HEAR'SAY will be performing alongside their arch-rivals and fellow Popstars contestants, Liberty, next week for the Bournemouth date of the Smash Hits Poll Winners Tour.

The two groups will be joined by some other giants of the pop world, including A1, Blue, Pied Piper and ALLSTARS, to create the kind of line-up that music fans under the age of 14 dream about.

Suzanne Shaw of Hear'say admits that, despite the group's huge success, she still gets nervous.

"If you're at the start of something brand new, then it is quite nerve-wracking, but by the time you come to the end of it, it's like second nature to you," she says.

The singer doesn't have any special tips on how to calm performance nerves.

"Just get on with it - it's all you can do," she recommends.

Suzanne and the rest of Hear'say have had to learn to "get on with it", having been thrust into the spotlight following their success on Popstars.

Although she loves what she does for a living, it has put personal relationships under strain.

"My true friends know exactly what it's about and we're better friends than ever, but the people who sold stories on me obviously weren't true friends."

Suzanne has also had to put up with reading bizarre rumours about herself.

"The most stupid rumour I read was that I got electrocuted.

"According to the papers I was close to death, but I didn't even go near a cable and I didn't get a shock. I've no idea where that came from."

Strange rumours and back-stabbing friends aside, Suzanne is quite happy about her life at the moment and has no plans to make what seems to be the inevitable progression for people in pop groups - to go it alone.

"None of us are interested in going off and doing anything solo. I went for the audition because I wanted to be in a pop band."

But not all pop stars feel the same.

Jamie Benson, who will also be performing at the BIC on Wednesday, is launching her solo career, having quit girl group Hepburn.

Although the group had three top 20 hits, reaching number eight with I Quit, Jamie decided she wanted more control over her career.

"It was always in the back of my mind that I wanted to be a solo pop star," she says.

"When the band came along it was all very exciting but I got to a point where I thought that I've got to make myself 100 per cent happy and to do that I had to go and do my own thing.

"Hepburn is quite a hard act to follow but hopefully my solo career will go the same way as that. Only time will tell."

* Tickets cost £15. For more information, call 01202 456456.

SALLY CHURCHWARD