Jo O'Meara was best-known as lead singer of squeaky-clean pure pop outfit, S Club 7 until her involvement in a reality TV scandal turned her into a household name for all the wrong reasons. Born in Romford, Essex in 1979, O'Meara joined German-based hip-hop group 2-4 Family, but after scoring a European hit with their debut single, "Stay," she left to join S Club 7, the first project from Simon Fuller since parting company with the Spice Girls. Arguably the most talented singer in the band, she provided the majority of lead vocals for their 11 Top Five hits, but after four studio albums, a big-screen movie, and several TV series, the group called it a day in 2003. O'Meara spent the next two years recovering from a back injury she received while filming the group's cinematic release, Seeing Double, but after signing a solo deal with Sanctuary Records, she returned to the music industry in 2005. Her debut single, "What Hurts the Most," later recorded by Cascada and Rascal Flatts, reached number 13, but its parent album, Relentless, only peaked at number 49, and O'Meara was dropped by her label. In an effort to reignite her career, she appeared as a contestant on the highly controversial 2007 series of Celebrity Big Brother, but the move backfired when she, along with model Danielle Lloyd and tabloid favorite Jade Goody, were accused of the racist bullying of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty. O'Meara was deluged with hate mail after leaving the show, and went into self-imposed hiding for several months before teaming up with former bandmates Bradley McIntosh and Paul Cattermole for a reunion club tour in 2008. ~ Jon O'Brien