Blue

In 1999, Lee Ryan and Antony Costa met as teenagers when auditioning for a segment on ITV’s This Morning which saw Simon Cowell looking to form the next big British boy band. Ryan was selected for the group but Costa was not, but after the group failed to take off, Ryan and Costa remained friends. Costa later formed his own group with friend Duncan James and invited Ryan to join them. Working alongside manager Daniel Glatman, the trio held auditions for a fourth member which eventually went to Ryan’s then-flatmate Simon Webbe.

The group landed a recording contract with Innocent Records and began working with songwriting teams before the release of their debut single, ‘All Rise’. The song made its way into the Top 10 in the UK charts in 2001. The group’s debut album included more Top 10 singles like ‘Fly By’ and a mix of pop ballads and up-tempo numbers.

With the release of their second album, One Love, in 2002, Blue nabbed themselves the top spot on the UK albums chart. They matched that success with their single, ‘Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word’ with Elton John. The high-profile duets continued with the group’s third album as the foursome worked with Steve Wonder on a cover version of his hit single, ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’.

Taking a break

In 2004, Blue came out with their ‘best of’ set which also featured new singles. The group later announced that they would be taking a break. Solo music projects from Ryan and Webbe followed while James and Costa turned to the world of acting.

Reunion rumours swirled in 2009 but it wasn’t until 2011 when the group returned with their single ‘I Can’ which was chosen to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest. While unsuccessful in the competition, the reunion got fans enthusiastic about more new music from the group.

The band began work on new music that year before officially announcing the release of their fourth album. The group took part in the The Big Reunion UK tour in 2013 alongside other popular groups from the early 00s.

In October 2023, Blue announced The Greatest Hits tour for April & May 2024, including dates at Liverpool, Ipswich, Glasgow and Manchester.