Iconic nineties band Five reveal real reasons behind reunion with bombshell admission

EXCLUSIVE: Boyband Five stunned their fans after announcing they were all making a comeback for the first time in almost 25 years and the bandmates opened up about why now is the 'perfect' time

It's a decision that left fans chomping at the bit - nineties stars Five are back. The iconic boyband is ready to get on down as they keep on movin' as a quintet once again in an epic reunion.

It marks the first time in almost 25 years that Scott Robinson, Abz Love, Ritchie Neville, Sean Conlon and J Brown will perform as a five-piece after initially bursting onto the scene in 1997. However, while they admit they are buzzing to get back on stage as a group, they have revealed their reunion was about much more than performing.

Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, the bandmates confessed their huge 25-date tour wasn't in their minds at first. However, they believe right now is the "perfect" time to roll back the years.

The concerts come after over two decades apart and following a number of fallings out and feuds. J admitted the ball first got rolling for him when he started speaking with Abz and Sean after more than 10 years of silence. Ritchie was also in talks with other members, leaving J to happily admit: "It all just came together naturally for the first time since 2001."

Scott candidly confessed: "We didn't care about a tour at first," revealing there was much more at stake. "All we cared about was reconnecting as human beings. I think that was first and foremost."

He went on to discuss the highly publicised fallouts before saying he simply asked himself why they hadn't reconnected to sort out their issues before now. Ten years after their last chat, the group met at an AirBnB and Scott gushed of the moment: "Obviously I had such an amazing experience back in the day.

"To reconnect with them in the AirBnB and then to reconnect on that friendship level and then to realise we can go on tour and do it as friends; for me personally, and I know I speak for all of the boys, that's all we wanted to do, reconnect as friends. Then, when the offer came in I thought 'wow, we can actually do that now for all of the right reasons'."

J confessed he felt the situation had "never been right before" to reunite. "All five of us have never been ready to actually do this," he openly admitted.

"Myself personally, I've just never been ready up to this point to step back into the so-called limelight. But then I just got to a point where I actually really wanted to embrace that feeling with these other four dudes, and I really wanted to have the experience back on stage again with these brothers and do what we do best. And it just all it just happened. I was ready for it."

While Ritchie said the group have managed to become "top, top friends" again, he admitted that obviously the money is also a great reason for the upcoming tour. However, he reiterated: "We genuinely just want to go out, play the songs and smash it. To have that enjoyment in an arena with all those people who have come to see us. That really is the main thing for us."

Scott went on to share his excitement of the potential of cross-generation families partying to their hits, before Sean gushed: "I want to say for a generation that actually listened to our music first time around, we are very excited to connect with them, because, you know, this is gonna sound cheesy, it's not just our journey. It's also the fans' journey.

"Seeing people that are basically adults and knowing that they were with us the first time around as kids. I think that is beautiful."

The guys went on to promise fans of all ages a show to remember in the coming months, with J defiantly saying: "Legitimately, if anybody thinks they're coming to a show and thinking we are a little bit older, so we might be taming things down, that's absolutely not what we're going to do.

"We're going full throttle. We're going to be putting on the best show genuinely that we've ever done."

"We are having it, hard!," Ritchie adamantly added, before Sean "100 per cent" agreed.

Tickets for Five's upcoming tour are available now.

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.