No catfights for Sugababes
"On my first day, I thought 'Who am I going to have to fight first?'"
Sat in Sugababes' hotel suite, Amelle Berabbah cracks up as she recalls her early days with the band when she replaced Mutya Buena in 2006. Keisha Buchanan, original Babe, mock pouts.
Amelle goes on: "It took me two hours to realise I was safe. But the pace of what goes on in the band took 18 months to get used to. I'm all cool now."
Keisha admits she's disappointed how her childhood friend Mutya slated her and Heidi Range when she left for an unsuccessful solo career.
"Heidi and I had covered for Mutya when she had stuff going on in her personal life," recalls Keisha, 24.
"When she went solo, I think it home to Mutya that she had no-one to cover for her any more. She found it hard, and she took the pressure out by bitching."
It was Heidi who was hardest hit by Mutya's sniping, according to Keisha - Heidi missed our interview with a cold.
"To the outside world, it was Heidi on her own before Mutya left," says Keisha. "The truth is, the strongest friendship was Heidi and Mutya's.
"Heidi was devastated when Mutya left without even a phone call, as she loved Mutya to bits. I hope Mutya's happier and in a better place now."
Are Sugababes wary of new girlbands like The Saturdays?
"I love them," says Keisha. "Rochelle is like my kid sister. I took her under my wing when she was in S Club Juniors, and she's got the most amazing voice."
Amelle adds: "They're all so beautiful, it's a disgrace. Mollie looks like Sienna Miller, and that ain't fair! They aren't competition, though, there's room enough for everyone."
Keisha picks a surprising choice for the biggest change since the band began having hits in 2000 with Overload.
"I miss the pop telly," she giggles. "I was channel surfing Saturday morning recently, and it's a shame there's no good pop shows for kids any more."
Amelle agrees: "I missed out on the best days of kids' TV. When I joined a pop band, I couldn't wait to get gunged, and it never happened. Gutted!"
With old production team Xenomania absent from new album Catfights And Spotlights, Sugababes hope people will start to recognise them as writers.
"Xenomania are amazing, but they overshadowed us as writers," admits Keisha. "The reviews would say 'Another great song by Xenomania', and I'd think 'Hang on, WE wrote that song.'
"Now we're working with new guys, I hope people see it was us all along."