S Club 8
| Company type | Pop music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Music albums, singles, television appearances |
S Club 8—initially known as S Club Juniors—originated as a derivative act from the British pop ensemble S Club 7. Comprised entirely of pre-teens and early teenagers, the lineup was chosen from thousands of hopefuls during the television competition S Club Search, created to serve as a supporting act for S Club 7.
Originally intended to open at Wembley Arena for the S Club Carnival Tour, their popularity quickly expanded, resulting in them accompanying S Club 7 across the entire UK tour. Their debut single, "One Step Closer", was followed by additional releases including "Automatic High", "New Direction", and "Puppy Love/Sleigh Ride". These singles culminated in their first album, Together.
Upon rebranding as S Club 8, they issued new singles such as "Fool No More", "Sundown", and a remixed version of "Don't Tell Me You're Sorry". Their sophomore album, Sundown, was subsequently released.
The group also starred in the television series I Dream, which featured actors including Lorna Want, Matt Di Angelo, and Christopher Lloyd. The show produced a soundtrack alongside a third album titled Welcome to Avalon Heights. Although this album peaked at number 133 on the UK charts, it failed to achieve international chart success.
A documentary named S Club Juniors: The Story chronicled the band's formative years. After nearly four years together, S Club 8 officially disbanded in 2005.
2001–2002: Formation and Together
In 2001, S Club Juniors was established through the CBBC reality series S Club Search. Initially designed as a seven-member ensemble aged between 11 and 14 to support pop group S Club 7, thousands auditioned with finalists evaluated by members of S Club 7. Among those who auditioned were future personalities Rylan Clark, Ferne McCann, and Lorna Want. Jay Asforis joined later after submitting a video audition due to missing the live auditions.
The initial lineup consisted of Asforis, Calvin Goldspink, Daisy Evans, Stacey McClean, Rochelle Wiseman, Francesca Sandford, and Connor Daley—all between 11 and 12 years old. Subsequently, producers added Aaron Renfree (13) and Hannah Richings (10), increasing the group's size to nine members. The group underwent training with choreographer Gary Lloyd as well as vocal coaching from David and Carrie Grant.
Just three weeks prior to their scheduled support performance at Wembley Arena, Daley was removed from the group. Their live acts garnered attention from 19 Entertainment, which led to them supporting S Club 7 throughout the tour. Their television premiere occurred on Children in Need on 16 November 2001. By the conclusion of the tour, Polydor Records had signed them; their first single "One Step Closer" was released on 22 April 2002 and remained on the charts for eleven weeks.
Recording for their debut album commenced in June 2002. The second single, "Automatic High," filmed on location in Spain and released on 22 July, reached number two on the UK charts. The third single "New Direction," released on 10 October, also peaked at number two. BBC1’s The Saturday Show hosted a karaoke competition offering a chance to perform alongside them; winner Aidan Salter later appeared on Stars In Their Eyes and competed under the name Aidan Martin on The X Factor.
Their debut album Together was released on 21 October and climbed to number five in the UK charts. The fourth single "Puppy Love/Sleigh Ride," launched on 9 December 2002, debuted at number six and was featured in the soundtrack of the 2003 film Love Actually.
2003–2023: Sundown, I Dream, disbandment, The Big Reunion, Instagram live interviews
In April 2003, the ensemble joined the S Club United tour performing as S Club 8, and released the single "Fool No More" on 30 June, which climbed to number 4 on the UK Singles Chart. Their follow-up single, "Sundown," launched on 29 September 2003, also secured the number 4 spot. The album Sundown was issued on 13 October 2003, reaching a peak position of number 13; nonetheless, the record label considered its commercial performance underwhelming. BBC Music highlighted that while some songs were energetic, the album struggled when venturing into more mature themes. The third single, "Don't Tell Me You're Sorry," released on 29 December 2003, attained number 11 in the UK charts.
Subsequently, the group shifted focus towards acting with the television series I Dream, where they portrayed themselves as part of a broader cast. Although they were central figures in the show, each member underwent individual auditions. The storyline centered around Avalon Heights summer school, dedicated to nurturing performing arts talents. On 15 November 2004, the show's theme song "Dreaming", performed by Sandford and Goldspink, was released and reached number 19 in the charts. The soundtrack album Welcome to Avalon Heights, featuring performances by the cast including S Club 8 members, was released on 29 November 2004 but debuted at a modest number 133. The group officially disbanded in 2005.
In 2012, Franks disclosed that the band had nearly reunited for ITV’s The Big Reunion. Later, Renfree clarified via Instagram Live that after Goldspink opted out of participation, S Club 8 was excluded from the reunion lineup.
During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in 2020, member Asforis (now Perry) hosted a series of Instagram live sessions where she interviewed each of the other seven members over seven consecutive weeks.
In 2023, coinciding with S Club 7's reunion tour titled The Good Times tour, fans expressed interest in an S Club 8 reunion. Both Franks and Renfree confirmed through Instagram Live that they had not been invited to join but encouraged fans to rally support to generate demand for a professional comeback. By 2025, a petition aimed at initiating such a reunion had amassed 324 signatures.
Members
- Jay Asforis (born 30 October 1989) became part of S Club Juniors after submitting a video audition. Educated at The Susi Earnshaw Theatre School, he portrayed Berry Gordy in West End's Motown: The Musical (2018) and served as understudy for principal roles in Hamilton (2019). In 2023, he joined the cast of Back to the Future: The Musical. Known professionally as Jay Perry, Asforis is openly gay and has spoken publicly about challenges related to his sexuality during his time with the band.
- Daisy Evans (born 30 November 1989) became a member of girl group From Above in 2007 after being signed by Mathew Knowles to Music World Records. Following relocation to the United States and releasing their debut album, they appeared on MTV’s reality series Breaking From Above. Evans later married professional footballer Jonjo Shelvey and currently works as a makeup artist under her married name Daisy Shelvey.
- Calvin Goldspink (born 24 January 1989) pursued an acting career following his time with S Club 8, appearing in CW’s Life is Wild and FOX’s film X-Men Origins. His musical work has been featured on programs such as Jersey Shore and Love Is Blind. Goldspink founded Breaking Sound, a platform supporting emerging international musicians, and released his single "The Cold" in 2020. He is married and has two daughters.
- Connor Daley (born circa 1989) was an original member of S Club Juniors but departed early on. He appeared as Usher on children’s Stars in Their Eyes and trained at Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, graduating in 2012. Daley shares his music under the name Cjay Mizzy Kizzle Young on SoundCloud.
- Stacey McClean (born 17 February 1989) from Blackpool reached the Top Six Girls on series six of The X Factor UK (2009). She was married to footballer Fraser Franks with whom she has one daughter; they separated in 2023. McClean later performed alongside Bradley McIntosh and Tina Barrett in the group S Club Allstars.
- Aaron Renfree (born 19 December 1987) joined S Club Juniors shortly after its inception. After leaving the band, he trained at Laine Theatre Arts and featured in UK tours of Flashdance and West End's production of We Will Rock You. Renfree has choreographed major tours including Professionals On Ice and contributed to ITV’s Dancing on Ice and BBC’s The Greatest Dancer. During COVID-19 lockdowns he gained social media popularity for dance videos. Openly gay, he took part in the NoH8 campaign.
- Hannah Richings (born 30 November 1990) was added to S Club Juniors two days after its formation as its youngest member. She appeared in I Dream, released one solo single distributed with the group's magazine before leaving entertainment to pursue a career at Barclays Bank. Richings now operates a childminding business and is married with four children.
- Frankie Sandford (born 14 January 1989) moved from S Club Juniors to join girl band The Saturdays in 2007, achieving numerous UK top ten singles and albums. She appeared on television shows including Never Mind the Buzzcocks and featured on Kids in Glass Houses' track "Undercover Lover". Married since 2014 to footballer Wayne Bridge, they have two sons together. Sandford was runner-up on Strictly Come Dancing in 2014.
- Rochelle Wiseman (born 21 March 1989), who is half Jamaican, attended school with Frankie Sandford prior to joining S Club Juniors and appearing on BBC's children's program Smile. She co-founded The Saturdays with Sandford, achieving substantial chart success with multiple top ten singles and albums. Married to Marvin Humes from JLS since 2012, they have three children.
Discography
- Studio albums
- Soundtrack albums
- Welcome to Avalon Heights (2004) (soundtrack for I Dream)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | S Club Search | Themselves / Participants | Reality television series |
| 2002 | S Club Juniors: The Story | Themselves | Reality television series |
| 2002 | Viva S Club | Audience members | "The Fame in Spain" (Season 1, Episode 1) |
| 2004 | I Dream | Themselves | Principal characters |
Concert tours
- Co-headlining
- S Club United (2003)
- Supporting act
- S Club 7: Carnival Tour (2002)