What happened to Eternal and why did Louise Redknapp quit the band?
1 November 2025, 16:00
From chart-topping hits to a bitter reunion row — why Louise walked away from Eternal.
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When Eternal burst onto the music scene in the early 90s, they quickly became one of the biggest British girl groups of their time.
Formed in London in 1992, the original line-up featured sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett, Louise Nurding (now Redknapp), and Kéllé Bryan.
Their debut album, Always & Forever, was released in 1993 and sold over a million copies in the UK.
It produced several hit singles, including 'Stay' and 'Just a Step from Heaven,' establishing the group as major figures in the country’s R&B scene.
But the group’s history has also been marked by internal tensions, shifting career goals, and, more recently, a public dispute that ended plans for a full reunion of the original line-up.
Why did Louise Redknapp leave Eternal?
Eternal quickly established themselves as a huge force in UK pop music, with their 1993 debut album earning huge sales and a succession of singles that made them staples on radio and TV.
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Yet, behind the commercial momentum, Louise Nurding was struggling. By 1995, she had left the group — a move explained at the time as a desire to pursue a solo career, and in later interviews described in more personal terms.
Eternal - Save Our Love (Music Video)
Louise has since reflected candidly on that period, telling The Independent she felt “really lost” adding: "All I’d ever wanted to be was a pop star and I was miserable."
Louise left Eternal in 1995, later admitting that while walking away felt “weak” at the time, it was in fact an act of strength. “I knew I was really sad,” she reflected. “I was in my early twenties, and you shouldn’t be sad at that stage in your life.”
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Despite her departure, she remained under contract for four more albums with the group’s label and was asked to fulfil the agreement by releasing solo material — something she hadn’t originally intended. “It wasn’t part of the plan, as I actually really enjoyed being part of the band,” she explained. “We were just quite different characters.”
The exit paved the way for a successful solo run under her married name, Louise Redknapp, including 'Naked' in 1996 and '2 Faced' in 2000.
In interviews over the years Louise has acknowledged the difficulty of the decision to leave. Talking about life after Eternal she told The Guardian that leaving left her wondering “what on earth is going to happen to me?” but that stepping out on her own allowed her to take creative risks and build a different kind of career.
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After Louise’s departure, Eternal continued as a trio and maintained chart success through the 1990s, but lineup changes and the pull of solo projects meant the original chemistry never fully reassembled.
Louise - 2 Faced
Kéllé Bryan left in 1998, and by the turn of the millennium, Eternal had effectively disbanded, their early momentum petering out as members pursued separate careers.
What happened to the Eternal reunion in 2023?
In 2023, plans emerged for an Eternal reunion and tour that would have brought Louise and Kéllé back with the Bennett sisters for the first time in decades.
Within days, reports surfaced of a dispute over performing at LGBTQ+ events, including Pride festivals, due to differing views on trans rights.
The disagreement quickly escalated: Louise and Kéllé withdrew, and the promoters ultimately abandoned the full lineup tour.
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Redknapp’s publicist, Simon Jones, made a statement: “A message was sent to the team putting together the Eternal reunion stating that if it was to go ahead, neither Vernie nor Easther [Bennett] would perform at Pride shows or LGBTQ+ festivals.
"This was because the duo felt that the gay community was being hijacked by the trans community and they do not support this.
"The team behind the proposed Eternal reunion are gay… and neither myself nor any of the team would work with artists who held such views about the trans community.”
Heart's Confessions Of A Celebrity School Run - Louise Redknapp
In June 2024 at Mighty Hoopla in Brockwell Park, Louise Redknapp and Kéllé Bryan surprised the crowd by reuniting on stage for a rendition of the group’s 1994 hit 'So Good'.
In a 2025 interview, Louise reflected on her decision not to reunite with Etneral: “There are some non-negotiables in my world.
“The queer community has stuck by me from day one. I wouldn’t have a music career without them, and they have held me up at my darkest moments.
Referring to her ex-bandmates, she said: "I respect that you have your beliefs and that’s where you stand in your life – but that doesn’t mean it has to be my life. I have my path, they have their path. For me, it wasn’t a hard decision to make."
