Hannah Louise Spearritt (born 1 April 1981)[1] is an English singer and actress. She is an original member of the pop group S Club.[2] Spearritt is known for playing the role of Abby Maitland in the British science-fiction drama Primeval (2007–2011), Mercedes Christie in Casualty (2016) and Kandice Taylor in EastEnders (2017–2018).
Career
1994–1998: Stage
When she was 12, Spearritt landed a part in the Lowestoft Players amateur dramatics society's production of Annie. Thereafter, she successfully auditioned for the National Youth Music Theatre, and became part of the company.[1] (1994–1995), Tin Pan Ali (1996), and the West End musical Bugsy Malone (1997).[1] In 1998, she was cast in the television film The Cater Street Hangman,[1] playing the role of a maid who gets murdered. Spearritt also made appearances on the National Lottery and Blue Peter.
In 1998, Spearritt auditioned for and became a member of S Club. In the five years they were together, the group had four UK number one singles and a UK number one album. They recorded a total of four studio albums, released eleven singles and went on to sell over fourteen million albums worldwide.[3] Their first album, S Club, had a strong 1990s pop sound, similar to many artists of their time. However, through the course of their career, their musical approach changed to a more dance and R&B sound which is heard mostly in their final album, Seeing Double. Spearritt led some of the tracks on the groups' albums, such as "Dance Dance Dance" and "Hey Kitty Kitty", the latter which was also a promotional single for Sunny Delight. S Club 7 won two BRIT Awards—in 2000 for British breakthrough act and in 2002, for Best British Single. In 2001, the group earned the Record of the Year award. On 21 April 2003, during a live onstage performance, S Club announced that they were to disband.[4]
On 14 November 2014, S Club reunited for a BBC Children in Need telethon, performing a medley of "S Club Party", "Reach", "Bring It All Back" and "Don't Stop Movin'".[5][6][7] On 28 April 2015, S Club 7 reissued Best: The Greatest Hits of S Club 7, with a previously unreleased song, "Rain", as well as "Friday Night" from the S Club album.[8] In May, S Club 7 performed in UK arenas on the Bring It All Back 2015 tour.[9][10] In February 2023, it was announced the group would reform for a second time. In April, a few weeks after the announcement, Paul Cattermole unexpectedly died. In May, the group confirmed they would be carrying on but Spearritt would not be joining them following Cattermole's death.
2003–present: Acting and television
In 2003, she was in Los Angeles to audition for a role in the film Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London, a fact that she revealed at the UK premiere of the film on 24 March 2004 in London. In 2004, Spearritt appeared in horror film Seed of Chucky.[11] In 2005, she appeared in the BBC series Blessed as Sarah. In December 2005, Spearritt appeared in the West End musical Snow! The Musical, at London's Sound Theatre.[12]
Spearritt and Paul Cattermole met in 1994 when both were members of the National Youth Music Theatre. In 1999, Spearritt and Cattermole became members of S Club 7. They dated from 2001 until 2006.[19] In 2006 Spearritt started dating Andrew-Lee Potts, her co-star on the series Primeval; the couple were engaged from 2008 until 2013.[20][21]
On 20 December 2018, it was announced that Spearritt had given birth to a baby girl.[22] In December 2020, Spearritt announced the birth of her second daughter, both with her partner Adam Thomas.[23]
^"She's movin' on up". Times Online. Times Newspapers Ltd. 13 February 2005. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2008.
^"S Club to split up". BBC News. BBC. 21 April 2003. Archived from the original on 21 June 2006. Retrieved 25 August 2007.
^Chadderton, David (2 March 2012). "One Man, Two Guvnors". Britishtheatreguide.info. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
