It was the biggest Australian girls group of the early 2000s, with Bardot skyrocketing to success after being created on the hit Channel Seven show Popstars.
Now original band member Belinda Chapple has broken her silence on her time with the group with a new tell-all book, dishing the dirt on their controversial bust-up.
Speaking to host Kylie Gillies and fill-in host Matt Doran on The Morning Show, Chapple looked ageless on the couch.
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While the singer was known for her long, dark hair and risque outfits when she performed with Bardot, she now sports an ash blonde look, and she wore a stylish cream silk jacket and pantsuit for the TV appearance.
Looking back on her time with Bardot, Chapple said it “pretty intense” being thrust into the spotlight after a whirlwind experience on Popstars.
Belinda Chapple appeared on The Morning Show on Tuesday. Credit: Seven
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“They auditioned thousands of girls across the country and then brought 25 of us to Sydney and then we spent a week auditioning and they picked 10 and then five,” she said.
“So, yeah, it was pretty gruelling and very raw reality television — and then kind of the quick slide into fame.”
She added: “I was very young and naive … it was full on. Not easy.
“I just think that fame isn’t really exactly what people think it is. And, it was a lot of work and we didn’t really get paid accordingly.”
Belinda Chapple, far right, became famous for her time with 2000s group Bardot. Credit: AAP
The band broke up in 2002 when it was announced that Bardot star Sophie Monk would be embarking on a solo career, leaving Chapple and bandmates Sally Polihronas and Tiffani Wood “blindsided”.
“Honestly, it was a shock to all of us,” Chapple said.
“It just came overnight. I kind of stumbled across some things in my manager’s office and kind of questioned it.
“And then the next day we were told it was over.”
She added: “I think most of us were really disappointed.
“We were (very successful), we had double platinum albums and everything was going great.
Chapple has released a book about her time with the band. Credit: Seven
“Our careers were on the up and internationally as well.”
After the band broke up, Chapple said she was left devastated by the turn of events.
“I was pretty broken to be honest,” she said. “Yeah, it was pretty dark for me.
“I mean everywhere I went I was recognised, I was always the girl from, you know. I used to model and I couldn’t do that more – I couldn’t be a mum, I couldn’t just be cast as anyone anymore.
“So, yeah, it was really tough. But that’s life, you know. It’s not easy.”
Chapple says she now works in TV and is “happily married”. Her book The Girl in the Band: Bardot – a Cautionary Tale is out now.
Chapple with The Morning Show’s Kylie and Matt. Credit: Seven
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