Sophie Monk has spoken about how and why Bardot broke up all those years ago, and it’s quite a bit different to what former band member Belinda Chapple has claimed in her new book.
Bardot split up back in 2002 after winning the TV competition Popstars in 2000 and releasing two successful albums off the back of it.
The first self-titled album was a huge hit after releases of songs such as “Poison” and “These Days” (it’s still on high rotation in my family), followed by the second album Play It Like That which included bangers such as “ASAP” and “I Need Somebody”.
There was no third album or continuation for the girl group, something Belinda has claimed was because of the band manager’s plans to launch Sophie’s solo career.
In the book — dubbed The Girl in the Band: Bardot — a Cautionary Tale — Belinda says that manager David Caplice had demo solo songs lined up for Sophie and that she’d posed for solo photoshoots as well.
This was all ahead of a meeting the band were summoned to which would result in the Bardot members ultimately going their separate ways.
In the meeting, David allegedly said to the girl group, “We have decided it’s time for Bardot to call it a day. Sophie no longer wants to continue with the band.”
Belinda wrote that was was “utterly shellshocked” and that she hasn’t spoken to Sophie since Bardot separated.
Sophie, however, remembers it differently, noting that Katie Underwood had already left the band prior to the release of the second album.
In an interview with news.com.au, Sophie explained that she wanted to leave at the same time as Katie but stuck it out another year.
“What happened was, there were five of us and Katie said, ‘I would like to leave the band,’” Sophie told news.com.au.
“As she said that, I went, ‘I’d like to leave too.’
“And they [management] said, ‘No, you can’t leave because otherwise we’ve only got three (members) and we need you to stay for one more year.’
“I said, ‘I’ll stay for one more year and do one more album.’”
Why did Sophie want to leave when Underwood did? She essentially said it felt like the right time.
“For me, I just felt like we had achieved enough, and yeah, I wanted out when Katie did.”
Sophie also shut down claims that there was a solo career in the works prior to the band’s split.
“I finished [Bardot] and was looking for a job,” Sophie said. “I did not know they were going to ask me for a solo album at all.
“I didn’t get the phone call that they wanted a solo album until — definitely after [Bardot split],” she said.
Sophie’s version of events mirrors comments made by another Bardot member, Sally Polihronas.
“I think when Sophie went solo, everyone assumed that it was she who broke up the band, which wasn’t right,” Sally told FHM.
“I don’t know whether I should say this, but I wanted out for a long time. Sophie and I both knew that we were going to fulfil the last album and then move on,” she said.
Despite everything, Sophie had nothing but good things to say about her fellow band member, and remained understanding of how the events played out for everyone in unique ways.
“I’m sure all of us have different perspectives and experiences and saw different things,” she said.
“I do have respect for all the girls and I hope they do really good. Genuinely, I really mean that.”
I can hardly remember what I had for dinner last night let alone what happened in a meeting over 20 years ago. But Bardot’s split will remain one of life’s greatest mysteries, I guess.
Image Source: Peter Carrette Archive / Getty Images.
