November 18, 2024 • 53 mins
After storming the charts throughout the noughties, The Pussycat Dolls meteoric rise to fame was like no other.
From sell out world tours to no. 1 records and global success, Doll Domination quickly took over the planet.
However, behind the scenes, cracks within the group were beginning to show. Now Pussycat Doll, Kimberly Wyatt, joins the Mile Fly Club to finally set the PCD record straight.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Nicole, Carmiti, Ashley, Melody, Kimberly, Jessica, better known as the Pussycat Dolls.
(00:08):
She's a member of the hottest girl group on the planet.
Kimberly Wyatt joins the My Fly Club to reveal what really went on.
Pussy killed the trap star.
I wanted to lead with sort of a lead singer and the rest of us, it's like a football team.
Nicole was the quarterback.
I was the one singing.
I knew what I was getting into and I just sort of grit my teeth and went in and danced my booty off.
(00:34):
The Fame.
This was a completely unprecedented group.
The Controversies.
I look at my phone and it says, Nicole confirms that Pussycat Dolls Tour is cancelled.
And I was like, what?
So you always knew it was pretty cutthroat.
But the feeling of being replaceable was definitely something that lasted throughout the group.
(00:58):
Now it's time to set the record straight.
When it all comes crashing down, it was a panic mode.
Two of the girls, Robin and Nicole, have been suing each other ever since.
And I really don't know what might happen next.
Welcome to the My Fly Club, your VIP lane to first class travel tips, tell all talk and turbulent life tales.
(01:21):
Think the My Fly Club only with more clothes, but no less revealing.
Each week, I'll be inviting high flying globetrotting guests to bear all in my club.
So if you're searching for some tantalizing travel tidbits and a good old gossip, you've arrived at the right destination.
Now sit back, relax and get ready to join me in the My Fly Club.
(01:45):
Ladies and gentlemen, we've now reached our cruising altitude.
I'll go ahead and turn off the seatbelt sign, so sit back, relax and enjoy the flight.
Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like my next guest?
Well, it's dull domination in the My Fly Club today, as I'll be chatting to a member of one of the most successful girl bands in the world.
(02:05):
She's a dancer, singer, actress, talent show judge, mother and of course, a pussycat dull.
Welcome to the My Fly Club, Kimberly Wyatt.
Yay!
Hello, hello.
So great to be with you, Kimberly.
Thank you so much for joining us.
My pleasure. Happy to be here.
Well, we've known each other since our jump days.
Oh my God. Pre-wedding, pre-kids.
(02:28):
Yeah.
Well, you just had a caesarean, actually.
I had just had a caesarean and I ended up ski jumping.
And I remember you giving my newborn baby rocko at the time.
Lovely little cuddles.
What an experience.
Yeah.
But that was back in 2000 and it must have been 2013.
Yeah, that sounds very, yeah.
(02:49):
But I want to take us all the way back to 2004.
Oh, bring it back.
Where it all began for you.
That's right.
When that was the start of the Pussycat Dolls.
Yes, I believe that was the year that we launched Don'tcha, which became a worldwide smash.
Incredible.
It was crazy.
I remember, but in fact, we played a lot of the Pussycat Dolls tunes when we were doing the jumping.
(03:10):
I remember that.
Do you in the zone?
But before it was a recording group, it was actually a cabaret show.
Yeah, it was a cabaret burlesque inspired dance troupe, really, at Johnny Depp's Viper Room.
So it's actually Johnny, who Robin, who's the creator of the dolls,
had brought this show that was quite burlesque and had corsets and fishnets and all sorts.
(03:33):
And they were doing performances at the Viper Room when Johnny Depp owned it.
And he loved it and said, you've got to give this a name.
So Robin went away and came back with the Pussycat Dolls.
And Christina Applegate, being one of her best mates, ended up being sort of the host and emcee of the show.
And it just sort of evolved and started bringing in a lot of different celebrity guests to come and sing and perform.
(03:55):
Big, big names, right?
Gwen Stefani, Carmen Electra, Christina Aguilera.
Yeah.
Brittany Murphy, Charlize Theron, Britney Spears.
I mean, just about everybody did the show.
But it was Gwen Stefani that came and did the show and loved it so much.
She brought her label with Jimmy Iovine.
And when they saw it, they could see how they could kind of give it a bit of a rejig and make it a recording group.
(04:21):
So about a year and a half later, we were signed and ready to start figuring out what the Pussycat Dolls look like as a recording group.
So how did you become part of the group in the first place?
Well, funnily enough, I was sort of doing lots of film and television work as a dancer, mostly,
and went to an audition for at the time it was MTV Newlyweds with Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey.
(04:45):
And so it was auditioning and it happened to be that Robin, the creator, was a choreographer at the audition.
And she loved what I was doing and gave me a call that night and said,
Nick and his team would love for you to come and dance with him and perform.
But also, I've got this group Pussycat Dolls.
Would you be interested in coming and doing some shows with us?
And having been a young dancer, I could see all these articles on the walls about this cool new underground show
(05:11):
that Justin Timberlake was a huge fan of and Christina Aguilera was performing with.
And I was like, what is this? Like, I'm so curious.
So at the time was like, well, I could take on another gig.
Let's give it a go.
I mean, that just must have been like you can't believe that has been happening to you.
It was kind of crazy. I guess I didn't know what I was getting myself in for.
(05:31):
But I'll never forget some of the first shows.
I think one of the biggest first shows I did was at this electronics convention called E3.
And it's quite a big thing. And Carmen Electra, I mean, she was like one of the leads of the groups for over 10 years.
And she was performing with us as well as one of my favorites, Pink.
And so Pink was coming to perform. Just a bit of name dropping there.
(05:54):
A bit more name dropping.
And I'll never forget getting all glammed up with the hair and the makeup and the costume and that curtain open.
And I was like, oh, my God, if you're like a rock star, this is the life.
And I just absolutely fell in love with it.
It was like I felt so empowered on stage.
I could feel sexy. We could just get lost.
And it just felt really powerful sharing the stage with all these phenomenal females.
(06:14):
So what was it really like, you know, at the height of it all, dealing with that kind of fame?
Yeah, I mean, it was full on because Doncha.
So Doncha was a song that was proven to be a smash hit on radio in the States.
It was like number one requested song at radio, but it wasn't selling.
So I knew this song worked.
And so the label put everything behind it to then pull the song, have us record Doncha and go in for this video.
(06:40):
We were in the video as the pussycat dolls we knew and came out with braids and I had a mohawk and sort of became these alter egos.
So I was all of a sudden punk doll rocking out in this music video with CeeLo Green and Busta Rhymes.
And quite quickly, that song just went, you know, stratospheric around the world.
(07:03):
So it's just as soon as we remember coming to London for the first time and just people screaming outside the hotels and
just doing every show under the sun around the world.
So it was that song that catapulted you and then took you on the road and that was it you were travelling.
Yeah. So where was the first place you travelled to?
I want to say it was London.
(07:23):
I'm pretty sure it was like because London in the UK became almost a second home for pussycat dolls.
They seem to just get it straight away.
The fans just knew gave us so much love.
And so it was from going to the UK, then we were all over Australia and Europe and Canada and just, I mean, Asia.
We just went everywhere.
Where was your favourite place to go to with the group?
(07:45):
Well, funny enough, one of my favourite memories performing with the dolls was Manchester because they were such loud fans.
So it's one of my like, I just always remember how loud everybody was.
But like exotic, couldn't believe it was sort of Malaysia.
Malaysia was just gorgeous.
I've never been there.
It was amazing.
I just it felt like you're just in a completely other world.
(08:08):
And it was just really tropical.
And yeah, it was just amazing.
But your fans in Manchester, you think were the biggest and kind of most important.
I would always look forward to coming to Manchester.
Glasgow is another one that I just always love.
And of course, being an American girl, I wasn't that familiar with the UK.
So all I knew it was how the fans would react towards us doing the shows.
(08:30):
And yeah, like Manchester, Glasgow, they were the loudest around the world.
So Doncha was obviously the biggest hit that was out there.
But Lady Gaga's debut single Just Dance, was that on the cards as well as potentially being?
Yeah, funny enough, back in the day, Gaga was sort of signed to the label to write songs for the Pussycat Dolls.
(08:52):
So she came on board and was writing songs under the label, but of course, ultimately wanting to carve her own path.
So we'd heard of this Lady Gaga girl, didn't know much about her.
And yeah, later came to transpire that Just Dance was written for Pussycat Dolls, but our team passed on it.
And so she took it and went with it.
And then soon enough, she's opening for us in our tour.
(09:15):
She was our opening act for quite some time launching Just Dance.
Wow. So the dynamics of any group can be kind of quite interesting.
I was actually not many people probably remember this,
but I was part of a little group myself.
Weren't you?
The Fun Song Factory.
I mean, it wasn't quite as cool as the Pussycat Dolls, but I was Melody.
(09:36):
That is amazing.
The musical one with Aston.
Yes. Oh, this is coming back to me.
I didn't know this.
Yeah. We sung things like Ten Fat Sausages Sizzling in a Pan.
I'm sure it would give Doncha a run for it.
The kids would go crazy.
But you know, the dynamics in any group can be quite interesting.
Yeah.
So I kind of want to set the record straight and kind of dynamics in the group of the Pussycat Dolls.
(10:00):
Just tell me a bit about it.
Well, this is a I mean, as much as dynamics in the group as a whole,
this was a completely unprecedented group because we were the first group ever signed to a 360 deal.
We were the guinea pigs of what now is the road map of sort of any artist that's getting signed to a big record deal
before they'd only sort of share profits in album sales.
And you could do all your merchandise and touring and everything,
(10:23):
where this was very much a partnership between the brand, Robin Anton and Pussycat Dolls and the label.
So they had sort of buddied up 50-50.
And then below that, we were signed basically as castmates to a recording contract, almost rather than artists.
So it was done. The whole structure of it was much different.
(10:43):
But for me, you know what? It was it was living the dream.
And I knew that contract that I signed way back when wasn't exactly the best contract.
But I also knew this was a stepping stone.
And for me, it was worth sort of seeing where it would take me and using this beautiful experience as a stepping stone to see what would come next.
And of course, as it progressed, it was all it became very difficult for sure,
(11:09):
because just because of the the scale of what we were up against and the amount of work we were doing around the world and what was required.
You know, my I use my body as an instrument. I'm a dancer.
So I'm doing all the leg lifts and working the way that I do.
Yeah, it was it was tough. But at the same time, I lived the dream.
Like, I have no regrets. And it's really interesting hearing you say,
(11:31):
like, first of all, when you signed up to the contract, you were like, well, it wasn't the best contract.
Because it was kind of the same for me.
It was like, yeah, not not on the same scale as a kids' TV presenter, but joining this little band and kind of thinking,
I'm signing my life away in many respects, but I just want to see this as an opportunity.
I want to want to roll with it.
So the girls that you were obviously put together with,
(11:52):
did you know each other before you were put together as a band or was it very much kind of thrown in?
Here's the dynamics. Here's the mix. Figure it out.
Well, in the beginning, there was over 12 girls in the group.
So there was a sort of the lead cast who'd been doing Maxim and lots of front covers of magazines and stuff.
And they were sort of led by Carmen Electra.
(12:14):
And so then there was a few newbies coming through.
And as the recording group was signed, there was a lot of changes made.
And so you always knew it was pretty cutthroat.
And I've always told the story about, you know, and don't I knew I was on the chopping block.
Like I had to work really hard to show that I was worthy of being in the group.
(12:35):
I had acne because of stress and anxiety of the label letting go of all these different girls.
And, you know, could you make the cut?
Like, I feel like I had to prove myself and I couldn't get my skin under control.
So I knew going into Don't Ya, I was on the chopping block.
And most of the big group routines or the big group moments, I'm not in, because she wanted kind of,
(12:56):
well, Robin was sort of, you know, wanted to make sure that if we needed to make cuts, it could still happen.
How did that make you feel, though?
Like I needed to be a warrior and prove that you couldn't do this without me and that there was just for me,
I felt like I was destined to be in this group and I didn't want anybody to take that away from me.
But the feeling of being replaceable was definitely something that lasted throughout the group for its entirety.
(13:23):
But like I said, I knew what I was getting into.
I knew it was a stepping stone and I knew that I was meant to be in Don't Ya.
And when I came out with that mohawk and became this punk doll thing, I was like, I am going to roll with this.
And so I just sort of grit my teeth and went in and danced my booty off and did everything I could to create real moments in the video.
(13:44):
That would help the band become iconic.
So I felt like each one of us girls had a role to play and I could very much envision what my role was.
And so I was sliding down bannisters and doing these huge jumps on the trampoline to try and get these brilliant shots and in this crowd, doing all these crazy things.
But it was the bannister thing that I was like, this could be really cool.
So it was just the highest bannister with the biggest drop.
(14:07):
It was like, well, I couldn't guess, but a very big drop.
And I had these heels on, they're a little bit big.
I would never complain about the shoes.
You just go for it.
And so we did this choreography.
It came down the stairs and then you'd go into this group choreography at the bottom with loads of different people around.
So at the top, I was like, this is what I'm going to do.
(14:27):
I'm going to get on the bannister.
I'm going to slide down my stomach.
This is why you were so good at the jump.
This is where it all began.
So I'm going to slide down this bannister with this mohawk.
I could just see it and then get off, get to my spot and do the dance routine.
But in the midst of blocking it, my heels came off as I was coming off the bannister, trying to stay in time and get in my place and nail it.
(14:49):
So I thought at the time this was the walkthrough, but they'd filmed it.
So I do the whole dance in my socks.
And I'm like, well, at least we got that one done.
Go back and smash each one out.
But just so happens that they kept the one in my socks.
I'm going to have to watch the video.
So in this little dance formation, I slide down the bannister and all these group routine.
I'm just back there dancing in my socks.
(15:12):
Oh, I'm going to have to watch it.
So you actually got back together, didn't you?
So the band split?
Well, we didn't split actually.
Right before Covid, we were headed for a world tour and I worked really hard because I just felt like it just didn't feel like it was over.
And I just wanted to make sure that we could end it on a really positive note.
(15:35):
So worked really hard to to help bring it back together.
It took like two and a half years to get everybody sort of on the same page and ready for a big world tour.
So excited.
But amidst of that, found out that I had a very surprised pregnancy about two weeks after I'd signed this contract.
What did it look like bringing everyone sort of back together?
(15:56):
Because obviously, like Ashley's off doing her thing, Nicole's off doing her thing, Camille's off doing her thing.
You're a mum to two, well, three now, but two got like, what was that like?
I mean, we all knew we would have to make sacrifices to make it work and we all had our own lives going on.
So we're looking at doing it a bit healthier in a way that we could go out for two weeks and come home for one or two weeks, go out for two weeks, which would extend the tour.
(16:19):
We'd probably be going for a good year and a half to make sure we could visit all the places around the world.
But we could still sort of keep up to date with what we were doing.
And I had made deals with the school that we could do remote learning.
Kids were really young at the time.
So it's like we just found a way that we can make it work.
Then, of course, like a surprise pregnancy changes things quite a bit.
(16:40):
But I was just like, you had no idea.
No idea.
I was just started feeling really ill and was just pregnancy was so far from something that we were looking at doing.
I just felt like that could not be it.
But Max was like, let's just I'm going to go get your pregnancy test.
Let's just try it out and just make sure we can just strike it off the list and then go figure out what's wrong with you.
(17:01):
So I come back and do the pregnancy test and it comes up like five plus.
Like, oh, my God, I am not just pregnant.
I'm quite pregnant.
And so so then I was looking at it like, how am I going to make this work?
So then I tell the other girls at this point.
No, I didn't tell anybody at this point.
I was still trying to figure out what I was going to do.
And so then it turned out I worked out the timing.
(17:24):
So I had to have a cesarean because it was my third and they didn't want me trying naturally.
So I did the cesarean and then seven weeks afterwards, I was in rehearsals and doing the X Factor reunion performance.
And I remember seeing you on stage and you were insane.
Incredible.
Thanks, mate.
(17:46):
But, you know, and I love that because much like, you know, yes, exactly.
Not saying it's the safest thing to do after.
No, it's not.
But, you know, I think it's great.
So then obviously the girls knew that you were having you'd had Senna and you were like going to be going on tour.
How did that all go down?
(18:07):
Like, what happened next?
Well, so I think that was funny about it.
Were they like, oh, it's not going to work.
Nobody was fun.
I think there was a photo shoot that happened and they were going to shoot somebody else's body and put my head on it.
What?
No way.
That was the only funny thing that happened.
But luckily, the photo was me.
Sorry, they said they were going to shoot someone else's body with your head on it.
(18:29):
Yeah.
That's not cool.
Not going to say I didn't like I wasn't that cool with it.
But at the same time, I knew how difficult it was to get this thing going.
And having been a part of getting this thing going, the last thing I wanted to do was create any sort of roadblock.
So I was certainly up for it and let it happen.
Then it came back.
(18:50):
I was like, this just doesn't feel right.
Like, I just can't do it.
So there was a photo shoot that happened.
All the girls look amazing.
But I just wasn't in.
And when it came time for rehearsal, I just entered and just wanted to make sure that it just wasn't a problem.
And that I just sort of showed up and did my work.
And my gorgeous husband, Max, was there throughout all of it with little babysitter.
(19:11):
And we'd set our alarms so it was time to breastfeed and bring him over.
And whether I was in a meeting, they filmed everything, whether I was in a meeting with all the girls talking about how we were going to do it.
And what was that like when you all got back together for the first time and you were sat in a room?
Did you sort of feel like then there were any egos or?
Well, we all showed up.
We were in the first room together five days before our first big reunion performance without any plans about what we were doing, how we were doing it, nothing.
(19:38):
So it was quite a like flying by a seat of our pants.
Let's make this happen.
So if anything, it was just really nostalgic.
All of us just couldn't believe we'd finally gotten it over the line and the fact that we're all on the same page enough to move forward with it and just excited to make it the best it could possibly be.
And then what?
(19:58):
And then we just got stuck into rehearsal and just made it happen and started rehearsing.
Nicole brought React to the to the plate and made it clear that as a group, we were going to move forward as a team.
And it was going to be this wonderful new experience, which was everything that I'd hoped for.
And sort of the reason that I really got behind wanting to do the reunion in the first place was to just make it a really lovely environment.
(20:23):
So we went for the big first performance and it went off with a bang and it was amazing.
It was massive.
And Nicole was certainly sort of leading with her management team.
Did you find that Nicole was often trying to lead a lot?
Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, she was put in that position way back when with the label is they'd seen it with Carmen Electra and the group.
(20:45):
Is she a different label then?
No, it's all the same label, but her management sort of took leadership of the Pussycat Dolls, basically.
And they wanted to lead with sort of a lead singer and the rest of us, they sort of said it's like a football team.
You have a quarterback and you have a receiver.
Nicole was the quarterback, which we were fine with.
But soon the spotlight should open, but the spotlight never did.
(21:11):
But like I said, I knew it was I'd signed up for and ultimately in the beginning when I realized just the amount of work and exposure didn't and money didn't like lean into the happiness and mental health that I needed.
That's when I had to make a change and leave and did that.
But to bring it all back together with you left again after React came out.
No, so that was in the beginning, the first round.
(21:33):
So that was sort of set me up for wanting to make this a different experience and was very hopeful for that.
But ultimately we had the world tour and it was like glass to brew on the cards.
Like it was going to be an absolute dream and COVID hit and it was literally the Monday that we all went into lockdown was the Monday the girls that were living in L.A. had flown over to start our first day of our three weeks of rehearsal to do our world tour.
(21:59):
So they were flying over from L.A.?
Literally landed with all their bags, checked into their hotel and most all of them then literally had to turn around that day and fly back.
We were especially worried that they weren't going to be allowed back into the country and all sorts.
So a few of them even left their bags thinking, oh, we'll be back in a few weeks once this blows over.
Three years later, I remember being in lockdown.
(22:20):
I was just trying to keep myself in the game and raising all three kids and every Sunday or was it every day?
I think it was every day at 1230 during the week.
I would do a live dance class just to and teach some pussycat dolls routines and just like keep things going.
I'd see these dates come and go like, oh, we're supposed to be playing glass to brew on this day.
(22:40):
How did that work?
Like as a recording artist, if you'd you'd commit it, I mean, presumably there was like finances that come in.
Mate, you open up like you end lots of your work to open up all this space to go on the road.
So, of course, when it all comes crashing down, it was it was a panic mode.
Three young kids were playing for school fees, like all these things.
(23:02):
I mean, it completely changed our world.
We've had to re rejig our entire life because of it.
And what were the discussions that were had amongst the band following that?
Was it like, well, we're going to pick up after Covid or we assumed that we would pick up after Covid?
(23:23):
Because usually that means that the dates are just postponed.
So we're just waiting for those new dates to come in, which kept me in the gym and working and making sure I still kept the routines ready to go.
But then because there was a bit of a situation where the new dates needed to be launched, but they couldn't until business had been sorted.
(23:47):
And then it's basically to the girls, Robin and Nicole have been suing each other ever since.
And just waiting for a resolve and I really don't know what might happen next.
But yeah, it's just sort of.
So you still don't know.
I remember, so I finally ended up doing Dancing on Ice, strapping on those skates, getting ready to get back to it.
(24:09):
And right before the first live show, I'm on the ice, walking through my routine, stepping through, trying to stay in the game.
And I look at my phone and it says Pussycat Dolls canceled or Nicole confirms that Pussycat Dolls tour is canceled.
And I was like, what? How am I finding this out on the phone?
I've not heard of this. So part of me just didn't want to believe it.
(24:31):
But then you were hearing about things through the press, not even through Robin.
Yeah. So right before the first live show, I just like bawled my eyes out thinking all this that I've made all this space for in life.
But waiting for these new dates just all came crashing down.
And I didn't even find out, you know, sort of in the proper way.
I felt like such an afterthought.
But did you really believe that it actually was true?
(24:53):
Because when you read it in the press, you're like, is this happening?
Like, did you not want to pick up the phone and call Robin and go, what?
Like, I think I did probably pick up the phone and call Robin, which is when I found out that it had been canceled.
And she was super apologetic.
It definitely didn't go down in the way that it should have.
But it was confirmed.
Like, there was no, I guess the two girls couldn't come to an agreement with all sorts of things, which people can find out online.
(25:16):
But yeah, it's still sort of ongoing.
Everybody says never say never.
How does that make you feel about Nicole?
I mean, listen, the thing that I've learned over the years is that women need to support women.
100%.
And so I try and stay in a space of just trying to, you know, give the benefit of the doubt and just stay in a supportive place.
(25:38):
Because if I get bitter and angry, which I have been, it doesn't really do anything good for me or my mental space.
So, you know, anybody can make their own choices.
But when they start really affecting you and your space, and especially when you're raising three kids, I've got a lot to protect.
So ultimately, you know, I would like to say never say never.
(25:58):
I just have no idea where headspace is and communication is incredibly difficult.
But we did something amazing together.
And what we've left, the legacy of the Pussycat Dolls and the empowerment we would inspire around the world through our music and through our performances was phenomenal.
And I think that that's in a way what's so sad, because as women, like I'm loving hearing you say women support women.
(26:23):
I'm all like, absolutely.
Let's build each other up.
Let's lift each other.
So when you've had those experiences together, I bet you just want to pick up the phone and go, listen, Nicole, like.
We need to be here for each other.
I think it goes across the board just as, you know, first 360 deal in the industry and just see where how the balance of power and control sort of went, especially of those times.
(26:46):
I think we live in much different times now, and there's there's space to not feel like you have to compete or dim other people's lights in order to shine the brightest.
I think when you welcome other people's power and empower one another together, you shine even brighter.
And so I'm just going to keep putting that out there because I feel like that's that's where I live.
(27:07):
And it doesn't feel conducive to try and point a finger at anybody, really, at this point.
There was something that was said, and I don't know if you can clear out for us.
Nicole apparently said that she played the Pussycat Dolls, the first album, and then you guys came in and heard it.
Is that true?
There was a listening party for all of us involved.
(27:28):
But I would say that it would be unfair to all the members of the group to say that it sort of went down in that way, especially to especially in the beginning,
Melody and Carmete were sort of second leads for that whole first album.
And they're very much in the studio, very much part of it for me myself.
You know, my role was dance first.
So and I'm very proud of that.
(27:50):
Don't feel like I have to feel ashamed of being a dancer, singer.
There's a lot of power in that.
And it brings a lot to the group.
But again, I think that's where you've got to hold a space for your bandmates and you think you should go to bat for them rather than make it seem like there's only one important person.
Do you ever watch back videos of like Pussycat Dolls performances and like there might have been a bit of upset between two people and you're like, oh, like you remember like that person's looking at that person or and it brings brings back memories?
(28:21):
Yeah, it does.
And the fun, like I guess the positive spin for me on it, because I've done a lot of work on it, is that even when there was moments of animosity, especially as a dancer running my own dance academy, if you can use that anger in a way that's conducive to that performance, what it can do to you as an artist and as a dancer is pretty phenomenal.
So I guess it's taking those animosities and making them work for you.
(28:44):
And I guess that's why with my dance academy, I talk a lot about emotions and I work with the youth sport trust.
And I look at ways of teaching dancers and artists how to bring in emotions and use them, because I think it's very therapeutic and you can do so much more with it rather than getting lost in the hate.
Wow, look, it's a travel podcast. So it sounds like there has been a bit of turbulence.
(29:06):
Of course, there always is.
I think it's amazing, like, you know, your positivity and I'm all for that, like, you know, glass half full or whatever, seeing the good in people.
But do you realistically think there is a future for the Pussycat Dolls when there are two people that are in this legal battle?
The legal stuff, that's where you feel quite powerless, because nothing can move forward until that has an ending.
(29:31):
They have to come to an amends.
But ultimately, I feel really in my power of I just don't want the legacy of what we built together to go out down in flames of two women fighting each other.
So I do still sit in this place of feeling like wanting to find ways to glue it back together and whatever way that means, whatever way that looks like.
(29:54):
I don't know what the future of the Pussycat Dolls hold, and I don't know if I have the power to make anything happen.
But I'm always looking for opportunity to bring girls back together where you can show that you can support each other and support each other's power.
So that's always my focus.
And I do look at different projects and I am in talks with, you know, well, Robin mostly and the girls and sort of Nicole.
(30:17):
And I just hope that we're...
Who do you mean sort of Nicole?
She's very elusive and very busy.
She is very busy.
And I don't, it's hard to always, it's hard to find out where she is with what she wants to do next and where she stands with the group.
And I mean, she's allowed to do whatever she wants, but I just would like for a finish to happen so that whoever does stand up for her.
(30:39):
Can stand with the Pussycat Dolls, can stand with the Pussycat Dolls and create a legacy that we can feel proud of.
So could you continue on with the Pussycat Dolls without Nicole?
Well, that is not my choice to make because I don't own the group.
Of course.
Yeah, as in like, but the brand, like, you know...
The brand could, it could, but I don't own the brand, so I can't.
(31:00):
And the same with like, it's not my choice to make it.
I'm glad that I'm not in that position of having to make those choices.
But at the same time, there's a lot of women in the group that probably don't get the stage or the opportunity as much as some do,
that do have incredible talent to share and should get the opportunity to do that.
(31:20):
Well, you do share your incredible talent and you are sharing it.
I mean, look, first of all, what advice would you give to an aspiring pop star?
The world has changed so much since we were a band slash brand.
And luckily...
Do you see yourself as a band or a brand?
(31:42):
Like, where...
Both. I think there's a blurred line.
I think especially because of the 360 deal, it was very much a brand as well as a band.
And there's lots of controversy, but I do say we used our body as instruments.
And so therefore we couldn't be called a brand and we can be called a band.
But a lot of people see that saying a band is only if you have instruments.
(32:03):
So, I mean, there's controversy.
We could do a whole podcast just about brands and bands, I think.
But I think luckily with social media, you can't be controlled and sort of not given a chance to have a platform and opportunities to be seen outside of the group.
Thank goodness, because as much as you've got to put your heart and soul into what you're doing,
(32:24):
you've also got to make sure that you look after you as well.
And I think, gosh, in this world, ultimately, you need to own your power.
I think that's why I have a dance academy, is teaching kids to own their power.
Because there's going to be a lot of moments where you have to make serious choices and you need to know your morals and where your line is and not be afraid to say no.
(32:47):
And it's a really difficult thing to learn to be powerful enough to say no.
But that no is sometimes needed.
And that comes with age, though.
It really does.
You're just so eager to please and want to make a name for yourself and go out there and have opportunities that it can sometimes cloud your vision.
But I think luckily with all the stuff that's coming on Earth about, especially L.A. with Me Too and Diddy and all sorts, I think the power of no is incredibly important.
(33:14):
It is a travel podcast.
We have to talk about travel and the fact that you were born in Missouri.
Yes.
But you now live in the UK.
I do.
And you're married to Max.
Yes.
Gorgeous Max.
And you have three beautiful children.
I do.
So was it Max that brought you to the UK?
Well, it was the Pussycats that brought me to the UK in the first place.
(33:37):
The fans from Manchester brought me to the UK.
And then it was Got2Dance.
I was a judge on Got2Dance for five years on Skype, which I loved and met so many amazingly talented people.
So that kept me coming back.
I was sort of spending half my time in L.A. because I lived in L.A. for 10 years.
So I was living there, spent half my time in America, half my time in the UK.
(33:59):
And then I was doing Closed Show Live.
Don't know if you remember.
So Closed Show Live in Birmingham.
I was doing Mainstage at the time I was doing an electro band called Her Majesty and the Wolves.
So I was a special guest performer amongst a cast of like 20 models and 20 dancers.
It was an absolute dream with Andy Turner, who I love.
And so I would do my performance.
(34:20):
At the end, they had a big finale that they'd all walk the runway.
And it was just amazing.
And my gorgeous friend, Bebe, so beautiful, Anthony Kaye, who I'd met doing Pussycat Doll's video, J-Ho,
and just thought he was so beautiful.
He was in the show as well, dancing and modeling.
And he's like, you have to meet my friend Max.
He's just gorgeous and so sweet and so nice.
(34:41):
So he introduced us and then he decided that I needed to be in the finale, even though I wasn't.
So he grabbed my hand, dragged me on stage.
Max grabbed you on stage.
This is Bebe.
Bebe, he drags me on stage and Max is sort of the lead person amongst the whole cast to walk the runway.
So he threw me to Max and Max walked me down the runway.
And that's sort of how we met.
Wow.
So you were like put together and introduced down the catwalk.
(35:06):
And then a few months later came for the rap party in Soho.
And sort of that's when Max and I really started chatting.
And we were at Freedom Nightclub in Soho downstairs.
And just as we thought we'd found a nice little dark corner, he's going in for the kiss.
We realized as the spotlight comes on and don't just start playing that we're actually on a stage.
(35:27):
No way.
So it was like we're literally just like, oh my God, get up and perform.
Play it off.
Yeah.
Did you drag him up on stage to perform with you?
He sulked in the corner in the darkness being like, oh my God.
We didn't realize that was going to happen.
You're such an amazing person, Kimberly.
You're such great energy.
(35:47):
And you have done so much.
Obviously, not only being part of this global sensation, the Pussycat Dolls, but you act.
I've seen you, you're a judge.
You've got your mom, your real wife.
You've got your dance school, your parents.
They must be so proud of you.
(36:09):
What do they think of it all?
Gosh, I guess it's been quite a whirlwind.
So my parents are back in Missouri.
You know, my dad's health is sort of not been very great, but I know that they're in all
of everything that I've gone on to do.
And unfortunately, I have a bit of a strained relationship with my parents and they haven't
really been that close in my life for a very long time.
(36:30):
But at the same time, just a lot of experiences as a kid that didn't make me feel so safe.
So if anything, I've done a lot of work on forgiveness and knowing that sort of the
experiences I probably shouldn't have had to face gave me a lot of power to run, which
I ran to go to LA and work and find my way in life.
(36:53):
At what age did you sort of leave then?
17.
So I graduated early from high school and at 17 found auditions in Las Vegas, went to
Vegas and started auditioning and worked on cruise ships for my first few years.
Realized that I've got really bad sea legs.
So cruising's not your thing then?
Not my thing, even though I did a good year and a half on cruise ships, saved a bit of
(37:15):
money.
But the dream was always film and television and I always knew I wanted to go to LA.
So packed my bags, drove myself to LA and started auditioning and then ended up living
there for 10 years.
And yeah, it's a bit strange, but we've sort of started to try and be in contact and whatnot.
Are they close to your children?
(37:35):
No, they've only met them a few, few times.
Yeah.
So that must be quite hard as well.
Because I think, you know, as a mom of three children, the support network.
The support, yeah.
You kind of need, I mean, I know you're very good friends with Zoe, Harvin.
Yes, speed on the mile.
Love her.
Like love too.
But you're also very close to Ashley.
Yeah.
Does she help out with the kids at all?
(37:56):
She's Auntie Ashley.
Winston couldn't say Auntie, he calls her Noddy Ashley.
I'm sure she is naughty.
But yeah, I find a lot of love within my friends and the people that I keep around me,
because I don't have that support system that many do people have in their parents.
And I mean, my mom's had loads of experiences that I can rationalize why it came to the point that it did.
(38:20):
But yeah, it's sort of missing.
Share a bit about that?
Well, my mom's mom ran away when she was two years old and they never found her again.
And she was raised on food stamps and they paid lots of money on a private investigator
that they just never, never found her ultimately.
And there was different stories that went around about what might have happened,
(38:40):
but none of us have ever found out.
And so my mom sort of married when she was 16 and lived a bit of a naughty life for a while.
And I think her self-esteem and a lot of things were just incredibly low.
And so was the man she married at 16, your dad?
That was my brother's dad.
Yeah.
And then they got divorced and she married my dad and had me.
(39:00):
Kimberly, you've been a part of one of the most successful groups worldwide.
Yeah.
Who do you rate musically as a girl band?
Well, I mean, a huge inspiration growing up, especially because I was a music video girl.
I loved watching the music videos.
It was like the biggest inspiration to get into it.
And En Vogue was one of the biggest.
(39:21):
We are mad!
Oh, with the walking out runway strutting.
I'm not a member of the girl group.
And TLC, like freaking loved TLC.
Waterfalls, what a tune.
But what do your kids listen to?
Some of the kids do love Little Mix.
I mean, we really liked Fifth Harmony.
Sad to see them go.
(39:42):
Okay.
But they were great.
And yeah, I mean, the Spice Girls, I mean, everybody likes to spice up their life.
So got to rate them.
I think that they sort of blazed a trail for the Pussycat Dolls, if anything.
So yeah, love them all.
What do your children think about the fact their mum is a Pussycat Doll?
Do you know, in the beginning, I've taken, especially my oldest to school,
(40:05):
she used to turn on, especially when I grow up and try and turn it really loud.
If I was driving her to school and I'd be like, oh babe, turn it down.
Because I'm going to be quite shy anyway, especially in lots of people I don't know.
So yeah, I think that they do kind of wear as a little badge of honour here and there.
And I'll hear that at school people know what her mum is, Kimberly Wyatt.
(40:26):
Yes, but how does that?
But I'm Kimberly Rogers to you.
But you know, on the school drop, dropping the kids off, how is that?
You know, do you get other parents kind of looking over when they're taking photos?
I guess there's been times, but I think now having lived in our little surrey bubble for
as long as we have, it just feels normal.
And I feel like Max and I used to talk about, there's nothing more levelling than a school run,
(40:48):
because no matter what you do, we're all in it together.
We're all doing the breakfast and the bedtimes and the dealing with kids and stuff.
So I think to a certain extent, it's a bit of a leveler.
I think the younger they are, the more influential the parents would be like,
oh my God, there's a pussycat doll.
Or I hear the little dispersion stuff.
I mean, their mum's a pussycat doll and their dad's a catwalk fashion model.
(41:11):
They have some pretty cool parents.
I mean, we'd like to think so.
Yeah. So you were planning on taking the children on your tour with the pussycat dolls.
What kinds of other holidays do you like to go on with them?
Well, you know, we just went to Portugal and it was amazing.
So for the longest time, you know, having to make lots of changes,
we couldn't really go abroad with the kids.
(41:32):
We needed to sort of just stay put and take care of stuff for a bit.
So we would go to Isle of Wight.
Is that because you were too worried about traveling abroad with the kids
or you just had stuff to sort back?
Just had stuff to sort back and traveling with three kids
and the expense of getting them here and there.
It was just, it was a lot and we had to overcome quite a lot from everything being canceled.
(41:53):
So we would just stay put really and visit Wales so many times and did wild camping
and went to Isle of Wight and really just tried to experience the UK and Devon
and like just see everything that we could and had some brilliant holidays.
But of course, I always wanted to get abroad with the kids and get some sunshine.
And yeah, we went to Portugal and it was just divine.
(42:14):
We had the best time.
Where abouts did you go in Portugal?
Valdez Lobo.
Yeah, and all around there.
Look, your dance school, I want to hear a bit more about that.
And I'm actually super keen to bring my daughter to it.
Do you teach those kids that high kick?
Obviously.
Can you teach me the legacy?
Yes.
Come to the school, teacher babes.
(42:35):
How do we?
I couldn't even.
Do you know, I think I've got one leg that's a bit more flexible than the other.
Yeah, probably.
My left leg, I can.
Where did that even begin?
How did you even figure out you could do that?
I guess in the beginning I was doing, I mean, I was just dancing loads.
And especially with ballet mostly, taking ballet classes and learning.
(42:57):
I could kick, I had like, okay, flexibility.
I couldn't go all the way down the splits.
I had some ways to go.
But it was ballet, just learning how to use those muscles and support the leg
to be able to get it where it needed to go.
Not everyone can do that.
I mean, come on, ballet.
I went to ballet.
I could do that.
And vigilant teachers and competitions.
And I think when you see other kids, especially around the States
(43:20):
that were doing these unbelievable moves, you just feel motivated to
to take the torture of stretching, which then you turn into a meditation
of just sitting in these poses and allowing and mindfully telling your body,
it's okay, let it go.
You can get lower and lower and lower.
And I think just the love of dance, I think, ultimately is what spawned me on
to be able to do those things.
(43:41):
So do you still do that like now?
I still stretch.
Yeah.
Well, you know, teaching the kids and stuff, I find it difficult to teach
without showing.
I'm very much like a visual person.
So we teach everything from street to ballet and everything in between.
I've got brilliant faculty of teachers that come in as their experts in the
field for their classes.
(44:02):
Knowledge is from minis, juniors, intermediate, advanced.
I've got it all covered.
And I also have my invite class.
So on a Thursday night, the kids that I feel, because I feel like there's
something to be said about bridging the gap between dance school and being a
working dancer.
So if I see a kid that just has that buzz about them that I feel could go all
the way, then I invite them to my private studio at my house and I work with them
(44:24):
and help them develop their flexibility and their strength and give them
opportunities on stages.
What an opportunity.
They must be thinking I'm being taught by Kimberly.
I think I always like the first time they come, there is a bit of a
like, because it's in my home and it's really warm and welcoming.
We keep all the parents in the dining room and we've got all of our kittens
(44:45):
and cats running around.
So it's quite family oriented, but I could just see the look on their eyes
and the nerves and the quietness that comes in on that first day.
But by the end of it, I always seem to be able to pull the confidence and find
it, find that spark to get them out of that shyness.
Being able to kind of give that back and give young people the opportunity.
(45:05):
It's the purpose work, you know, there's so much in the world that is so
difficult and negative and all of that.
So when you go to the purpose work and can find, I feel my purpose is to
inspire others and inspire those dancers to find that.
So being able to get that space and create that is kind of what that's what
drives me.
What about your children?
(45:25):
Do you see in them potential to be future models and dancers?
You can't help but see the best in your kids, can you?
What do you want them to pursue?
I mean, how would you feel if your daughter's turned around and said,
Mom, we're going to join a dance group?
Well, the thing is, I always was like when I was pregnant, I was like
architecture, you know, scientists, any of those sorts of things.
(45:48):
Let's go in a different direction.
But they came out dancing, so I can't help that.
And I've got to be the shepherd, you know, they kind of choose it and
you've got to follow.
And I guess ultimately, it's their love for dance that's inspired me to want
to set up the dance school.
And now we're taking it to the next level with our competition team.
So it's going to be the first year we're doing competitions.
And I can see like just the spark in them, like even having a competition.
(46:11):
We do shows, we do a Christmas show and a summer showcase.
But I think there's something about, and I was a competition kid, I can just
see the spark as they're getting into rehearsals and getting their costumes
and knowing they're going into this space of comps that I just see this
like next level of stepping up with their training.
I'm like, OK.
So even if they don't become dancers, they love it for now.
And I know that everything they're learning from battling their nerves or
(46:34):
just expressing themselves or just finding their space and feeling powerful
in their space is just going to do great things for whatever they choose to do.
Because I mean, my little Maple, she loves to dance, but she's also a
brilliant footballer.
So you just never know.
What about cooking?
Are any of them good at cooking like their mum?
Well, Maple does like cooking as well.
Because you won.
I did.
(46:54):
You won, Martha.
I did.
I love it.
You go into everything.
I'm like, I'm going to nail it.
I'm going to win it.
All right, so, yeah, you won MasterChef.
I did win MasterChef.
It was amazing.
Well, the thing was I couldn't cook to save my life.
And I just had a baby, our first one, Willow.
And I was like, I'm going to have to learn some skills.
The realisation of cooking three meals a day was sudden.
(47:15):
And so I felt like MasterChef would give me an experience to at least start learning.
So I just like dove in.
I was reading and looking at the ingredients, thesaurus and all the stuff.
How did you go from not being able to cook to then winning MasterChef?
It was a competitive spirit in me, I swear.
Because I'd be like, OK, I need to cook my own dish on Friday.
And you learn so much through all the different challenges throughout the week.
(47:37):
So I'd learn all these different things.
And then by Friday, I had to have practised my dish at least three times.
So sometimes I'd stay up all night and Max would always talk about it being his favourite time.
Because I'd go for the first dish.
It wouldn't go very well.
Go for the next one.
Go for the third one.
And of course, having a baby is why I go for the practice.
And it's just at that moment at the end where everything's bubbling.
And it's just that point where you got to play up.
(47:59):
And I swear, that'd be the time I'd hear the baby screaming.
So I'd go up and try and get her back to sleep and feed her and everything.
And come back and I'd have burnt my salmon or something would have gone right.
I'd just be in tears.
I have to do it again.
So he just loved life because he was eating so much food.
Wow.
It's the juggle, incredible juggle with the business and doing these shows and appearing as an actress.
(48:23):
And how do you manage it?
I do have a brilliant film coming up.
I'm really excited about called The Spin.
Yeah.
Oh, tell us about that.
It's called The Spin and it's based about these two guys that own a record shop and the record shop is failing.
So they need to save it.
So they have to go on this road trip to figure out how they're going to save their record shop.
And it's a comedy and it's just brilliant directed by Michael Head.
(48:46):
And based on a true story of this brilliant guy I met out in Ireland while I was there.
And I just I can't wait.
It's coming soon.
I think that they're doing a press release quite soon as well.
It's called The Spin.
So keep a lookout for it.
And which character do you play?
So I play a character called Dallas who they find on the road.
Can you tell us anymore?
(49:07):
I'm spilling no more.
Dallas.
Dallas.
Oh, interesting.
I will definitely keep a lookout for that one.
Please do.
So you've been in MasterChef.
You've been in The Jump.
You also did something pretty amazing for Stand Up to Cancer.
Wow.
You walked the wire.
And you did the training for that in Austria.
(49:28):
It went by Innsbruck.
Yeah.
I was like watching it.
I went by all these memories flooding back from filming The Jump.
It was brilliant because we were away with 2,500 meters high and this brilliant
like training ground.
A lot of Olympics people go there to do their training because you're at an altitude.
But it was just phenomenal.
Like learning to walk a wire.
(49:49):
I don't know.
You just want to think that it's so easy.
It is so difficult to find that space and that mindfulness to be able to take to it
and keep your nerve whilst dealing with your pole and weather and the scare of heights
and all sorts.
It was amazing.
Is there anything that you're scared of?
(50:09):
I remember when there was a volcano that went off and the ash meant that there was no flights
between the States and the UK.
Oh, the Icelandic ash cloud.
Yes, exactly.
In 2010.
Oh my knowledge.
Yeah.
I'm not stuck in the morning.
Did you?
That's a good place to be stuck.
Well, it's not actually because it's quite expensive to be stuck there.
(50:30):
That's what scares me.
It's good to be somewhere and my family be somewhere else and not be able to get back
to them.
That scares me.
I was expecting you to say like swimming with sharks or snakes or going to the jungle
or something.
I remember doing another show called Don't Rock the Boat.
We rode the coast of England and there was a really stormy night and being stuck in the
(50:53):
boat and seeing all these crazy waves and it's just complete darkness.
The idea of going overboard and getting lost in that.
That's quite scary.
Yeah, that is scary.
So what's next for you then, Gimli?
Oh, what is that?
Well, you know, DJing is my life.
Like I've been DJing for 10 years on honeymoon.
We went to Mauritius, which my husband is half Mauritian, a quarter actually, quarter
(51:15):
Mauritian and Indian and all sorts.
So it was lovely to go back to Mauritius where he knew some of his roots were from.
And it's absolutely stunning.
And then went to New York because I had to wait for my visa and everything to go through.
So whilst we were in New York, stuck, not knowing when it was all going to come through,
took myself to run DMC Scratch Academy and sort of went to DJ school.
(51:38):
So ever since I've been practicing and DJing and doing like clubs and stuff, but now it's
really sort of stepping up to the next level.
And I was just supporting Jessica in the other this past weekend and doing all these lovely
festivals and gigs and things.
And then the dream was always to sort of also have a DJ dance show.
When you're doing your DJ sometimes, well, don't you just go.
(51:58):
So I've got Don't You Disco is my DJ dance show.
I've got a couple of dancers and it's choreographed along with me, DJing live and whatnot.
And that's where you get the kick.
Perfect.
So mixing your passion and music, DJing, dancing,
running a dance school, films, you know, you love it all.
Don't stop.
We can't, can we?
(52:22):
It's been amazing having you as a guest on the Mile Fly Club.
But obviously we can't have you on the show without asking you.
Are you a member of the Mile High Club?
I'm too shy for that.
Come on.
I couldn't do it.
Oh, the idea.
You can't be a global superstar and not join the Mile High Club.
I should just say I am just to feel like a rock star because the idea of it's phenomenal.
(52:45):
But the possibility of getting caught in front of a whole plane and not being able to hide anywhere.
Well, some of our guests, some of our guests have said they've got it on the cabin crew.
Yeah.
Wow.
I love it.
I love shenanigans.
I just am usually not the one that's able to create the shenanigans.
I don't believe that.
(53:05):
If there was a member of the Fizzy Cat Dolls that might be a member of the Mile High Club,
could you tell us who it might be?
I wish I could, but I can't.
Maybe I could read it through my eyes.
Kim, anyway, thank you so, so much.
Absolutely.
Good luck with everything you're doing.
Keep smashing it.
Thanks, babe.
(53:26):
And thanks to all the listeners out there.
We love having you all as members of the Mile Fly Club.
So stay tuned for more fantastic episodes coming soon.
Nicole, Carmiti, Ashley, Melody, Kimberly, Jessica, better known as the Pussycat Dolls.
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She's a member of the hottest girl group on the planet.
Kimberly Wyatt joins the My Fly Club to reveal what really went on.
Pussy killed the trap star.
I wanted to lead with sort of a lead singer and the rest of us, it's like a football team.
Nicole was the quarterback.
I was the one singing.
I knew what I was getting into and I just sort of grit my teeth and went in and danced my booty off.
(00:34):
The Fame.
This was a completely unprecedented group.
The Controversies.
I look at my phone and it says, Nicole confirms that Pussycat Dolls Tour is cancelled.
And I was like, what?
So you always knew it was pretty cutthroat.
But the feeling of being replaceable was definitely something that lasted throughout the group.
(00:58):
Now it's time to set the record straight.
When it all comes crashing down, it was a panic mode.
Two of the girls, Robin and Nicole, have been suing each other ever since.
And I really don't know what might happen next.
Welcome to the My Fly Club, your VIP lane to first class travel tips, tell all talk and turbulent life tales.
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Think the My Fly Club only with more clothes, but no less revealing.
Each week, I'll be inviting high flying globetrotting guests to bear all in my club.
So if you're searching for some tantalizing travel tidbits and a good old gossip, you've arrived at the right destination.
Now sit back, relax and get ready to join me in the My Fly Club.
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Ladies and gentlemen, we've now reached our cruising altitude.
I'll go ahead and turn off the seatbelt sign, so sit back, relax and enjoy the flight.
Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like my next guest?
Well, it's dull domination in the My Fly Club today, as I'll be chatting to a member of one of the most successful girl bands in the world.
(02:05):
She's a dancer, singer, actress, talent show judge, mother and of course, a pussycat dull.
Welcome to the My Fly Club, Kimberly Wyatt.
Yay!
Hello, hello.
So great to be with you, Kimberly.
Thank you so much for joining us.
My pleasure. Happy to be here.
Well, we've known each other since our jump days.
Oh my God. Pre-wedding, pre-kids.
(02:28):
Yeah.
Well, you just had a caesarean, actually.
I had just had a caesarean and I ended up ski jumping.
And I remember you giving my newborn baby rocko at the time.
Lovely little cuddles.
What an experience.
Yeah.
But that was back in 2000 and it must have been 2013.
Yeah, that sounds very, yeah.
(02:49):
But I want to take us all the way back to 2004.
Oh, bring it back.
Where it all began for you.
That's right.
When that was the start of the Pussycat Dolls.
Yes, I believe that was the year that we launched Don'tcha, which became a worldwide smash.
Incredible.
It was crazy.
I remember, but in fact, we played a lot of the Pussycat Dolls tunes when we were doing the jumping.
(03:10):
I remember that.
Do you in the zone?
But before it was a recording group, it was actually a cabaret show.
Yeah, it was a cabaret burlesque inspired dance troupe, really, at Johnny Depp's Viper Room.
So it's actually Johnny, who Robin, who's the creator of the dolls,
had brought this show that was quite burlesque and had corsets and fishnets and all sorts.
(03:33):
And they were doing performances at the Viper Room when Johnny Depp owned it.
And he loved it and said, you've got to give this a name.
So Robin went away and came back with the Pussycat Dolls.
And Christina Applegate, being one of her best mates, ended up being sort of the host and emcee of the show.
And it just sort of evolved and started bringing in a lot of different celebrity guests to come and sing and perform.
(03:55):
Big, big names, right?
Gwen Stefani, Carmen Electra, Christina Aguilera.
Yeah.
Brittany Murphy, Charlize Theron, Britney Spears.
I mean, just about everybody did the show.
But it was Gwen Stefani that came and did the show and loved it so much.
She brought her label with Jimmy Iovine.
And when they saw it, they could see how they could kind of give it a bit of a rejig and make it a recording group.
(04:21):
So about a year and a half later, we were signed and ready to start figuring out what the Pussycat Dolls look like as a recording group.
So how did you become part of the group in the first place?
Well, funnily enough, I was sort of doing lots of film and television work as a dancer, mostly,
and went to an audition for at the time it was MTV Newlyweds with Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey.
(04:45):
And so it was auditioning and it happened to be that Robin, the creator, was a choreographer at the audition.
And she loved what I was doing and gave me a call that night and said,
Nick and his team would love for you to come and dance with him and perform.
But also, I've got this group Pussycat Dolls.
Would you be interested in coming and doing some shows with us?
And having been a young dancer, I could see all these articles on the walls about this cool new underground show
(05:11):
that Justin Timberlake was a huge fan of and Christina Aguilera was performing with.
And I was like, what is this? Like, I'm so curious.
So at the time was like, well, I could take on another gig.
Let's give it a go.
I mean, that just must have been like you can't believe that has been happening to you.
It was kind of crazy. I guess I didn't know what I was getting myself in for.
(05:31):
But I'll never forget some of the first shows.
I think one of the biggest first shows I did was at this electronics convention called E3.
And it's quite a big thing. And Carmen Electra, I mean, she was like one of the leads of the groups for over 10 years.
And she was performing with us as well as one of my favorites, Pink.
And so Pink was coming to perform. Just a bit of name dropping there.
(05:54):
A bit more name dropping.
And I'll never forget getting all glammed up with the hair and the makeup and the costume and that curtain open.
And I was like, oh, my God, if you're like a rock star, this is the life.
And I just absolutely fell in love with it.
It was like I felt so empowered on stage.
I could feel sexy. We could just get lost.
And it just felt really powerful sharing the stage with all these phenomenal females.
(06:14):
So what was it really like, you know, at the height of it all, dealing with that kind of fame?
Yeah, I mean, it was full on because Doncha.
So Doncha was a song that was proven to be a smash hit on radio in the States.
It was like number one requested song at radio, but it wasn't selling.
So I knew this song worked.
And so the label put everything behind it to then pull the song, have us record Doncha and go in for this video.
(06:40):
We were in the video as the pussycat dolls we knew and came out with braids and I had a mohawk and sort of became these alter egos.
So I was all of a sudden punk doll rocking out in this music video with CeeLo Green and Busta Rhymes.
And quite quickly, that song just went, you know, stratospheric around the world.
(07:03):
So it's just as soon as we remember coming to London for the first time and just people screaming outside the hotels and
just doing every show under the sun around the world.
So it was that song that catapulted you and then took you on the road and that was it you were travelling.
Yeah. So where was the first place you travelled to?
I want to say it was London.
(07:23):
I'm pretty sure it was like because London in the UK became almost a second home for pussycat dolls.
They seem to just get it straight away.
The fans just knew gave us so much love.
And so it was from going to the UK, then we were all over Australia and Europe and Canada and just, I mean, Asia.
We just went everywhere.
Where was your favourite place to go to with the group?
(07:45):
Well, funny enough, one of my favourite memories performing with the dolls was Manchester because they were such loud fans.
So it's one of my like, I just always remember how loud everybody was.
But like exotic, couldn't believe it was sort of Malaysia.
Malaysia was just gorgeous.
I've never been there.
It was amazing.
I just it felt like you're just in a completely other world.
(08:08):
And it was just really tropical.
And yeah, it was just amazing.
But your fans in Manchester, you think were the biggest and kind of most important.
I would always look forward to coming to Manchester.
Glasgow is another one that I just always love.
And of course, being an American girl, I wasn't that familiar with the UK.
So all I knew it was how the fans would react towards us doing the shows.
(08:30):
And yeah, like Manchester, Glasgow, they were the loudest around the world.
So Doncha was obviously the biggest hit that was out there.
But Lady Gaga's debut single Just Dance, was that on the cards as well as potentially being?
Yeah, funny enough, back in the day, Gaga was sort of signed to the label to write songs for the Pussycat Dolls.
(08:52):
So she came on board and was writing songs under the label, but of course, ultimately wanting to carve her own path.
So we'd heard of this Lady Gaga girl, didn't know much about her.
And yeah, later came to transpire that Just Dance was written for Pussycat Dolls, but our team passed on it.
And so she took it and went with it.
And then soon enough, she's opening for us in our tour.
(09:15):
She was our opening act for quite some time launching Just Dance.
Wow. So the dynamics of any group can be kind of quite interesting.
I was actually not many people probably remember this,
but I was part of a little group myself.
Weren't you?
The Fun Song Factory.
I mean, it wasn't quite as cool as the Pussycat Dolls, but I was Melody.
(09:36):
That is amazing.
The musical one with Aston.
Yes. Oh, this is coming back to me.
I didn't know this.
Yeah. We sung things like Ten Fat Sausages Sizzling in a Pan.
I'm sure it would give Doncha a run for it.
The kids would go crazy.
But you know, the dynamics in any group can be quite interesting.
Yeah.
So I kind of want to set the record straight and kind of dynamics in the group of the Pussycat Dolls.
(10:00):
Just tell me a bit about it.
Well, this is a I mean, as much as dynamics in the group as a whole,
this was a completely unprecedented group because we were the first group ever signed to a 360 deal.
We were the guinea pigs of what now is the road map of sort of any artist that's getting signed to a big record deal
before they'd only sort of share profits in album sales.
And you could do all your merchandise and touring and everything,
(10:23):
where this was very much a partnership between the brand, Robin Anton and Pussycat Dolls and the label.
So they had sort of buddied up 50-50.
And then below that, we were signed basically as castmates to a recording contract, almost rather than artists.
So it was done. The whole structure of it was much different.
(10:43):
But for me, you know what? It was it was living the dream.
And I knew that contract that I signed way back when wasn't exactly the best contract.
But I also knew this was a stepping stone.
And for me, it was worth sort of seeing where it would take me and using this beautiful experience as a stepping stone to see what would come next.
And of course, as it progressed, it was all it became very difficult for sure,
(11:09):
because just because of the the scale of what we were up against and the amount of work we were doing around the world and what was required.
You know, my I use my body as an instrument. I'm a dancer.
So I'm doing all the leg lifts and working the way that I do.
Yeah, it was it was tough. But at the same time, I lived the dream.
Like, I have no regrets. And it's really interesting hearing you say,
(11:31):
like, first of all, when you signed up to the contract, you were like, well, it wasn't the best contract.
Because it was kind of the same for me.
It was like, yeah, not not on the same scale as a kids' TV presenter, but joining this little band and kind of thinking,
I'm signing my life away in many respects, but I just want to see this as an opportunity.
I want to want to roll with it.
So the girls that you were obviously put together with,
(11:52):
did you know each other before you were put together as a band or was it very much kind of thrown in?
Here's the dynamics. Here's the mix. Figure it out.
Well, in the beginning, there was over 12 girls in the group.
So there was a sort of the lead cast who'd been doing Maxim and lots of front covers of magazines and stuff.
And they were sort of led by Carmen Electra.
(12:14):
And so then there was a few newbies coming through.
And as the recording group was signed, there was a lot of changes made.
And so you always knew it was pretty cutthroat.
And I've always told the story about, you know, and don't I knew I was on the chopping block.
Like I had to work really hard to show that I was worthy of being in the group.
(12:35):
I had acne because of stress and anxiety of the label letting go of all these different girls.
And, you know, could you make the cut?
Like, I feel like I had to prove myself and I couldn't get my skin under control.
So I knew going into Don't Ya, I was on the chopping block.
And most of the big group routines or the big group moments, I'm not in, because she wanted kind of,
(12:56):
well, Robin was sort of, you know, wanted to make sure that if we needed to make cuts, it could still happen.
How did that make you feel, though?
Like I needed to be a warrior and prove that you couldn't do this without me and that there was just for me,
I felt like I was destined to be in this group and I didn't want anybody to take that away from me.
But the feeling of being replaceable was definitely something that lasted throughout the group for its entirety.
(13:23):
But like I said, I knew what I was getting into.
I knew it was a stepping stone and I knew that I was meant to be in Don't Ya.
And when I came out with that mohawk and became this punk doll thing, I was like, I am going to roll with this.
And so I just sort of grit my teeth and went in and danced my booty off and did everything I could to create real moments in the video.
(13:44):
That would help the band become iconic.
So I felt like each one of us girls had a role to play and I could very much envision what my role was.
And so I was sliding down bannisters and doing these huge jumps on the trampoline to try and get these brilliant shots and in this crowd, doing all these crazy things.
But it was the bannister thing that I was like, this could be really cool.
So it was just the highest bannister with the biggest drop.
(14:07):
It was like, well, I couldn't guess, but a very big drop.
And I had these heels on, they're a little bit big.
I would never complain about the shoes.
You just go for it.
And so we did this choreography.
It came down the stairs and then you'd go into this group choreography at the bottom with loads of different people around.
So at the top, I was like, this is what I'm going to do.
(14:27):
I'm going to get on the bannister.
I'm going to slide down my stomach.
This is why you were so good at the jump.
This is where it all began.
So I'm going to slide down this bannister with this mohawk.
I could just see it and then get off, get to my spot and do the dance routine.
But in the midst of blocking it, my heels came off as I was coming off the bannister, trying to stay in time and get in my place and nail it.
(14:49):
So I thought at the time this was the walkthrough, but they'd filmed it.
So I do the whole dance in my socks.
And I'm like, well, at least we got that one done.
Go back and smash each one out.
But just so happens that they kept the one in my socks.
I'm going to have to watch the video.
So in this little dance formation, I slide down the bannister and all these group routine.
I'm just back there dancing in my socks.
(15:12):
Oh, I'm going to have to watch it.
So you actually got back together, didn't you?
So the band split?
Well, we didn't split actually.
Right before Covid, we were headed for a world tour and I worked really hard because I just felt like it just didn't feel like it was over.
And I just wanted to make sure that we could end it on a really positive note.
(15:35):
So worked really hard to to help bring it back together.
It took like two and a half years to get everybody sort of on the same page and ready for a big world tour.
So excited.
But amidst of that, found out that I had a very surprised pregnancy about two weeks after I'd signed this contract.
What did it look like bringing everyone sort of back together?
(15:56):
Because obviously, like Ashley's off doing her thing, Nicole's off doing her thing, Camille's off doing her thing.
You're a mum to two, well, three now, but two got like, what was that like?
I mean, we all knew we would have to make sacrifices to make it work and we all had our own lives going on.
So we're looking at doing it a bit healthier in a way that we could go out for two weeks and come home for one or two weeks, go out for two weeks, which would extend the tour.
(16:19):
We'd probably be going for a good year and a half to make sure we could visit all the places around the world.
But we could still sort of keep up to date with what we were doing.
And I had made deals with the school that we could do remote learning.
Kids were really young at the time.
So it's like we just found a way that we can make it work.
Then, of course, like a surprise pregnancy changes things quite a bit.
(16:40):
But I was just like, you had no idea.
No idea.
I was just started feeling really ill and was just pregnancy was so far from something that we were looking at doing.
I just felt like that could not be it.
But Max was like, let's just I'm going to go get your pregnancy test.
Let's just try it out and just make sure we can just strike it off the list and then go figure out what's wrong with you.
(17:01):
So I come back and do the pregnancy test and it comes up like five plus.
Like, oh, my God, I am not just pregnant.
I'm quite pregnant.
And so so then I was looking at it like, how am I going to make this work?
So then I tell the other girls at this point.
No, I didn't tell anybody at this point.
I was still trying to figure out what I was going to do.
And so then it turned out I worked out the timing.
(17:24):
So I had to have a cesarean because it was my third and they didn't want me trying naturally.
So I did the cesarean and then seven weeks afterwards, I was in rehearsals and doing the X Factor reunion performance.
And I remember seeing you on stage and you were insane.
Incredible.
Thanks, mate.
(17:46):
But, you know, and I love that because much like, you know, yes, exactly.
Not saying it's the safest thing to do after.
No, it's not.
But, you know, I think it's great.
So then obviously the girls knew that you were having you'd had Senna and you were like going to be going on tour.
How did that all go down?
(18:07):
Like, what happened next?
Well, so I think that was funny about it.
Were they like, oh, it's not going to work.
Nobody was fun.
I think there was a photo shoot that happened and they were going to shoot somebody else's body and put my head on it.
What?
No way.
That was the only funny thing that happened.
But luckily, the photo was me.
Sorry, they said they were going to shoot someone else's body with your head on it.
(18:29):
Yeah.
That's not cool.
Not going to say I didn't like I wasn't that cool with it.
But at the same time, I knew how difficult it was to get this thing going.
And having been a part of getting this thing going, the last thing I wanted to do was create any sort of roadblock.
So I was certainly up for it and let it happen.
Then it came back.
(18:50):
I was like, this just doesn't feel right.
Like, I just can't do it.
So there was a photo shoot that happened.
All the girls look amazing.
But I just wasn't in.
And when it came time for rehearsal, I just entered and just wanted to make sure that it just wasn't a problem.
And that I just sort of showed up and did my work.
And my gorgeous husband, Max, was there throughout all of it with little babysitter.
(19:11):
And we'd set our alarms so it was time to breastfeed and bring him over.
And whether I was in a meeting, they filmed everything, whether I was in a meeting with all the girls talking about how we were going to do it.
And what was that like when you all got back together for the first time and you were sat in a room?
Did you sort of feel like then there were any egos or?
Well, we all showed up.
We were in the first room together five days before our first big reunion performance without any plans about what we were doing, how we were doing it, nothing.
(19:38):
So it was quite a like flying by a seat of our pants.
Let's make this happen.
So if anything, it was just really nostalgic.
All of us just couldn't believe we'd finally gotten it over the line and the fact that we're all on the same page enough to move forward with it and just excited to make it the best it could possibly be.
And then what?
(19:58):
And then we just got stuck into rehearsal and just made it happen and started rehearsing.
Nicole brought React to the to the plate and made it clear that as a group, we were going to move forward as a team.
And it was going to be this wonderful new experience, which was everything that I'd hoped for.
And sort of the reason that I really got behind wanting to do the reunion in the first place was to just make it a really lovely environment.
(20:23):
So we went for the big first performance and it went off with a bang and it was amazing.
It was massive.
And Nicole was certainly sort of leading with her management team.
Did you find that Nicole was often trying to lead a lot?
Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, she was put in that position way back when with the label is they'd seen it with Carmen Electra and the group.
(20:45):
Is she a different label then?
No, it's all the same label, but her management sort of took leadership of the Pussycat Dolls, basically.
And they wanted to lead with sort of a lead singer and the rest of us, they sort of said it's like a football team.
You have a quarterback and you have a receiver.
Nicole was the quarterback, which we were fine with.
But soon the spotlight should open, but the spotlight never did.
(21:11):
But like I said, I knew it was I'd signed up for and ultimately in the beginning when I realized just the amount of work and exposure didn't and money didn't like lean into the happiness and mental health that I needed.
That's when I had to make a change and leave and did that.
But to bring it all back together with you left again after React came out.
No, so that was in the beginning, the first round.
(21:33):
So that was sort of set me up for wanting to make this a different experience and was very hopeful for that.
But ultimately we had the world tour and it was like glass to brew on the cards.
Like it was going to be an absolute dream and COVID hit and it was literally the Monday that we all went into lockdown was the Monday the girls that were living in L.A. had flown over to start our first day of our three weeks of rehearsal to do our world tour.
(21:59):
So they were flying over from L.A.?
Literally landed with all their bags, checked into their hotel and most all of them then literally had to turn around that day and fly back.
We were especially worried that they weren't going to be allowed back into the country and all sorts.
So a few of them even left their bags thinking, oh, we'll be back in a few weeks once this blows over.
Three years later, I remember being in lockdown.
(22:20):
I was just trying to keep myself in the game and raising all three kids and every Sunday or was it every day?
I think it was every day at 1230 during the week.
I would do a live dance class just to and teach some pussycat dolls routines and just like keep things going.
I'd see these dates come and go like, oh, we're supposed to be playing glass to brew on this day.
(22:40):
How did that work?
Like as a recording artist, if you'd you'd commit it, I mean, presumably there was like finances that come in.
Mate, you open up like you end lots of your work to open up all this space to go on the road.
So, of course, when it all comes crashing down, it was it was a panic mode.
Three young kids were playing for school fees, like all these things.
(23:02):
I mean, it completely changed our world.
We've had to re rejig our entire life because of it.
And what were the discussions that were had amongst the band following that?
Was it like, well, we're going to pick up after Covid or we assumed that we would pick up after Covid?
(23:23):
Because usually that means that the dates are just postponed.
So we're just waiting for those new dates to come in, which kept me in the gym and working and making sure I still kept the routines ready to go.
But then because there was a bit of a situation where the new dates needed to be launched, but they couldn't until business had been sorted.
(23:47):
And then it's basically to the girls, Robin and Nicole have been suing each other ever since.
And just waiting for a resolve and I really don't know what might happen next.
But yeah, it's just sort of.
So you still don't know.
I remember, so I finally ended up doing Dancing on Ice, strapping on those skates, getting ready to get back to it.
(24:09):
And right before the first live show, I'm on the ice, walking through my routine, stepping through, trying to stay in the game.
And I look at my phone and it says Pussycat Dolls canceled or Nicole confirms that Pussycat Dolls tour is canceled.
And I was like, what? How am I finding this out on the phone?
I've not heard of this. So part of me just didn't want to believe it.
(24:31):
But then you were hearing about things through the press, not even through Robin.
Yeah. So right before the first live show, I just like bawled my eyes out thinking all this that I've made all this space for in life.
But waiting for these new dates just all came crashing down.
And I didn't even find out, you know, sort of in the proper way.
I felt like such an afterthought.
But did you really believe that it actually was true?
(24:53):
Because when you read it in the press, you're like, is this happening?
Like, did you not want to pick up the phone and call Robin and go, what?
Like, I think I did probably pick up the phone and call Robin, which is when I found out that it had been canceled.
And she was super apologetic.
It definitely didn't go down in the way that it should have.
But it was confirmed.
Like, there was no, I guess the two girls couldn't come to an agreement with all sorts of things, which people can find out online.
(25:16):
But yeah, it's still sort of ongoing.
Everybody says never say never.
How does that make you feel about Nicole?
I mean, listen, the thing that I've learned over the years is that women need to support women.
100%.
And so I try and stay in a space of just trying to, you know, give the benefit of the doubt and just stay in a supportive place.
(25:38):
Because if I get bitter and angry, which I have been, it doesn't really do anything good for me or my mental space.
So, you know, anybody can make their own choices.
But when they start really affecting you and your space, and especially when you're raising three kids, I've got a lot to protect.
So ultimately, you know, I would like to say never say never.
(25:58):
I just have no idea where headspace is and communication is incredibly difficult.
But we did something amazing together.
And what we've left, the legacy of the Pussycat Dolls and the empowerment we would inspire around the world through our music and through our performances was phenomenal.
And I think that that's in a way what's so sad, because as women, like I'm loving hearing you say women support women.
(26:23):
I'm all like, absolutely.
Let's build each other up.
Let's lift each other.
So when you've had those experiences together, I bet you just want to pick up the phone and go, listen, Nicole, like.
We need to be here for each other.
I think it goes across the board just as, you know, first 360 deal in the industry and just see where how the balance of power and control sort of went, especially of those times.
(26:46):
I think we live in much different times now, and there's there's space to not feel like you have to compete or dim other people's lights in order to shine the brightest.
I think when you welcome other people's power and empower one another together, you shine even brighter.
And so I'm just going to keep putting that out there because I feel like that's that's where I live.
(27:07):
And it doesn't feel conducive to try and point a finger at anybody, really, at this point.
There was something that was said, and I don't know if you can clear out for us.
Nicole apparently said that she played the Pussycat Dolls, the first album, and then you guys came in and heard it.
Is that true?
There was a listening party for all of us involved.
(27:28):
But I would say that it would be unfair to all the members of the group to say that it sort of went down in that way, especially to especially in the beginning,
Melody and Carmete were sort of second leads for that whole first album.
And they're very much in the studio, very much part of it for me myself.
You know, my role was dance first.
So and I'm very proud of that.
(27:50):
Don't feel like I have to feel ashamed of being a dancer, singer.
There's a lot of power in that.
And it brings a lot to the group.
But again, I think that's where you've got to hold a space for your bandmates and you think you should go to bat for them rather than make it seem like there's only one important person.
Do you ever watch back videos of like Pussycat Dolls performances and like there might have been a bit of upset between two people and you're like, oh, like you remember like that person's looking at that person or and it brings brings back memories?
(28:21):
Yeah, it does.
And the fun, like I guess the positive spin for me on it, because I've done a lot of work on it, is that even when there was moments of animosity, especially as a dancer running my own dance academy, if you can use that anger in a way that's conducive to that performance, what it can do to you as an artist and as a dancer is pretty phenomenal.
So I guess it's taking those animosities and making them work for you.
(28:44):
And I guess that's why with my dance academy, I talk a lot about emotions and I work with the youth sport trust.
And I look at ways of teaching dancers and artists how to bring in emotions and use them, because I think it's very therapeutic and you can do so much more with it rather than getting lost in the hate.
Wow, look, it's a travel podcast. So it sounds like there has been a bit of turbulence.
(29:06):
Of course, there always is.
I think it's amazing, like, you know, your positivity and I'm all for that, like, you know, glass half full or whatever, seeing the good in people.
But do you realistically think there is a future for the Pussycat Dolls when there are two people that are in this legal battle?
The legal stuff, that's where you feel quite powerless, because nothing can move forward until that has an ending.
(29:31):
They have to come to an amends.
But ultimately, I feel really in my power of I just don't want the legacy of what we built together to go out down in flames of two women fighting each other.
So I do still sit in this place of feeling like wanting to find ways to glue it back together and whatever way that means, whatever way that looks like.
(29:54):
I don't know what the future of the Pussycat Dolls hold, and I don't know if I have the power to make anything happen.
But I'm always looking for opportunity to bring girls back together where you can show that you can support each other and support each other's power.
So that's always my focus.
And I do look at different projects and I am in talks with, you know, well, Robin mostly and the girls and sort of Nicole.
(30:17):
And I just hope that we're...
Who do you mean sort of Nicole?
She's very elusive and very busy.
She is very busy.
And I don't, it's hard to always, it's hard to find out where she is with what she wants to do next and where she stands with the group.
And I mean, she's allowed to do whatever she wants, but I just would like for a finish to happen so that whoever does stand up for her.
(30:39):
Can stand with the Pussycat Dolls, can stand with the Pussycat Dolls and create a legacy that we can feel proud of.
So could you continue on with the Pussycat Dolls without Nicole?
Well, that is not my choice to make because I don't own the group.
Of course.
Yeah, as in like, but the brand, like, you know...
The brand could, it could, but I don't own the brand, so I can't.
(31:00):
And the same with like, it's not my choice to make it.
I'm glad that I'm not in that position of having to make those choices.
But at the same time, there's a lot of women in the group that probably don't get the stage or the opportunity as much as some do,
that do have incredible talent to share and should get the opportunity to do that.
(31:20):
Well, you do share your incredible talent and you are sharing it.
I mean, look, first of all, what advice would you give to an aspiring pop star?
The world has changed so much since we were a band slash brand.
And luckily...
Do you see yourself as a band or a brand?
(31:42):
Like, where...
Both. I think there's a blurred line.
I think especially because of the 360 deal, it was very much a brand as well as a band.
And there's lots of controversy, but I do say we used our body as instruments.
And so therefore we couldn't be called a brand and we can be called a band.
But a lot of people see that saying a band is only if you have instruments.
(32:03):
So, I mean, there's controversy.
We could do a whole podcast just about brands and bands, I think.
But I think luckily with social media, you can't be controlled and sort of not given a chance to have a platform and opportunities to be seen outside of the group.
Thank goodness, because as much as you've got to put your heart and soul into what you're doing,
(32:24):
you've also got to make sure that you look after you as well.
And I think, gosh, in this world, ultimately, you need to own your power.
I think that's why I have a dance academy, is teaching kids to own their power.
Because there's going to be a lot of moments where you have to make serious choices and you need to know your morals and where your line is and not be afraid to say no.
(32:47):
And it's a really difficult thing to learn to be powerful enough to say no.
But that no is sometimes needed.
And that comes with age, though.
It really does.
You're just so eager to please and want to make a name for yourself and go out there and have opportunities that it can sometimes cloud your vision.
But I think luckily with all the stuff that's coming on Earth about, especially L.A. with Me Too and Diddy and all sorts, I think the power of no is incredibly important.
(33:14):
It is a travel podcast.
We have to talk about travel and the fact that you were born in Missouri.
Yes.
But you now live in the UK.
I do.
And you're married to Max.
Yes.
Gorgeous Max.
And you have three beautiful children.
I do.
So was it Max that brought you to the UK?
Well, it was the Pussycats that brought me to the UK in the first place.
(33:37):
The fans from Manchester brought me to the UK.
And then it was Got2Dance.
I was a judge on Got2Dance for five years on Skype, which I loved and met so many amazingly talented people.
So that kept me coming back.
I was sort of spending half my time in L.A. because I lived in L.A. for 10 years.
So I was living there, spent half my time in America, half my time in the UK.
(33:59):
And then I was doing Closed Show Live.
Don't know if you remember.
So Closed Show Live in Birmingham.
I was doing Mainstage at the time I was doing an electro band called Her Majesty and the Wolves.
So I was a special guest performer amongst a cast of like 20 models and 20 dancers.
It was an absolute dream with Andy Turner, who I love.
And so I would do my performance.
(34:20):
At the end, they had a big finale that they'd all walk the runway.
And it was just amazing.
And my gorgeous friend, Bebe, so beautiful, Anthony Kaye, who I'd met doing Pussycat Doll's video, J-Ho,
and just thought he was so beautiful.
He was in the show as well, dancing and modeling.
And he's like, you have to meet my friend Max.
He's just gorgeous and so sweet and so nice.
(34:41):
So he introduced us and then he decided that I needed to be in the finale, even though I wasn't.
So he grabbed my hand, dragged me on stage.
Max grabbed you on stage.
This is Bebe.
Bebe, he drags me on stage and Max is sort of the lead person amongst the whole cast to walk the runway.
So he threw me to Max and Max walked me down the runway.
And that's sort of how we met.
Wow.
So you were like put together and introduced down the catwalk.
(35:06):
And then a few months later came for the rap party in Soho.
And sort of that's when Max and I really started chatting.
And we were at Freedom Nightclub in Soho downstairs.
And just as we thought we'd found a nice little dark corner, he's going in for the kiss.
We realized as the spotlight comes on and don't just start playing that we're actually on a stage.
(35:27):
No way.
So it was like we're literally just like, oh my God, get up and perform.
Play it off.
Yeah.
Did you drag him up on stage to perform with you?
He sulked in the corner in the darkness being like, oh my God.
We didn't realize that was going to happen.
You're such an amazing person, Kimberly.
You're such great energy.
(35:47):
And you have done so much.
Obviously, not only being part of this global sensation, the Pussycat Dolls, but you act.
I've seen you, you're a judge.
You've got your mom, your real wife.
You've got your dance school, your parents.
They must be so proud of you.
(36:09):
What do they think of it all?
Gosh, I guess it's been quite a whirlwind.
So my parents are back in Missouri.
You know, my dad's health is sort of not been very great, but I know that they're in all
of everything that I've gone on to do.
And unfortunately, I have a bit of a strained relationship with my parents and they haven't
really been that close in my life for a very long time.
(36:30):
But at the same time, just a lot of experiences as a kid that didn't make me feel so safe.
So if anything, I've done a lot of work on forgiveness and knowing that sort of the
experiences I probably shouldn't have had to face gave me a lot of power to run, which
I ran to go to LA and work and find my way in life.
(36:53):
At what age did you sort of leave then?
17.
So I graduated early from high school and at 17 found auditions in Las Vegas, went to
Vegas and started auditioning and worked on cruise ships for my first few years.
Realized that I've got really bad sea legs.
So cruising's not your thing then?
Not my thing, even though I did a good year and a half on cruise ships, saved a bit of
(37:15):
money.
But the dream was always film and television and I always knew I wanted to go to LA.
So packed my bags, drove myself to LA and started auditioning and then ended up living
there for 10 years.
And yeah, it's a bit strange, but we've sort of started to try and be in contact and whatnot.
Are they close to your children?
(37:35):
No, they've only met them a few, few times.
Yeah.
So that must be quite hard as well.
Because I think, you know, as a mom of three children, the support network.
The support, yeah.
You kind of need, I mean, I know you're very good friends with Zoe, Harvin.
Yes, speed on the mile.
Love her.
Like love too.
But you're also very close to Ashley.
Yeah.
Does she help out with the kids at all?
(37:56):
She's Auntie Ashley.
Winston couldn't say Auntie, he calls her Noddy Ashley.
I'm sure she is naughty.
But yeah, I find a lot of love within my friends and the people that I keep around me,
because I don't have that support system that many do people have in their parents.
And I mean, my mom's had loads of experiences that I can rationalize why it came to the point that it did.
(38:20):
But yeah, it's sort of missing.
Share a bit about that?
Well, my mom's mom ran away when she was two years old and they never found her again.
And she was raised on food stamps and they paid lots of money on a private investigator
that they just never, never found her ultimately.
And there was different stories that went around about what might have happened,
(38:40):
but none of us have ever found out.
And so my mom sort of married when she was 16 and lived a bit of a naughty life for a while.
And I think her self-esteem and a lot of things were just incredibly low.
And so was the man she married at 16, your dad?
That was my brother's dad.
Yeah.
And then they got divorced and she married my dad and had me.
(39:00):
Kimberly, you've been a part of one of the most successful groups worldwide.
Yeah.
Who do you rate musically as a girl band?
Well, I mean, a huge inspiration growing up, especially because I was a music video girl.
I loved watching the music videos.
It was like the biggest inspiration to get into it.
And En Vogue was one of the biggest.
(39:21):
We are mad!
Oh, with the walking out runway strutting.
I'm not a member of the girl group.
And TLC, like freaking loved TLC.
Waterfalls, what a tune.
But what do your kids listen to?
Some of the kids do love Little Mix.
I mean, we really liked Fifth Harmony.
Sad to see them go.
(39:42):
Okay.
But they were great.
And yeah, I mean, the Spice Girls, I mean, everybody likes to spice up their life.
So got to rate them.
I think that they sort of blazed a trail for the Pussycat Dolls, if anything.
So yeah, love them all.
What do your children think about the fact their mum is a Pussycat Doll?
Do you know, in the beginning, I've taken, especially my oldest to school,
(40:05):
she used to turn on, especially when I grow up and try and turn it really loud.
If I was driving her to school and I'd be like, oh babe, turn it down.
Because I'm going to be quite shy anyway, especially in lots of people I don't know.
So yeah, I think that they do kind of wear as a little badge of honour here and there.
And I'll hear that at school people know what her mum is, Kimberly Wyatt.
(40:26):
Yes, but how does that?
But I'm Kimberly Rogers to you.
But you know, on the school drop, dropping the kids off, how is that?
You know, do you get other parents kind of looking over when they're taking photos?
I guess there's been times, but I think now having lived in our little surrey bubble for
as long as we have, it just feels normal.
And I feel like Max and I used to talk about, there's nothing more levelling than a school run,
(40:48):
because no matter what you do, we're all in it together.
We're all doing the breakfast and the bedtimes and the dealing with kids and stuff.
So I think to a certain extent, it's a bit of a leveler.
I think the younger they are, the more influential the parents would be like,
oh my God, there's a pussycat doll.
Or I hear the little dispersion stuff.
I mean, their mum's a pussycat doll and their dad's a catwalk fashion model.
(41:11):
They have some pretty cool parents.
I mean, we'd like to think so.
Yeah. So you were planning on taking the children on your tour with the pussycat dolls.
What kinds of other holidays do you like to go on with them?
Well, you know, we just went to Portugal and it was amazing.
So for the longest time, you know, having to make lots of changes,
we couldn't really go abroad with the kids.
(41:32):
We needed to sort of just stay put and take care of stuff for a bit.
So we would go to Isle of Wight.
Is that because you were too worried about traveling abroad with the kids
or you just had stuff to sort back?
Just had stuff to sort back and traveling with three kids
and the expense of getting them here and there.
It was just, it was a lot and we had to overcome quite a lot from everything being canceled.
(41:53):
So we would just stay put really and visit Wales so many times and did wild camping
and went to Isle of Wight and really just tried to experience the UK and Devon
and like just see everything that we could and had some brilliant holidays.
But of course, I always wanted to get abroad with the kids and get some sunshine.
And yeah, we went to Portugal and it was just divine.
(42:14):
We had the best time.
Where abouts did you go in Portugal?
Valdez Lobo.
Yeah, and all around there.
Look, your dance school, I want to hear a bit more about that.
And I'm actually super keen to bring my daughter to it.
Do you teach those kids that high kick?
Obviously.
Can you teach me the legacy?
Yes.
Come to the school, teacher babes.
(42:35):
How do we?
I couldn't even.
Do you know, I think I've got one leg that's a bit more flexible than the other.
Yeah, probably.
My left leg, I can.
Where did that even begin?
How did you even figure out you could do that?
I guess in the beginning I was doing, I mean, I was just dancing loads.
And especially with ballet mostly, taking ballet classes and learning.
(42:57):
I could kick, I had like, okay, flexibility.
I couldn't go all the way down the splits.
I had some ways to go.
But it was ballet, just learning how to use those muscles and support the leg
to be able to get it where it needed to go.
Not everyone can do that.
I mean, come on, ballet.
I went to ballet.
I could do that.
And vigilant teachers and competitions.
And I think when you see other kids, especially around the States
(43:20):
that were doing these unbelievable moves, you just feel motivated to
to take the torture of stretching, which then you turn into a meditation
of just sitting in these poses and allowing and mindfully telling your body,
it's okay, let it go.
You can get lower and lower and lower.
And I think just the love of dance, I think, ultimately is what spawned me on
to be able to do those things.
(43:41):
So do you still do that like now?
I still stretch.
Yeah.
Well, you know, teaching the kids and stuff, I find it difficult to teach
without showing.
I'm very much like a visual person.
So we teach everything from street to ballet and everything in between.
I've got brilliant faculty of teachers that come in as their experts in the
field for their classes.
(44:02):
Knowledge is from minis, juniors, intermediate, advanced.
I've got it all covered.
And I also have my invite class.
So on a Thursday night, the kids that I feel, because I feel like there's
something to be said about bridging the gap between dance school and being a
working dancer.
So if I see a kid that just has that buzz about them that I feel could go all
the way, then I invite them to my private studio at my house and I work with them
(44:24):
and help them develop their flexibility and their strength and give them
opportunities on stages.
What an opportunity.
They must be thinking I'm being taught by Kimberly.
I think I always like the first time they come, there is a bit of a
like, because it's in my home and it's really warm and welcoming.
We keep all the parents in the dining room and we've got all of our kittens
(44:45):
and cats running around.
So it's quite family oriented, but I could just see the look on their eyes
and the nerves and the quietness that comes in on that first day.
But by the end of it, I always seem to be able to pull the confidence and find
it, find that spark to get them out of that shyness.
Being able to kind of give that back and give young people the opportunity.
(45:05):
It's the purpose work, you know, there's so much in the world that is so
difficult and negative and all of that.
So when you go to the purpose work and can find, I feel my purpose is to
inspire others and inspire those dancers to find that.
So being able to get that space and create that is kind of what that's what
drives me.
What about your children?
(45:25):
Do you see in them potential to be future models and dancers?
You can't help but see the best in your kids, can you?
What do you want them to pursue?
I mean, how would you feel if your daughter's turned around and said,
Mom, we're going to join a dance group?
Well, the thing is, I always was like when I was pregnant, I was like
architecture, you know, scientists, any of those sorts of things.
(45:48):
Let's go in a different direction.
But they came out dancing, so I can't help that.
And I've got to be the shepherd, you know, they kind of choose it and
you've got to follow.
And I guess ultimately, it's their love for dance that's inspired me to want
to set up the dance school.
And now we're taking it to the next level with our competition team.
So it's going to be the first year we're doing competitions.
And I can see like just the spark in them, like even having a competition.
(46:11):
We do shows, we do a Christmas show and a summer showcase.
But I think there's something about, and I was a competition kid, I can just
see the spark as they're getting into rehearsals and getting their costumes
and knowing they're going into this space of comps that I just see this
like next level of stepping up with their training.
I'm like, OK.
So even if they don't become dancers, they love it for now.
And I know that everything they're learning from battling their nerves or
(46:34):
just expressing themselves or just finding their space and feeling powerful
in their space is just going to do great things for whatever they choose to do.
Because I mean, my little Maple, she loves to dance, but she's also a
brilliant footballer.
So you just never know.
What about cooking?
Are any of them good at cooking like their mum?
Well, Maple does like cooking as well.
Because you won.
I did.
(46:54):
You won, Martha.
I did.
I love it.
You go into everything.
I'm like, I'm going to nail it.
I'm going to win it.
All right, so, yeah, you won MasterChef.
I did win MasterChef.
It was amazing.
Well, the thing was I couldn't cook to save my life.
And I just had a baby, our first one, Willow.
And I was like, I'm going to have to learn some skills.
The realisation of cooking three meals a day was sudden.
(47:15):
And so I felt like MasterChef would give me an experience to at least start learning.
So I just like dove in.
I was reading and looking at the ingredients, thesaurus and all the stuff.
How did you go from not being able to cook to then winning MasterChef?
It was a competitive spirit in me, I swear.
Because I'd be like, OK, I need to cook my own dish on Friday.
And you learn so much through all the different challenges throughout the week.
(47:37):
So I'd learn all these different things.
And then by Friday, I had to have practised my dish at least three times.
So sometimes I'd stay up all night and Max would always talk about it being his favourite time.
Because I'd go for the first dish.
It wouldn't go very well.
Go for the next one.
Go for the third one.
And of course, having a baby is why I go for the practice.
And it's just at that moment at the end where everything's bubbling.
And it's just that point where you got to play up.
(47:59):
And I swear, that'd be the time I'd hear the baby screaming.
So I'd go up and try and get her back to sleep and feed her and everything.
And come back and I'd have burnt my salmon or something would have gone right.
I'd just be in tears.
I have to do it again.
So he just loved life because he was eating so much food.
Wow.
It's the juggle, incredible juggle with the business and doing these shows and appearing as an actress.
(48:23):
And how do you manage it?
I do have a brilliant film coming up.
I'm really excited about called The Spin.
Yeah.
Oh, tell us about that.
It's called The Spin and it's based about these two guys that own a record shop and the record shop is failing.
So they need to save it.
So they have to go on this road trip to figure out how they're going to save their record shop.
And it's a comedy and it's just brilliant directed by Michael Head.
(48:46):
And based on a true story of this brilliant guy I met out in Ireland while I was there.
And I just I can't wait.
It's coming soon.
I think that they're doing a press release quite soon as well.
It's called The Spin.
So keep a lookout for it.
And which character do you play?
So I play a character called Dallas who they find on the road.
Can you tell us anymore?
(49:07):
I'm spilling no more.
Dallas.
Dallas.
Oh, interesting.
I will definitely keep a lookout for that one.
Please do.
So you've been in MasterChef.
You've been in The Jump.
You also did something pretty amazing for Stand Up to Cancer.
Wow.
You walked the wire.
And you did the training for that in Austria.
(49:28):
It went by Innsbruck.
Yeah.
I was like watching it.
I went by all these memories flooding back from filming The Jump.
It was brilliant because we were away with 2,500 meters high and this brilliant
like training ground.
A lot of Olympics people go there to do their training because you're at an altitude.
But it was just phenomenal.
Like learning to walk a wire.
(49:49):
I don't know.
You just want to think that it's so easy.
It is so difficult to find that space and that mindfulness to be able to take to it
and keep your nerve whilst dealing with your pole and weather and the scare of heights
and all sorts.
It was amazing.
Is there anything that you're scared of?
(50:09):
I remember when there was a volcano that went off and the ash meant that there was no flights
between the States and the UK.
Oh, the Icelandic ash cloud.
Yes, exactly.
In 2010.
Oh my knowledge.
Yeah.
I'm not stuck in the morning.
Did you?
That's a good place to be stuck.
Well, it's not actually because it's quite expensive to be stuck there.
(50:30):
That's what scares me.
It's good to be somewhere and my family be somewhere else and not be able to get back
to them.
That scares me.
I was expecting you to say like swimming with sharks or snakes or going to the jungle
or something.
I remember doing another show called Don't Rock the Boat.
We rode the coast of England and there was a really stormy night and being stuck in the
(50:53):
boat and seeing all these crazy waves and it's just complete darkness.
The idea of going overboard and getting lost in that.
That's quite scary.
Yeah, that is scary.
So what's next for you then, Gimli?
Oh, what is that?
Well, you know, DJing is my life.
Like I've been DJing for 10 years on honeymoon.
We went to Mauritius, which my husband is half Mauritian, a quarter actually, quarter
(51:15):
Mauritian and Indian and all sorts.
So it was lovely to go back to Mauritius where he knew some of his roots were from.
And it's absolutely stunning.
And then went to New York because I had to wait for my visa and everything to go through.
So whilst we were in New York, stuck, not knowing when it was all going to come through,
took myself to run DMC Scratch Academy and sort of went to DJ school.
(51:38):
So ever since I've been practicing and DJing and doing like clubs and stuff, but now it's
really sort of stepping up to the next level.
And I was just supporting Jessica in the other this past weekend and doing all these lovely
festivals and gigs and things.
And then the dream was always to sort of also have a DJ dance show.
When you're doing your DJ sometimes, well, don't you just go.
(51:58):
So I've got Don't You Disco is my DJ dance show.
I've got a couple of dancers and it's choreographed along with me, DJing live and whatnot.
And that's where you get the kick.
Perfect.
So mixing your passion and music, DJing, dancing,
running a dance school, films, you know, you love it all.
Don't stop.
We can't, can we?
(52:22):
It's been amazing having you as a guest on the Mile Fly Club.
But obviously we can't have you on the show without asking you.
Are you a member of the Mile High Club?
I'm too shy for that.
Come on.
I couldn't do it.
Oh, the idea.
You can't be a global superstar and not join the Mile High Club.
I should just say I am just to feel like a rock star because the idea of it's phenomenal.
(52:45):
But the possibility of getting caught in front of a whole plane and not being able to hide anywhere.
Well, some of our guests, some of our guests have said they've got it on the cabin crew.
Yeah.
Wow.
I love it.
I love shenanigans.
I just am usually not the one that's able to create the shenanigans.
I don't believe that.
(53:05):
If there was a member of the Fizzy Cat Dolls that might be a member of the Mile High Club,
could you tell us who it might be?
I wish I could, but I can't.
Maybe I could read it through my eyes.
Kim, anyway, thank you so, so much.
Absolutely.
Good luck with everything you're doing.
Keep smashing it.
Thanks, babe.
(53:26):
And thanks to all the listeners out there.
We love having you all as members of the Mile Fly Club.
So stay tuned for more fantastic episodes coming soon.
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I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
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Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
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