Frankie Bridge is a force to be reckoned with. From nabbing a number one hit, to writing a candid book on the topic of mental health and starring in the West End, the 34-year-old has achieved a huge amount ever since she first entered the limelight aged just 12.
And in the wake of Girls Aloud's reunion announcement, there's one burning question on everyone's lips… Could The Saturday's follow suit and ride the wave of 90s girl group nostalgia currently sweeping the nation?
© Getty Images"Never say never," Frankie tells us in an exclusive interview. "It's something that I think some of us would like to do, but not right now. I think no one's really ready, especially [with] Girls Aloud just coming back."
Musing on her fellow bandmates Una Healy, Mollie King, Rochelle Humes and Vanessa White, Frankie goes on to say: "We never fell out. We never really officially broke up or anything, so the option has kind of always been there."
© ShutterstockThe star's rise to fame took place in 2001 when Frankie, aged 12, joined S Club Juniors after appearing on a reality TV show. Despite her tender age, the mother-of-two insists that she never felt like she "missed out" on anything.
On the subject of dealing with press attention, the 'Just Can't Get Enough' hitmaker paints a picture of a simpler time before the skyrocketing of social media. "Obviously there was no social media, there weren't even online newspapers or anything like that…" she explains. "And so I didn't know if someone didn't like our songs or my hair…
"So it was actually quite a sheltered childhood really. I think people always think that we were really exposed, but we always had people around us all the time. We were really well looked after because there were so many rules."
© Getty ImagesWhen asked about some of the pop group's best fashion moments, Frankie fondly recalls her bespoke denim jacket which she's managed to cling on to.
"We all had the double denim and we had the denim jackets with our S Club Juniors signs on the back," Frankie explains.
"I've still got mine, it's like an old camo one… And I can still fit into it. It's so cute and it really reminds me of the time [when] we wore them all the time… I will never get rid of it."
© Jim MarksEvidently a sucker for all things 90s, Frankie has recently teamed up with Impulse on their latest campaign to promote the return of two legendary fragrances: Impulse O2 and Air.
Reflecting on the campaign, which sees the singer transform into a plethora of A-list icons such as Mariah Carey and Liz Hurley, Frankie gushes: "It was just so fun to dress up as some of my favourite icons from when I was younger… People that I've looked up to, especially someone like Geri [Halliwell]."
© Jim MarksBehind the scenes, the 34-year-old has also been busy performing in the West End. And in September this year, Frankie made her West End debut performing in Danny Robins' thriller 2:22 A Ghost Story.
Despite her prior stage experience, the actress found her major debut to be incredibly "nerve-racking". Opening up, she tells us: "I'm not used to it anymore. So [it] was nerve-racking going in with a group of people that I'd never met before.
"I did my first show within two weeks of knowing [that I'd] got the part. So I had to learn lines, which was something I've not really done before… And so it was mad, but that's kind of how I like to do things. I like to throw myself in at the deep end."
When she's not honing her thespian skills on stage, Frankie is a real homebody who relishes spending time with her footballer husband Wayne and their two sons Parker, nine, and Carter, seven.
The sibling duo appear to be following in their father's footsteps. "They love football at the minute. My whole life is taken up by football," Frankie explains. "I love it because they really enjoy it and I love that they're doing a sport. It keeps them busy and fit."
Dishing on their musical abilities, Frankie adds: "They both played instruments, which apparently they were both quite naturally good at, but they never practised. So I was like, 'That's a waste of time'".
© InstagramLike many busy working mums, Frankie admits that juggling family life with work "is always a challenge".
"Trying to get that balance and trying to feel like you're doing the best job for your kids and for your job is always a challenge. Like trying to make it to their Nativity play or their football match and still do a photoshoot… But we make it work," she tells us.
Her number one parenting hack? Use a colour-coded calendar in the family kitchen! "I have a big calendar on my fridge at home, and it's colour-coded for each person and everyone's stuff every day goes in there so that even if I'm not around, everyone knows what's happening." Genius.
© Getty ImagesThe festive season is set to be particularly busy for Frankie and her family. Looking ahead to Christmas, the fashion maven explains: "We've always got loads of people around. We've got my sister coming over with her three kids and they're young… So that's going to be mad in itself.
"Obviously I've got my two and my mum and dad and then we've got friends coming this year as well which will be really nice… The more the merrier, the crazier, the better."
