MV: What are they like?
JH: They’re family orientated guys and they don’t come over here much. They just live in Norway and get on with their work. I don’t think they even know about all the commercial side of things - they just make their music. They’ve worked with Mis-teeq, Ms Dynamite, Blue and Atomic Kitten on the pop side of things but they’ve also done harder stuff with people like Brandy.

MV: Obviously, there was a bit of a bidding war for your services among quite a few record companies. Why did you end up plumping for Innocent? Is it because they’re based off Ladbroke Grove - and seeing as you’re from the Ladbroke Grove area yourself, it wasn’t so far to go?! Or did they just give you the most money?
JH: I was actually offered more money elsewhere but they were willing to forget about the whole Popstars thing and to just start from scratch and make me into an artist with some longevity. And also to get the whole sound right and not just plug a single and make the most money from that. I’ve waited a while as well. People thought I would release something a lot quicker than I have done, but I just wanted to get the music right.

MV: The big gap is a good thing, surely?
JH: Yeh, I just think if you throw people in people’s faces too much, they are just going to get sick of you. I went home and chilled out for Xmas. It was my 21st birthday and I relaxed and lived a normal life. Then in January, I went into the studio and stayed there six months straight, just getting the sound right.

MV: Is the video ready?
JH: I’ve filmed the video but I haven’t seen it completely yet. It was so hard to watch! I did it in LA as we just thought it would give it an international feel and a fresh look. I am walking the streets of my neighbourhood, doing a couple of dance moves in a sexy catsuit (!) with breakdancers doing their thing. And then at the end, I just go to my ordinary nice looking boyfriend who works in record store and then we walk into the sunset together.

MV: With hindsight are you happier now that you have a solo deal and are not part of Girls Aloud?
JH: Now I am - but obviously at the time I was like ’Oh my God I’m not in the band’ I was really upset about it. But now, I can see that probably it was the right thing, especially the kind of music they’re doing. I was bought up listening to reggae and soul. I think it’s great for them but I just think I would look wrong doing it. I wouldn’t be doing it and enjoying it - it would be very half hearted.

MV: There was a lot of hype at the time about the show being rigged - what was your opinion on that? People thought you were the best singer by a mile...
JH: I think from that whole thing, I realised how much people supported me. I have people coming up to me on the street and saying ’Even if your single is rubbish, I am still gonna buy it because you deserve it’. I think people kinda forgot about me on the night. Literally everyone just thought I’d be in the band, even before they even heard me sing. It was like they had to have the token black girl in the band. Obviously not!

MV: Are you still in contact with any of the guys and girls from Popstars - The Rivals?
JH: I still see Cheryl now and then but we are not as tight as before. She just has her own thing going on. I’ll probably see her more again now that I am doing my thing and going to TV studios. I did a concert the other day in Manchester and they were performing there as well. They have been really supportive which is nice.

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