It’s been a month since Michelle Heaton took the brave step of seeking treatment for alcohol dependency at a rehabilitation facility, but a close friend tells Closer there is light at the end of the tunnel. Thankfully, the singer is on the road to recovery and is due home next week.
Michelle sought help after a series of tough challenges, including a gruelling double mastectomy and a hysterectomy, which triggered an early menopause.
More recently she faced the mental struggles of lockdown, and the cumulation of events – as well as the trauma of losing her dear friend Nikki Grahame to anorexia – saw her hit “rock bottom”.
But now Michelle’s friend, Kirsty Shaw Rayner – who is in regular contact with Michelle and has her permission to speak to Closer – says the singer, 41, can’t wait to get home to her family.
Kirsty says, “Michelle’s doing great – she’s feeling brave, strong, confident and focused. She has people around her who love her so much that they wouldn’t let her fail.
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1 of 10Michelle Heaton
After Liberty X split in 2007, it was reported Michelle signed a two album deal with the record label 19 Entertainment, owned by Simon Fuller. However, just two months later she revealed she had walked out on the deal, wanting to pursue a television career over music instead.
2 of 10Michelle Heaton
Michelle definitely chose the right career path as following her decision, her TV profile skyrocketed, becoming a judge on the Irish talent show You're A Star, a contestant on ITV's The Truth About Binge Drinking and in 2009, Michelle was announced as part of the line-up for Celebrity Big Brother, joining Hollywood legends La Toya Jackson and Verne Troyer. After her CBB stint, she joined The Apprentice in Ireland, coming second. The star then took out time from the spotlight, raising two children as well as undergoing a double mastectomy in 2012, followed by a hysterectomy in 2014. She has since become a staple on talk show panels, including Big Brother's Bit On The Side and Loose Women, as well as reuniting with Liberty X in 2012 and 2013 for a UK tour AND becoming a member of Atomic Kitten for a one-off gig in 2016. Michelle is also a vlogger.phew.
3 of 10Kevin Simm
Following the band disembarking, Kevin immediately announced he was to release solo music. However, he only released his music in Japan, becoming a huge hit there when his single Brand New reached number 12 in the charts.
4 of 10Kevin Simm
While Kevin did rejoin the band in 2013 for their reunion, he then returned to his day job as a wedding photographer. But he didn't turn his back on singing altogether, as three years later he auditioned for The Voice UK and won the competition under Ricky Wilson's mentoring, gaining a record deal. Kevin released his album, called Recover, and is still releasing music following the album's success.
5 of 10Jessica Taylor
Just before the popular band's split, Jessica was a participant in Strictly Ice Dancing in 2005 (the show was short-lived) and then went on to star on Dancing on Ice in 2009, two years after the band parted ways. She came third, boosting her profile as a solo artist.
6 of 10Jessica Taylor
Since then, Jessica has appeared on various TV shows, including Hole In The Wall, The Chase and The Weakest Link. Jessica was also signed as the face and body of Diamond Boutique lingerie by Ultimo in 2009. However, she has mostly stayed out of the spotlight, marrying cricketer Kevin Pietersen in 2007 and welcoming two children.
7 of 10Tony Lundon
As the heartthrob of the band, Tony was offered many deals after the group's split, firstly accepting a presenting role in Ireland, hosting the quiz show TOAST. Yet, in 2010, Tony made a big career change and moved to New York to study film, before going on to found his own production company.
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8 of 10Tony Lundon
Like his other bandmates, Tony returned to the UK for Liberty X's reunion tour, missing some of the rehearsals after his wife went into labour with twins. He now works as a producer, helping other celebs, like Made In Chelsea's Jamie Laing, with their YouTube channels. Maybe Michelle and Tony should reunite for a vlog?
9 of 10Kelli Young
Kelli kept out of the spotlight after the band split, only appearing on one other TV show in 2007, where she featured as a contestant on Britain Sings Christmas. She covered Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You.
10 of 10Kelli Young
Kelli made her TV comeback in 2013 for The Big Reunion but then disappeared again until 2017, when she became a guest panellist on Loose Women. Kelli gave birth to twins with Little Mix songwriter Iain James in 2012. What is it with the Liberty X gang having twins?
“Everyone is really proud of her. We call her ‘Wonder Woman Shell’ – which is her Instagram handle – because of her bravery. She has shown that same grit and determination again and again.”
Michelle, who is mum to Faith, nine, and AJ, seven, discovered she was carrying a genetic cancer gene – the BRCA2 gene – in 2012.
To reduce her risk of getting cancer she opted for a double mastectomy, followed by a hysterectomy in 2015.
But the op brought on early menopause, which led to hair loss and, in Michelle’s words, left her feeling “erratic, down and emotional”. She also sought confidence counselling to deal with her changing body.
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Michelle bravely battled on, supported by her personal trainer, husband Hugh Hanley, but when lockdown hit she felt “lost” and turned to alcohol as a crutch.
Kirsty says, “Michelle lost sight of herself and we lost our Michelle. Lockdown played a big part in the pressures. Without her usual routine and not being busy, she was functioning from day-to-day. Covid hit the performing arts entertainment sector really hard.
“It’s been an incredibly difficult decade for Michelle, going through all she has, juggling work, a young family and her health – that’s a lot to contend with.”
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And while the new Covid variant – which is threatening to put back the easing of lockdown on 21 June – is causing anxiety for many, Michelle is just excited to be reuniting with her family.
Kirsty adds, “Michelle can’t wait to be reunited with her family and loved ones. She is longing to get back to work again, which will have her back on track. We all have our fingers crossed that the lockdown will end just as planned.
“The pandemic has been tough for everybody – but Michelle’s a fighter. She’s shown she’s a real-life warrior by being brave enough to get help for her issues. She’s a dear friend and I’m honoured to be able to call her that. I’m looking forward to our next girlie getaway.”
Read more in this week's Closer magazine, out now