Mel Blatt

Outspoken pop vocalist Melanie Blatt was the founding member of one of the most successful girl groups of the '90s, All Saints. Born in Camden, London in 1975 to a French mother and English father, Blatt attended the prestigious Sylvia Young Theatre School at the same time as Denise Van Outen, Emma Bunton, and future bandmate Nicole Appleton. After performing in Drive, a short-lived band featuring U.S. actress Julienne Davis, and providing backing vocals for dub-funk outfit Dreadzone, she met songwriter Shaznay Lewis and, along with Simone Rainford, formed All Saints 1.9.7.5. Following the departure of Rainford, the pair recruited sisters Nicole and Natalie Appleton, dropped the numbers from the group's name, and signed a record deal with London Records. All Saints went on to become the Spice Girls' biggest rivals, scoring five number ones, two multi-platinum albums, and two Brit Awards before disbanding in 2001. Following collaborations with Artful Dodger on the Top Ten hit "TwentyFourSeven" and hip-hop outfit Outsidaz on "I'm Leavin'," she released her first solo single in 2003, the Xenomania-produced "Do Me Wrong," and began work on her debut album, Shine, with Aqualung's Matt Hales. However, following the failure of her second single, "See Me," to enter the Top 75, plans for its release were shelved and she parted company with her label. In 2006, she reunited with the rest of All Saints to record third album Studio 1, and has since abandoned a music career to concentrate on her TV work. Blatt also appeared in the critically panned Dave Stewart gangster film, Honest, and on ITV2 covering the Brit Awards and participating in the network's music chat show The Hot Desk. ~ Jon O'Brien