Sensation or Exploitation?

Simon Fuller’s new potential pop sensation, the S Club Juniors, has sparked controversy. Fuller unveiled the youngest band in pop, aged 10 to 13, as support to S Club 7′s first British tour date.

A kids’ charity immediately accused him of exploitation. Michelle Elliott, director of child protection charity Kidscape, said: “This is absurd. It is completely exploiting children. I hope this fails for the sake of the children. It’s disgusting.”

Fuller and S Club 7 were quick to defend their new act. The band’s Tina Barrett said: “These are extremely talented kids. If they were not on the stage with us they would be performing in a West End musical.”

One of Fuller’s aides said: “Simon believes that, to these kids, performing in front of thousands of people on stage is no different to being in front of a school assembly.”

The Juniors performed together for the first time on Tuesday in front of 12,000 at Manchester’s MEN Arena. They will join S Club for the rest of the tour’s 20 UK dates and already have a one-album deal with Polydor. Their first single will be released in the spring.

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Credit: The Sun

Posted: February 9th, 2002