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From the beginning, the intention was clear. “Five bad boys with the power to rock you,” came the shouty introduction in their first video, all hoodies and hair gel, the bandmates swaggering through a dim, strobe-lit corridor that suggested they might be trespassing – or at the very least, flouting a health and safety rule or two.

Signed by a then little known Simon Cowell to create “chaos”, Five (or 5ive) were the antidote to the squeaky clean boybands of the era. The image was tough egos, not hearts, on sleeves.

Jason “J” Brown, Abz Love, Scott Robinson, Ritchie Neville and Sean Conlon burst into the charts and on to teen girls’ walls with Slam Dunk (Da Funk) in 1997, and continued with hits including Everybody Get Up, If Ya Gettin’ Down and Keep On Movin’. They had 11 top 10 singles in total, including three number ones, filled arenas, and even had their own dolls (which is when you really know you’ve made it).

Behind the scenes, as we now know has been the case for so many young pop stars, things weren’t always as carefree as they appeared. The inevitable split came after just four years, and a full reunion always seemed unlikely. A couple of comebacks involved different members, but never J.

“I hated the industry,” he said during his appearance on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2007. “I ran away from it all.”

Five reunited (L-R): Sean Conlon, Jason 'J' Brown, Abz Love, Ritchie Neville and Scott Robinson
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Five reunited (L-R): Sean Conlon, Jason ‘J’ Brown, Abz Love, Ritchie Neville and Scott Robinson

Earlier this year, however, the announcement was made: Five – all five! – were making a comeback. A month later, after a few weeks to process the reaction (the initial arena tour dates have more than doubled, due to demand), I meet them at their publicists’ offices in London. A constant stream of easy ribbing has to be gently interrupted to get the interview going.

Now in their 40s, the bandmates are aware the internet has cottoned on to how often they used to sing about getting up – and getting down – in most of their songs. “We were aware of that at the time,” half-groans Ritchie. “We count a lot as well,” laughs J. “We’re an educational band.”

They are happy to be back in each other’s company. Back in the day, there were squabbles, but never any serious fall-out, they say. Five split because they were tired of the industry, not each other.

“We broke up out of love,” says Ritchie. “Sean was having a bad time, he was 15 when he joined the band, and it is a high-pressure, high-stress situation. We were thrown into the deep end and it’s sink or swim. It had been nearly five years of 18-hour days. We were worn out.”

When the video for the band’s penultimate single, Let’s Dance, was released, featuring a life-size cardboard cut-out of Sean in place of the real thing, it was claimed he had fallen ill. In reality, the pressures of the band, and fame, had become way too much. Scott was also suffering, desperate for a break and to spend time with his girlfriend, Kerry (the couple married shortly after Five’s split). By the time they called it a day, they were all worn out.

‘Our bond wasn’t spoken about’

Boy band, Five at the MTV Awards ceremony at the Filaforum near Milan. (Left to Right) J (Jason) Brown, Sean Conlon, Abs (Richard) Brown, Scott Robinson and Richie Neville.
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Winning an MTV Award in 1998. Pic: PA

“We ultimately made the call that it doesn’t matter how many number ones you have, it’s not worth this,” Ritchie continues.

Our bond wasn’t actually spoken about,” says Sean, “because of that ‘bad boy’ image.” There was a stigma, he says, and some pressure “to live up to being a lad”. They were five young men given the opportunity of a lifetime, so some laddish behaviour was par for the course. But it wasn’t the whole truth. “Really, we are five big softies.”

It was Scott who picked up the phone first. “I hadn’t seen J or Abz for a long time. I kept on hovering over their names.” Abz first. “Was it ‘cus I’m at the top – A, B?” he laughs. Scott reassures him it was an intentional dial. “That means a lot, man.” An AirBnB was booked and that was it – the first time in almost 25 years all five had been in the same room.

Initially, they weren’t reuniting as Five, simply as friends. But word got out, the offer came in.

“We didn’t sleep,” says Sean, recalling the night before the launch. “We were scared stiff… petrified.” Given their huge stardom back in the day – and following successful nostalgia-filled reunions by ’90s-’00s contemporaries such as Steps and S Club 7 – surely they realised the comeback would be something of a cultural moment?

Ritchie says not. “We’re just normal dudes that did something that went bigger than I thought.” There were fears of ending up “with egg on our face”, J adds. “We release it as this big thing and it could have just gone ‘pfff’.”

Staying in a hotel the night before the announcement, Scott called Kerry. “What if no one cares?”

Scott Robinson in Boybands Forever. Pic: Mindhouse Productions/ Harry Truman/ BBC
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Scott took part in the Boybands Forever along with Ritchie and Sean. Pic: Mindhouse Productions/ Harry Truman/ BBC

Just a few months earlier, millions had watched Ritchie, Sean and Scott taking part in the docuseries Boybands Forever, which pulled back the curtain on the darker side of fame. Their honesty about the mental health struggles they all faced during their time in Five no doubt contributed to the groundswell of support surrounding the comeback.

“I suppose it’s a massive part of the healing process,” says Scott. “When I started speaking to the boys again, it was like, I’m not sad anymore. Because all of that stuff is a distant memory… I’ve gone from being a little bit broken, to complete again.”

They are keen to stress they had lots of good times. “So many highs,” says Ritchie. “We played Rock In Rio. How many people was it?” “16 billion,” one of his bandmates exaggerates. “We opened the Brits with Queen, Times Square, we went platinum in the States…”

“I won two haircut awards,” says Scott, adding with mock false modesty: “I don’t like to talk about it.”

While they enjoyed so much of it, it got to the point where they were all desperately craving normality, and a rest. Now, they say it’s “massively” important to talk about the low points, and how the industry can learn from its mistakes.

‘Nobody’s life is that good’

L-R: Sean Conlon, Abz Love (Richard Breen), Ritchie Neville, 'J' (Jason Brown), and Scott Robinson of Five, admiring their dolls in 2000. Pic: John Stillwell/PA
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The Five dolls came in 2000, the year before the band split. Pic: John Stillwell/PA


“I think the marketing of bands of our era was really based around ‘everything’s positive, there’s no troubles’,” says Sean. “I don’t really think that that’s good for anybody.”

“Nobody’s life is that good,” adds Ritchie. Back then, mental health was not part of the conversation – particularly for five “bad boys”. “Now, thankfully, it’s spoken about a lot,” says Scott. “I think it’s so, so important.”

“It takes a lot of pressure off you,” says J. “When we were doing it – and we were children doing it – and we are in this position of being on a pedestal almost. You’re going through some really rough times and you just want people to know… [but] when you try and voice it to anyone else outside of this collective, it’s like [the response is], ‘you’ve got the world at your feet, you’re this age, you’ve obviously got millions in the bank’…”

“And that makes you feel a million times worse,” Ritchie adds. “I remember having this conversation with one of my best friends. They were like, ‘what have you got to be down about?’ It actually broke me.”

Things are different now, Ritchie continues. When he joined the band, he was 17 and “didn’t know what too much was”. But signed artists now have access to counselling and support, he says.

“We’ve already done it and it’s absolutely amazing to be able to speak to someone and go, this is what I’m feeling,” says Scott. “We didn’t have that. We’re not blaming anyone for that. It was a massive time in the ’90s where we were all learning at the same time… We’re older, they’re older. We’re more experienced and so are they.”

Abz chips in: “When you’re so wrapped up in it, you’re not sure what’s left and what’s right. To have that break, as wild and as long as it was, whatever happened in that time period, to actually all be here. We’re very grateful.”

‘We didn’t realise we were cool’

Five take a selfie for Sky News at the Brits in February 2025. Pic: Sky News
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Selfies as the band attended the Brits earlier this year. Pic: Sky News

There is also no longer such a snobbery around pop music now.

“We didn’t realise we were a really cool band,” says Scott. “We didn’t realise how good our songs were, and that’s not blowing our own trumpet.” After the split, they tried to “run away” from the music, he adds.

J and Ritchie, who “hung out a lot” in later years, would inevitably get asked about it when they were out together. They hated it. “We used to apologise a lot,” says Ritchie. “Oh yeah, we’re from that rubbish band.” He pretends to wince. “Sorry.”

“It’s a ridiculous thing, a really adolescent mindset, the whole, ‘I’m selling out’,” says J. “I had that for a long time, unfortunately.” With enough time passed, he now appreciates the Five back catalogue. “When I hear it, I can hear it fresh. And I’m like, that’s why people were digging it.”

The pop conveyor belt was an industry mistake, says Sean, and artists paid the price. “They looked at our music and bands like us and they thought, okay, it’s not really got a lot of depth to it, it’s not really moving people in that way that they’d be able to do a tour 25 years later. So we’ll get them working all day and all night, maximise it, profit-wise.”

But here they are, 25 years later. “Our music – and not just our band, the whole ’90s era – meant so much to so many people. We’re witnessing that now.”

Five (L-R) Sean Conlon, Scott Robinson, Jason 'J' Brown, Ritchie Neville and Abz Love in the early days. Pic: Shutterstock
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The early days of Five (L-R): Sean Conlon, Scott Robinson, Jason ‘J’ Brown, Ritchie Neville and Abz Love. Pic: Shutterstock

At the moment, there are no plans for new songs. “I think fans want to hear the old music,” says Scott. “They want to remember a simpler time when they didn’t have a mortgage to pay. They want the nostalgia.” Maybe later down the line though, he adds.

Given everything they have been through, the highs and the lows, what would their advice be… “Don’t do it!” Abz interrupts, laughing, before I get the chance to finish the question about the boybands following in their footsteps.

Get the “right people” behind you, Ritchie says, seriously. “Sleep in the breaks,” adds Scott.

But would they recommend it? Especially given some of them are fathers now. “I’d do it all again, but different,” says Abz. To which Sean quickly reminds him he is now doing exactly that.

They all are. Five not-so bad boys – but still, it seems, with the power to rock you.

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Ozzy Osbourne is given final tour of Birmingham – with thousands of fans flooding streets to pay their respects

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Ozzy Osbourne is given final tour of Birmingham - with thousands of fans flooding streets to pay their respects

Ozzy Osbourne has taken his final tour of Birmingham – with his family experiencing the love of thousands of fans who turned out to see the heavy metal star come home.

“We love you, Ozzy!” came the shouts from the crowd as his cortege stopped at Black Sabbath Bridge in the city, a site that has become a shrine to the performer since his death at 76 last week.

His family and loved ones, including his wife Sharon Osbourne and their children Jack, Kelly and Aimee, spent several minutes taking in all the flowers, messages and other tributes left in an outpouring of love from fans.

The family of Ozzy Osbourne (left to right) Jack Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne and Kelly Osbourne lay flowers.
Pic PA
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Jack, Sharon and Kelly Osbourne laid flowers. Pic: PA

Sharon was in tears as she took it all in. Supported by her children, she gave a peace sign to the crowd before returning to the procession vehicles.

Each family member carried a pink rose, wrapped in black paper, tied with a purple ribbon – the traditional Black Sabbath colours. The flowers bearing his name in the hearse were also purple.

Before reaching the city centre, the cortege had travelled past Ozzy’s childhood home in Aston. Just a few weeks ago, he was on stage at Villa Park performing his final gig alongside many of the musicians his music had inspired, from Metallica to Guns N’ Roses to Yungblud.

Heavy metal, reality TV and biting bats: Ozzy Osbourne obituary

A man passes by a mural of Ozzy Osbourne, the former Black Sabbath frontman, ahead of the funeral cortege, in Birmingham.
Pic Reuters
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Tributes to Ozzy can be seen all over Birmingham. Pic: Reuters

On a hugely emotional day, his presence could be felt throughout the city, with the star’s music playing in pubs and posters paying tribute: “Birmingham will always love you.”

For fans, this was a chance to say not just goodbye, but also thank you to a star who never forgot where he came from. His remarkable achievements from humble beginnings and continued love for his hometown, even when he lived thousands of miles away in Los Angeles, meant that for many, the loss feels incredibly personal.

People gather around tributes at the Black Sabbath Bridge.
Pic: Reuters
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The Black Sabbath Bridge has become a shrine in recent days. Pic: Reuters

‘The Prince of Laughter – not Darkness’

Graham Wright, a roadie who worked with Black Sabbath in the 1970s and beyond, up to the Back To The Beginning reunion gig at Villa Park, told Sky News he would remember Ozzy not by his traditional nickname, the Prince of Darkness – but as the Prince of Laughter instead.

“It was a shock he left us so soon after [the show],” he said. “The show was tough for him but he was determined to say goodbye to his fans, that was the main thing. It was important for all four of [Black Sabbath] to get back together and do a farewell.

“The tears will be flowing today to see the Ozz man – the Prince of Laughter, not Darkness. He really was. We’ll all miss him.”

A person gestures as the funeral cortege of Ozzy Osbourne.
Pic: Reuters
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Pic: Reuters

‘My mum used to say he was a lovely boy’

Chris Mason, general manager of The Brasshouse pub, which is next to Black Sabbath Bridge, said music by the band and Ozzy’s solo material had been played pretty much “on loop” since his death.

“I’m a metal fan and Ozzy being the godfather of the scene – if not for Ozzy and Black Sabbath, we wouldn’t have heavy metal,” he said. “This is what Birmingham is about, bringing people together, and Ozzy and Black Sabbath did that.

“He was Mr Birmingham and his family have brought him back.”

Mohabbat Ali, who used to live on the same street as Ozzy’s childhood home, said the property had become one of the focal points for tributes in the city.

Describing what it was like living near him, he said: “He played guitars, very loud at night sometimes, but my mum used to say he was a lovely boy.”

From an era of preening rock gods, Ozzy was the real deal


Katie Spencer

Katie Spencer

Arts and entertainment correspondent

The sea of black was always a given – but this wasn’t about respecting funeral traditions. Ozzy himself had previously said he wanted his send-off, when it came, to be a celebration and not a “mope-fest”.

This was his final tour in the city that meant so much to him.

For fans, he meant so much to them.

For his family, the emotion was raw.
Sharon, his soulmate, has spent her life and career organising his shows, and it was clear how hard this day was for her.

After they left, fans flooded the streets to lay flowers.

Not since David Bowie has an artist’s death prompted such an outpouring of emotion. From an era of preening rock gods, Ozzy was the real deal – one of the most notorious figures in rock, but a man who remained as Brummie as can be.

‘A true legend who never forgot his roots’

Birmingham’s lord mayor, Councillor Zafar Iqbal, also attended the procession and spoke of the city’s pride in Ozzy.

“What a great honour for us to have him here one last time,” he said. “The love for Ozzy – well, you can feel it in the air.”

The star put both Aston and Birmingham on the map, he said, and always took the time to get to know people.

Mr Iqbal said Ozzy sent him a letter after reading on the mayor’s website biography how he had struggled with dyslexia at school – something the star identified with.

“I’ve got the letter in a frame and it’s in my office… he was just a natural human being, down to earth. You wouldn’t have known he was a rock star – but he was a true legend, who never forgot his roots.”

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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs asks judge to release him on $50m bond as he awaits sentencing

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Sean 'Diddy' Combs asks judge to release him on m bond as he awaits sentencing

Disgraced hip hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has asked a judge to release him on a $50m bond as he waits to be sentenced for prostitution-related offences.

Combs’s lawyer has argued that conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn are dangerous and noted that others convicted of similar offences were typically released before sentencing.

“Sean Combs should not be in jail for this conduct,” Marc Agnifilo said in a court filing on Tuesday.

“In fact, he may be the only person currently in a United States jail for being any sort of John, and certainly the only person in jail for hiring adult male escorts for him and his girlfriend.”

A “John” in the US is a slang term for somebody who hires a prostitute.

A spokesperson for the US attorney’s office in Manhattan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Prosecutors have previously insisted he remains a flight risk and should therefore not be granted bail.

The 55-year-old, one of the most influential hip-hop producers of all time, faces up to a decade in prison after he was convicted earlier this month of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

The charges relate to how he flew people around the US, including his girlfriends and male sex workers, for sexual encounters.

Read more:
The rise and fall of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
What it was like in court for start of P Diddy trial

Sean "Diddy" Combs reacts after verdicts are read of the five counts against him, during Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, New
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Combs knelt at his chair and appeared to pray after the verdicts

Combs was cleared of three more serious charges – two for sex trafficking and one for racketeering conspiracy – following his landmark trial in New York.

A conviction on one of those charges could have put him in prison for life.

Immediately after he was acquitted of those charges on 2 July, Mr Agnifilo had asked that Combs be released on bond.

But Judge Arun Subramanian denied it, saying Combs at the time had not met the burden of showing by clear and convincing evidence a “lack of danger to any person or the community”.

Combs is the latest celebrity inmate to be locked up at MDC Brooklyn, the only federal jail in New York City, joining a list that includes R Kelly, Ghislaine Maxwell and cryptocurrency fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried.

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Ozzy Osbourne cortege to travel through Birmingham

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Ozzy Osbourne cortege to travel through Birmingham

Ozzy Osbourne fans will be able to say goodbye to the heavy metal pioneer at a procession for his cortege through his home city of Birmingham tomorrow.

The star’s hearse will make its way down Broad Street towards the Black Sabbath bridge and bench – where thousands of fans have left flowers, messages and other tributes since his death.

Osbourne, 76, died less than three weeks after performing his “final bow” in the city – the Back The Beginning reunion with his Sabbath bandmates at Villa Park, which raised about £140m for charity.

Osbourne is seen on a screen as he performs at the Black Sabbath's farewell show titled "Back to the Beginning", at Villa Park. Pic: Reuters
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Ozzy Osbourne on stage at Villa Park just a few weeks before his death. Pic: Reuters

Large crowds are expected to gather tomorrow as fans pay their respects to the performer who shaped heavy metal music and “proudly carried the spirit of Birmingham throughout his career”, the city council said.

Members of Osbourne’s family will also be in attendance and have funded the event, the council added.

“Ozzy was more than a music legend – he was a son of Birmingham,” said the city’s lord mayor, Councillor Zafar Iqbal. “We know how much this moment will mean to his fans. We’re proud to host it here with his loving family in the place where it all began.”

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The life of Ozzy Osbourne

Mr Iqbal said it was important to the city to give the star “a fitting, dignified tribute ahead of a private family funeral”.

Osbourne and his Black Sabbath bandmates Terence “Geezer” Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward were awarded the Freedom of the City in June, before the Back To The Beginning show, honouring their “significance to the cultural and musical identity of Birmingham”.

The star’s cortege will travel down Broad Street from about 1pm tomorrow, accompanied by a live brass band, Bostin’ Brass. For those not able to make it, a live stream of the Black Sabbath bench, which has been running since Osbourne’s death, will continue.

There is also a book of condolence for public messages at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, alongside the Ozzy Osbourne Working Class Hero exhibition, highlighting his solo career achievements.

Metal, bats, and reality TV: The wild life of Ozzy Osbourne

Osbourne, the self-styled Prince of Darkness, pioneered heavy metal with Black Sabbath before going on to have huge success in his own right. He was famous for hits including Iron Man, Paranoid, War Pigs, Crazy Train and Changes, both with the band and as a solo star.

The singer also found a different kind of fame thanks to noughties MTV reality show The Osbournes, which followed his somewhat chaotic life with wife Sharon and two of their children, Kelly and Jack.

Following his death, his family released a statement saying he died alongside them, “surrounded by love”.

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