BBC documentary Girlbands Forever will explore 'the truth of being a young woman thrust into the spotlight'

Stars such as Little Mix's Perrie Edwards and Kerry Katona will be interviewed. Bring on the nostalgia.
BBC documentary Girlbands Forever will explore 'the truth of being a young woman thrust into the spotlight'
PHOTOGRAPHER:,Harry Truman

Girlband fans, unite. Some of the top names from the 90s and Noughties girlband pop scene are speaking out in a new BBC documentary Girlbands Forever, from the same team that brought us male counterpart Boybands Forever.

While the previous documentary looked at the rise of legends such as Take That and Westlife, Girlbands Forever will focus on “girlband fever” telling the stories of bands such as Atomic Kitten, All Saints and Little Mix.

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The doc came from the brain of Louis Theroux and his production company Mindhouse. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of making this wonderful series," he said. "I well remember when the Spice Girls, Eternal and All Saints burst on the scene in the 90s. It was a special time in pop music and British culture generally. Then in their wake came a parade of girl bands, made up of girls who were all in different ways beautiful, talented and often very funny.

BBC documentary Girlbands Forever will explore 'the truth of being a young woman thrust into the spotlight'
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"Going back and rediscovering all that music and those videos and the interviews they did has been an absolute pleasure. There was pain behind the music, too, and as is so often the case there was price to be paid for that level of young fame. But mainly we wanted this to be a celebration of a time of very special music and talent.”

Here's what we know so far about Girlbands Forever, including our thoughts on the trailer drop.

What is Girlbands Forever about?

According to the BBC, the documentary will “explore the inside story of girlband fever throughout the 90s and beyond”.

It promises "a nostalgic trip through that time in pop music history, as well as an exploration into the truth of being a young woman thrust into the spotlight, the lived experiences and the lessons learnt.”

Who will be in Girlbands Forever?

Girlbands Forever will feature interviews with girlband legends, including members of All Saints, Atomic Kitten, Eternal, Little Mix, Mis-Teeq and Sugababes, including Heidi Range (Sugababes), Kelle Bryan (Eternal), Kerry Katona (Atomic Kitten), Melanie Blatt (All Saints), Perrie Edwards (Little Mix) and Su-Elise Nash (Mis-Teeq).

BBC documentary Girlbands Forever will explore 'the truth of being a young woman thrust into the spotlight'
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We will also hear from industry names such as Andy McCluskey, Clara Amfo, Darcus Beese OBE, Lucie Cave, MNEK, Nicki Chapman, Pete Tong, Pete Waterman, Scott Mills and Tulisa.

BBC documentary Girlbands Forever will explore 'the truth of being a young woman thrust into the spotlight'
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Girlbands Forever trailer

A taste of what's to come has been released, and we can't wait to watch the whole thing. We time travel back to the 1990s and early Noughties, which saw the advent of a girlband era like never before.

Sara Cox herself describes the time as “the era of young women suddenly having a voice, but it was a small window”.

From social media trolls to not taking no for an answer when it comes to succeeding in the music industry, these girlband stars open up about what it was really like behind the scenes.

Girlbands Forever release date

You can watch Girlbands Forever on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from 1 November.