Rachel Stevens is the first member of S Club to officially go solo, signing to Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment company and Polydor Records for a reported £1m. The four-album deal starts immediately with a first single written by Cathy Dennis - 'My LA-Ex' – due for release in Sep.
Stevens, 25, was again ranked the sexiest woman in Britain in the annual poll by FHM magazine last month.
Stevens said: "It's a huge move for me to be going solo but I'm looking forward to the challenge. It's also quite nerve-wracking having been surrounded by my six friends for four years, but I love the new single and other material I'm working on and we're all very supportive of each other. I am delighted to be staying with Simon. Polydor Records have been committed to me from the start of my career so to stay with the people I trust is really important to me."