Ask: Michelle Scott-Lee

May 27 2007 By The Sunday Sun

Michelle Scott-Lee rose to fame as Michelle Heaton in the pop group Liberty X, who announced last week that they won't be recording any more songs.

The Gateshead-born star had been a contestant in the reality TV series Popstars. Although she reached the final 10 of the competition, Michelle failed to be selected for the group Hear'Say.

Undeterred Michelle picked herself up and, along with the four other rejected finalists, formed a separate band and secured a deal with Virgin records.

A former student of Emmanuel College in Gateshead, Michelle has also appeared in fitness DVDs, and embarked on a presenting career hosting SM:TV Live, CD:UK and Saturday Showdown.

She is married to fellow singer Andy Scott-Lee and has recently been seen in the three-part documentary series Michelle & Andy's Big Day for ITV2 and as a reporter in Australia for GMTV.

IS it true you might need a pacemaker fitted and that you have planned your funeral?

I've got a heart problem and last year just before the wedding it got a lot worse so the doctors thought that I might have to have a pacemaker fitted but it didn't come to that and since then it has got a lot better. And, no, I haven't planned a funeral. I am, however, going to make a will.

YOU allowed cameras to follow you around in the run up to your wedding. Would you consider any more reality TV?

We've actually got another show coming up in autumn, this is going to be more about everyday life and not planning a wedding, like doing auditions, going over to America and doing stuff over there, a bit like Peter and Kate's show.

I HEARD you were bullied at school. What advice do you have for someone going through the same thing?

I wasn't exactly bullied but I was picked on for being fat. It was horrible but it made me a better person. With the help of my mum I lost the weight. It's funny how people's perceptions of you change when you loose a bit of weight. It shouldn't happen but it does. My advice to anyone going through something similar would be to confide in whoever you are closest to whether it be your Mum, your Dad, or teacher. The best thing to do is talk about it. The worst thing to do is keep it to yourself.

IS it true someone once stole your husband's phone and sent you text messages saying he was dumping you?

Yes it is true. Andy was playing football and they nicked both his phones from his car after breaking into it. I was at the Liberty X's video shoot and I got a text message saying it was over, so I showed it to the others and they were like "Ah, he's just winding you up". He winds me up all the time but he's never usually that harsh. Then I got another one saying "It's over, I don't love you anymore" and I started crying. Then a text message came saying "I'm gay" and then everyone started saying someone has to be messing but there was still doubt in my mind because it was coming from Andy's phone. So this feeling went on for an hour and a half until he eventually got home, got to a phone and rang me. It was awful, I was gutted.

DO you get sick of being photographed when on a night out with friends?

Sometimes it's kind of fun, especially when you go out with friends who aren't in the public eye they love it when they come out of clubs with me and get photographed. The only time I get annoyed is when I'm having a really bad day looks-wise and you don't feel very confident or you're wearing a bad outfit or a little worse for wear at the end of a night.

DO you think fame has changed you and if so how?

It hasn't changed my personality at all. I met Andy right at the beginning before we became famous and he doesn't think that I've changed. I find that I look at my appearance much more now and I am much more critical now that I am semi-famous. I guess it makes you a little more cynical because you see all these dodgy things going on and meet all of these people that make money off you and they've done nothing for you. When you start out you're dead naive but you soon get a thick skin in this industry. You do think to yourself "why am I doing it?", but I'm doing it because I love it.

I NOTICED you in Newcastle the other day at a Carphone Warehouse promotion. What type of mobile do you have and which famous numbers do you have stored in it?

That's right I was back home in Newcastle with Andy last Friday to open the new Carphone Warehouse store on Northumberland Street.

WHAT are you up to with Liberty X at the moment?

We're not going to record any new material but we are doing lots of gigs up and down the country around the UK . . . we'll be back up in Newcastle in June!

DO you think the reality TV talent show has had its day?

No, you might get bored of the same shows like Big Brother or X-Factor but there'll be another one around the corner.

IF you hadn't entered Popstars what do you think you would be doing for a living now?

That's a really hard question. I'd probably be still dancing in a nightclub like I was doing before, or singing or something in TV. If I hadn't made it by now, I'd still be trying. If I wasn't a popstar I'd like to be acting or presenting. Andy went to uni to do multimedia design which covered everything from animation and special effects to web design so he's probably be doing something in TV too.

HAVE you ever thought of doing a duet with Andy?

No. Not right now. I can't see us doing one but then again you never know!

YOU were once in Celebrity Wrestling. Excluding your husband which male celebrity would you most like to "wrestle" with?

Definitely Paul Walker from The Fast and The Furious.