That’s right: they are The Cheeky Girls, they are The Cheeky Girls, you are the cheeky boys, you are the cheeky boys…
Put your hands up if you remember that 2003 banger? Well, The Cheeky Girls, now 41, are back performing 22 years after their biggest hit (Cheeky Song) Touch My Bum – and they don’t look a day older.
The Romanian singing duo consisting of identical twin sisters Gabriela and Monica Irimia took to the stage at Chester Pride this weekend wearing their trademark matching outfits and silver hot-pants.
After appearing as auditionees on Popstars: The Rivals – also responsible for Girls Aloud – the singing duo achieved success in the UK charts with four top 10 hits between 2002 and 2004.
The pair danced around the stage and sang wearing glittering silver bralettes underneath shimmering crop-top cardigans, and some signature silver pants as well as killer heels.
Still sporting their brunette locks – which seem to have grown a fair bit since our last memory of them – the pair looked to be just as full of bounce as ever.
They posed together for pictures and we still truly cannot tell which one is Gabriela and which one is Monica.
Despite criticism from the Popstars judges, Gabi – who was once engaged to former Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Öpik – and Monica achieved success with tunes including Take Your Shoes Off and (Hooray, Hooray!) It’s a Cheeky Holiday!
The Cheeky Song – a nostalgic great – was actually written by the pair’s mother and sold more than 1.2 million copies worldwide.
Their debut studio album, PartyTime, also reached number 14 in the UK Albums Chart in 2003.
But until recently the sisters appeared to vanish from the spotlight, and it was revealed in a 2021 interview with the Daily Mail that they were working as salespeople for local car dealerships.
Gabi explained behind the scenes the twins were battling eating disorders, dealing with bankruptcy as well as botched breast surgeries, as the women detailed the effects they still face years later.
Monica said: ‘I think the British public have a perception that if you are, or have been, in the public eye or a pop star, you’re not allowed to try something else.
‘I always said it’s no shame to work, it’s a shame not to work. We’ve chosen another career path and we are very, very proud of it.
‘I’ve got a passion for cars, so it’s not just the selling bit, but I like the buzz of selling and making people happy.’
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