Heavenli Denton stars in RnB Group The Honeyz and openly talks to Just Celebrity Magazine.  This talented beauty shares her feelings about reuniting with The Honeyz, how she discovered she was diagonosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis during the tour, The Honeyz new music and her latest venture – writing a children’s book.

How did you find the initial reunion with your fellow bandmates, after so long?

The initial Honeyz reunion was something I really looked forward to, to see how the girls were and what they had been up to. I personally only took away fond memories from the days of the group’s success and subsequently went on to take further interesting and challenging steps on the ladder of life.  As I’ve never been one to dwell on the past, being a ”Pop star” became a job that I once did and I was very grateful and lucky to have done it.

Celena still harboured a lot of resentment towards me for deciding to leave the group, but I am hoping that this will dissipate as we go along on our new journey.

With Mariama we’d never been members of the Honeyz at the same time so it was a case of getting to know each other under the spotlight of the Big Reunion TV cameras.

It was definitely a reunion under pressure, but I think we were all well prepared to listen and understand each others points of view.

As I’ve never been one to dwell on the past, being a ”Pop star” became a job that I once did and I was very grateful and lucky to have done it.

 Did you ever think you would reunite?

Would Snickers go back to being called Marathon!! No, never ever did I think that I’d be a part of the Honeyz again especially after having four children, securing a BA (hons) degree and emigrating to the Algarve. I mean, what are the chances!?!

A number of years ago we briefly reunited for the show ‘Hit me baby one more time’ and before that ‘Celebrity Stars in your Eyes’, but I only ever saw these as fantastic opportunities that we were blessed to be approached with.

At these times there was no group willing to reunite.

How did you react when ITV approached you to be apart of the show ‘The Big Reunion’?

It was surreal, one minute I was doing the ironing the next Mariama had phoned to say ITV2 might want us to be a part of a new show! Excitement would be an understatement.

I flew to a meeting about a month later, then we heard nothing …the girls were convinced that they’d chosen someone else, but I kept telling them they were wrong and that we’d got it. After another couple of meetings when it was apparent that we were to be a part of the show, then it became not only exciting but daunting in a way.

 One minute I was doing the ironing the next Mariama had phoned to say ITV2 might want us to be a part of a new show! 

What challenges have you faced since you have reunited?

Being away from our four children for three weeks at a time, during filming and then again for the Big Reunion tour has been one of the hardest challenges that I’ve ever put myself up for. The youngest two were 1 & 3 years old at the time and my heart was torn every time I went away. Luckily my husband James is incredibly supportive and helped me through what was to start with unbearable. Skype and FaceTime played such a vital role.

All of the other mum’s and dad’s on the BR tour and during filming got to go home for a night or two to see their families, but as I live in Portugal it wasn’t possible.

Within the band the challenges have been purely to dust off the cobwebs!! When you haven’t been a ‘popstar’ for fourteen years there’s a lot to take on board. Vocally we all just slipped into place really with harmonies.

Naturally, there have been disagreements but with honesty, communication and time any creases are normally ironed out smoothly.

A huge shock also came during the tour rehearsals as I was diagonosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, a chronic disease. I had had pain in my ankle and went to see a specialist, who gave me the  conclusive results of a previous blood test. I had to go back into filming an hour later completely in shock and significantly upset and confused. It was hard.

A huge shock also came during the tour rehearsals as I was diagonosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, a chronic disease. 

How did you find the tour?

To have the chance to perform at arena’s alongside all the other bands was absolutely amazing. I used to love Atomic Kittens, Five’s and Blue’s music all those years ago, so to now be performing together for the same show was mind blowing.

I suppose the pure pace of the tour stopped one from being homesick too much. There was always somewhere to be sound check, filming, show time and travelling onto the next venue to do it all again. It was a bit manic compared to my life in the Algarve, but fun nevertheless.

I felt soooo blessed to be a part of the whole programme and tour… A truly amazing experience that will stay with me for a long time, especially performing at the 02!

After your split in 2002, what did you throw yourself into?

After we made the decision not to continue, I literally sat for one day and thought what I would like to do, and applied straight away to do Ceramic Design degree at Central Saint Martins, London. I had a history in making home-wares but not necessarily out of ceramic.

The day I received an unconditional offer, I was over the moon and jumping for joy. So went back to University and spent three wonderful years learning and designing.

I also undertook an ‘exercise to music’ course in Oxford, so that I could teach aerobics.

A wise lady once told me to turn your passions into your job/work. So in doing these qualifications I was taking steps to this aim.

A wise lady once told me to turn your passions into your job/work. 

You are a mother to 4 children, how have you found juggling the responsibilities of being a mother with reuniting with your band, touring, filming and being in the studio?

It’s been difficult, very difficult being away from the children but I am lucky enough to have a super fantastic network of friends in the Algarve who help with Zac the youngest (2) who is the only one not in school.  Arranging the child care schedule with such good friends helped my husband and I out incredibly.

It’s a juggling game! I have to make sure there’s a balance between work and family and have discovered that there are sacrifices that I have had to make.

This year I have missed Honey’s, my four year old daughter’s birthday and also Zac’s, my two year old son’s birthday. I cried on both occasions and felt an awful amount of guilt. I wanted so much to be there for them,  but at the same time couldn’t let the ladies in the Honeyz down.

Our two elder children, Daisy-Mae 10 and Jayden 8 are fabulous with the younger two when I’m away and help my husband a lot. Friends bring around dinner when I’m not there too!!

With technology nowadays I can visually see them everyday whilst I’m working, so that helps.

This year I have missed Honey’s, my four year old daughter’s birthday and also Zac’s, my two year old son’s birthday. I cried on both occasions and felt an awful amount of guilt. I wanted so much to be there for them,  but at the same time couldn’t let the ladies in the Honeyz down.

We have been recording new music in the studio for a couple of months now, in between the tour and filming, and the results are great. If we get the opportunity to embark on another musical journey together it would be super.  As a group we understand what you put in you get out, so we are working hard in all areas.

To have another Honeyz album out would be awesome.

I am also writing a series of children’s books with my husband James who is Director and Head of Primary at an international school here.  It’s our first creative venture together and  we are loving it.

I am also writing a series of children’s books.