Stars in Strife

Every week at Mecca Bingo you can read the latest celeb-based ponderings and then play online bingo for cash and big bingo jackpots. So read on for this week’s thoughts on the latest goings-on in the crazy world of celebrity…

Recent big news in the world of celebrity is that Sugababes singer Amelle Berrabah was arrested after a fracas on a night out. The 23 year old singer is the latest addition to the British girl band, which has seen many alterations since it came into existence in 1998. She was arrested last month following allegations of an assault against an 18 year old woman in the Bar Med nightclub in Surrey and, according to reports in tabloid papers The Daily Mirror and The Sun, the star spent the night in the local police station before being released on bail. The tabloids have reported that the Sugababe was at the club with her younger sister Laila when a fight broke out between the sisters and other female clubbers.

All this isn’t great publicity for the band or their newest member. Amelle has been a member of the three-piece since December 2005 and the band has had more than its fair share of line-up changes in its short life. The Sugababes started life in 1998 when childhood friends Keisha Buchanan and Mutya Buena were introduced by their manager Ron Tom to Siobhán Donaghy at a party. The girls were all thirteen years old at the time and by the time they were fourteen they had been offered a recording contract by London Records and were calling themselves the Sugababes. Original member Siobhán left the group in 2000 amid reports of fallings-out in the band – rumours which would continue to dog the Sugababes throughout their different guises – and was replaced by Heidi Range (herself a founding member of girl band Atomic Kitten) in 2001. The next change came in December 2005 when it was announced that Mutya Buena had left the band. Mutya was replaced by Amelle in the same month.

The frequent line-up changes have meant that the only original member now left in the band is Keisha Buchanan and also that the group’s reputation for moodiness and in-fighting has been kept well alive in the tabloids. This most recent development is the first time that one of the members has been in the news for being in trouble with the law however, and is sure not to do the band’s image any favours.

This is not the first time a member of a girl band has found themselves on the wrong side of the law for violent behaviour though. In January 2003 Cheryl Tweedy (as she was then, before marrying Ashley Cole) was involved in an incident with a nightclub toilet attendant during an evening out. Cheryl was charged with racially aggravated assault after it was alleged she hit Sophie Amogbokpa in the Drink nightclub in Guildford and called her a “jigaboo” among other names. Cheryl claimed she acted in self defense and denied using racist language. She was convicted of “assault occasioning actual bodily harm” but cleared of racially aggravated assault and was sentenced to 120 hours of community service as well as being made to pay Sophie £500 and £3000 prosecution costs.

Despite all this potentially damaging publicity, Girls Aloud’s career trajectory certainly didn’t seem to suffer. They have continued to enjoy chart success and Cheryl’s reputation doesn’t seem to have suffered one bit either; with her starry wedding ceremony to England and Chelsea footballer Ashley Cole covered by OK! Magazine for a whopping £1 million. Not much comfort to her victim, Sophie Amogbokpa of course, but perhaps some reassurance for Amelle Berrabah and the Sugababes; for it would seem that, if you’re a good looking female celeb with a well-oiled PR machine behind you, a little thing like assault won’t stand in the way of a legion of fans and a successful pop career!