Making Popstars: Truebliss

What is it like to be catapulted to overnight stardom? That very scenario happened to five Kiwi girls who became part of all-group Truebliss back in 1999. South African-born Megan Alatini recalls the moment that changed her life and what it meant to be on Popstars - the first music-based reality TV show of its kind to have a world premiere.

The year was 1999 and it was one that Megan Alatini will never forget. The South African born-singer was 23-years-old when she was hand-picked to be part of an all girl group in a new reality TV show called Pop Stars.

Listen to Making Pop Stars - TrueBliss

Every step of the way, singers were filmed by a television crew. And Alatini laughs thinking back to the moment that changed her life.

"That was a wonderful feeling and experience," says the Auckland-based singer.

"I felt like such an idiot because I started crying...I was so elated and I was thanking my family like I was at the Grammy Awards!"

Alatini's tears are forgivable. She was filmed for a show that was the first of its kind in the world - a TV show looking for singing sensations.

Pop Stars was a precursor to the popular X-Factor and Idol shows, but the show that launched Alatini's career became an international franchise.

Everything about the show was new and Alatini agrees that at times it felt more like an experiment. But she has a lot of fond memories associated with the show that ultimately changed television history.

And while being part of a show that was finding its own feet wasn't always easy, she got to share that experience with four other girls in the band: Keri Harper, Jo Cotton, Carly Binding and Erika Takas who she is still friends with today.

For a pop band, establishing an identity can be pivotal to success. And TrueBliss were dead-set on making an impact. Alatini laughs now, recalling how they resisted the 90s baggy jeans and grunge look of the day, opting instead for glam glitter and sparkly Bindis.

"Usually girls would have one bindi on their forehead and they might have two on the side of their eyes. I decided to go the full haul and had them all above my eyebrows and in the middle..."

Alatini was taking a leaf from some of her drag queen friends, but says she ended up looking pretty tragic.

"We had a really, really great team who looked after us beautifully. And it wasn't actually the choices of the stylist sometimes that were not so wonderful, it was actually us thinking that we knew better," she says.

But the glamour and over-the-top Bindis weren't to last.

…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details