career, saying: "It's the reason I'm sitting here today, so I'm very fortunate to have had that experience."

Hear'Say, which also featured Danny Foster, Myleene Klass, Suzanne Shaw and Noel Sullivan, achieved chart success with singles including Pure And Simple and The Way To Your Heart before splitting in 2002.

When asked about the possibility of reuniting with her former bandmates, Ms Marsh remained open to the idea.

"I always laugh and say 'never say never' about a Hear'Say reunion," she said. "We might pop up somewhere, just for a one-off performance down the line, to surprise everyone. But I think we are all just doing our own thing. We all still chat, which is nice."

Ms Marsh also shared her enthusiasm about reaching her half-century milestone in June, expressing a refreshingly positive attitude towards the birthday.

"I'm not horrified about turning 50. Isn't 50 the new 40?" she remarked. "I'm very excited about it; I've already said I'm going to milk it for all it's worth! I've decided that every month for the whole year, I'm going to do something to celebrate."

The actress made clear she intends to mark the occasion in style, adding: "There's still more planning to do, but I don't plan to turn 50 quietly – half a century needs celebrating!"

Ms Marsh explained she wants to focus more on herself going forward.

"I want to take care of myself a bit more and prioritise my own health and wellbeing," she said. "Sometimes I can neglect myself and tend to focus a lot on other people."

Looking ahead professionally, the actress is preparing to take on a new theatrical challenge in the stage adaptation of Single White Female.

The production opens at Brighton's Theatre Royal in January before embarking on a tour across the UK and Ireland, running until June 13.

Written by author, journalist and broadcaster Rebecca Reid, the play offers a reimagining of the 1992 psychological thriller film, which itself was based on John Lutz's novel SWF Seeks Same.

"I'm so excited for Single White Female," Ms Marsh said. "It's the world premiere of the show, so it's a massive deal because it's brand new and hasn't been done on stage before, so there aren't any expectations about what it will be."

She elaborated on the appeal of joining a brand-new production without established precedents.

"Sometimes when you go into theatre jobs, someone's done that role before you and people have an idea of what they are going to see," Marsh explained.

"With Single White Female, no one's bringing expectations for what they'll see on stage. Some elements of the story are very different, but the heart of it remains the same. It is going to be 'on the edge of your seat' stuff!"

Beyond her upcoming stage work, Ms Marsh has built an extensive television career, most notably portraying Michelle Connor in Coronation Street for 13 years.

She has also appeared as canteen worker Nicky Walters in BBC's Waterloo Road.

The full interview appears in the February 2026 issue of Prima, which is now available.

Nigel Lythgoe has been contacted for comment.

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