The Fizz star Mike Nolan reveals he is leaving Eurovision-winning band after 43 years due to 'personal reasons'
6 May 2024, 15:26
The Fizz star Mike Nolan has revealed he is leaving the band after 43 years due to "personal reasons".
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
The original pop group, which consisted of Nolan, Jay Aston, Cheryl Baker and Bobby G, stormed to victory at the 1981 song contest with their hit Making Your Mind Up.
They went on to have a successful career, selling millions of records with six studio albums released throughout the 1980s.
Aston quit the group in 1985 and was replaced by Shelley Preston, who featured on Bucks Fizz's last album Writing On The Wall a year later.
The group then reunited in 2004 under the name The Original Bucks Fizz, which had all the original members except Preston in Aston's place.
A few years later, the band members reconnected with Aston and she took over from Preston in 2009.
Read more: Gary Barlow's mansion raided by thieves during Saturday Night Takeaway appearance
Read more: Titanic and Lord of the Rings star Bernard Hill dies aged 79
Addressing his exit on GMB, Nolan said: "It's actually personal reasons why I'm leaving but also as well I was getting fed up with the amount of travelling you've got to do.
"Everyone has to travel but because I can't drive anymore, I've got to get into a cab, onto a train, onto another train, meet up with the band, do the gig, stay overnight, two trains back, another cab and forty years of it..."
The rest of the band shared that Mike has been talking about leaving for the last three years, as they joked: "Just go, for goodness' sake!"
But they did add: "Of course, it's not going to be the same."
The band have plans to replace him and will be holding a farewell concert before his exit.
"Mike will be leaving the group at the end of the year," the group said in a Twitter statement.
"Cheryl & Jay will be continuing as 'The Fizz' & a statement from Mike, will follow in the coming days. Thank you for your understanding."
The trio are still expected to perform together on June 28 at The Indigo at The O2 in London, at their concert titled Party Like It's 1981.
