I quit All Saints
11th November 2000 - The Sun

ALL Saint Melanie Blatt sensationally quit the group after a huge bust-up with the band in a TV studio.

Mel walked out of rehearsals for a TV showcase concert, telling producers: "This has been kicking off for months - I've had enough. I've left the band."

Record company bosses now fear the worst for Mel, Natalie and Nicole Appleton and Shaznay Lewis, with one executive saying: "I think All Saints are finished."

The drama happened as the girls recorded £250,000 production The One And Only at studios in Wembley, north west London, on Thursday.

In a row over the prominence of her vocals, tearful Mel stormed off shouting: "Here we go again another Shaznay and the Appletons show."

Producers found her weeping at a nearby mini-cab office where she announced she had quit, saying: "I'm really sorry, but I'm no longer an All Saint."

After returning to her Wimbledon home, hundreds of fans, some as young as eight, were left waiting as the band frantically tried to get Mel to return for their scheduled 7.30pm start.

Shaznay was heard screaming into her mobile phone: "You can't let us down. There are 700 people here." Producers decided to pull the plug at 8pm, but with minutes to go Natalie ran out of the dressing room, screaming: "She's on her way!"

All the girls finally went on stage at 9pm and swopped frosty glances as they raced through their hits for the Sky show, to be screened in January.

Deserted ... Mel's bandmates

One source on the set told me: "They can't seem to stand the sight of each other - there was a lot of tension. Melanie said she had quit the band but the other girls managed to persuade her to come back in the nick of time. They were rowing for hours afterwards.

"Melanie looked even sulkier than normal on stage and the buzz from the record label was that we were seeing the end of the band."

Melanie is increasingly concerned about her role in the group, feeling that her vocal talents are being overshadowed by Natalie and Nicole's antics and Shaznay's songwriting.

The band are due on stage at London's G.A.Y. club at the Astoria tonight. A spokesman said: "There was a row but they are intending to perform at G.A.Y. as planned."

The fiery group, who have had two No1s this year with Pure Shores and Black Coffee - have had a string of bust-ups.

The worst came two years ago when Nicole walked out before eventually being persuaded to return.

Thursday's events must have seemed pretty normal to her boyfriend Liam Gallagher, who was watching at the side of the stage.

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