Rhiannon Ingle
S Club 7’s Jo O’Meara has finally broken her silence after Paul Cattermole’s unexpected death.
Paul passed away last Thursday (6 April) and Jo is the first and only of the six remaining bandmates to have released a personal statement on his sudden, tragic passing.
The star has taken to Twitter to share a tribute to the former S Club 7 vocalist.
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Paul and Joe, alongside the likes of Tina Barrett, Jon Lee, Bradley McIntosh, Hannah Spearritt and Rachel Stevens, made up the iconic pop superband that pretty much dominated the late 1990s and early 2000s.
With smash-hits like 'Bright It All Back', 'S Club Party' and 'Don't Stop Movin' just to name a few - it's clear that this septet truly cemented themselves in pop music history.
Paul died last week at the age of 46, just a matter of weeks after the band announced a comeback tour.
"It is with great sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of our beloved son and brother Paul Cattermole," a statement from his family confirmed.
The cause of the 46-year-old's death is currently unknown, but the statement noted that there were no 'suspicious circumstances' surrounding it.
It continued: "While the cause of death is currently unknown, Dorset Police has confirmed that there were no suspicious circumstances. Paul's family, friends and fellow members of S Club request privacy at this time."
Jo has since come forward this morning (11 April) to offer her own personal statement on the devastating matter.
She tweeted: "I just wanted to reach out and thank everybody from the bottom of my heart for the love and kindness you have shown over the tragic passing of our sweetest soul Paul.
"This has been utterly devastating, and I am totally shocked and heartbroken."
Jo continued: "We have lost someone so incredibly special to us all , and there is a huge sense of sadness that will never go Paul will forever be a huge part of our lives , and I will forever treasure the memories we made I will love you always Paul , God bless forever.
"Rest in Peace."
The news follows the official S Club 7 Instagram account offering its own tribute to the late star on Sunday (9 April).
The group statement read: "We are truly devastated by the passing of our brother Paul.
"There are no words to describe the deep sadness and loss we all feel. We were so lucky to have him in our lives and are thankful for the amazing memories we have," the post continued.
"He will be so deeply missed by each and every one of us," the emotional tribute continued, "we ask that you respect the privacy of his family and of the band at this time."
RIP Paul Cattermole.