Hope (band)
| Hope | |
|---|---|
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Pop |
| Years active | 2007-09 |
| Past members |
Emily Biggs Phoebe Brown Raquelle Gracie Leah Lauder Sisi Jghalef Charlie Mole |
Hope are an English five-piece (originally six) girl group consisting of Charlie Mole (aged 23 at the time of the show), Emily Biggs (17), Raquelle Gracie (20), Leah Lauder (20) and Phoebe Brown (16), who found fame on fourth series of The X Factor.
The X Factor
The members of Hope auditioned originally as soloists but did not make it past bootcamp. However, judge Louis Walsh suggested that they re-audition as a six-piece, with the group originally containing a sixth member, Sisi Jghalef.[1][2] After reaching the judges' homes stage and being told that they had made it through to the final twelve, it emerged that Jghalef had an outstanding criminal conviction. This went against the rules of the competition and the show's producers asked her to leave the group.[3] On 3, 17 and 24 November, they were in the bottom two but were saved by the judges on the first two occasions, and by the public vote on the other (due to the judges' votes reaching deadlock). Hope were eliminated on 1 December by public vote.[4]
After The X Factor
Since leaving the show Hope have performed at various events around the UK including The Birmingham Clothes Show and have booked their first international date in Dubai. They announced three tracks from their debut album: "Hot", "This Is It" and "I Apologize", which features Pharrell Williams.
At some point between October and November 2008, Leah Lauder was removed from the Hope website and all traces of her existence in the band were deleted. There was no official announcement from the group about her disappearance; however, it has been rumoured that she left to become a solo artist, and she wished the band luck and is still in contact with some of them.
It was revealed on MTV UK Television's The Celebrity Agency that Hope went through a temporary split. This suggests that the band probably reformed without Leah Lauder, explaining her sudden disappearance from their website.[citation needed] As of 28 April 2009, the band's official website was taken down and it is presumed that Hope is on hiatus.
Solo careers
Phoebe subsequently joined the group Girls Can't Catch, signed to Fascination Records, the same label as Girls Aloud and The Saturdays. However, the group disbanded after its two singles, "Keep Your Head Up" and "Echo" failed to meet expectations.
Emily joined the group Parade. Their debut single Louder hit the top 10, but the follow-up, "Perfume", stalled at number 38. Parade's self-titled debut album was released in October 2011 but failed to hit the top 100. The group were dropped from their label in 2012 and split in early 2013.
Raquelle now hosts the news/gossip web series "Daily Dips" on Dipdive.
Charlie now works as a Recruitment Consultant in Durham.
References
- ↑ "The final three groups revealed!". The X Factor. 7 October 2007. Retrieved 7 October 2007.
- ↑ "Louis suggests 'X Factor' experiment". Digital Spy. 29 September 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2007.
- ↑ "'X Factor' chiefs axe Hope member". Digital Spy. 30 September 2007. Retrieved 24 October 2007.
- ↑ "Hope crushed in X Factor contest". BBC News. 2 December 2007. Retrieved 3 December 2007.
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