It was 18 years ago – almost to the exact date – that Noughties popstar Jamelia released what would turn out to be her last UK hit single.
Between 2000 and 2007, the Superstar hitmaker scored seven top 10 hits and became one of the biggest names in British pop, but soon pivoted towards TV – transforming into, as she tells Metro, a ‘multi-hyphenate’.
After stints on Loose Women and Hollyoaks, among others, Jamelia is ready to continue her TV career on the brand new BBC comedy drama Just Act Normal.
The six-part series, which drops on iPlayer on April 16, follows the story of three siblings attempting to avoid social services after their mother, Jackie, mysteriously vanishes.
Based on the play Three Birds – written by the show’s award-winning creator Janice Okoh – Just Act Normal balances intense human drama with surrealist comedy, and shines a light on the delightful idiosyncrasies and harrowing truths of inner-city Birmingham.
At one point, the kids employ a ‘Fake Jackie’ to stand in for their missing mum – but the trio (played by newcomers Chenée Taylor, Kaydrah Walker-Wilkie, and Akins Subair) get more than they bargained for with Jamelia’s entrance.
‘Fake Jackie brings lightheartedness to something that’s really heavy,’ Jamelia says. ‘As dark comedies go, Just Act Normal is very dark. But it was so beautiful to play her.’
Never one to turn down a chance to perform (whether the situation calls for it or not), Fake Jackie immediately reveals herself to be a superfan of Tina Turner, as well as an overly keen and larger-than-life impersonator of the Proud Mary star.
‘As a singer, this is embarrassing to admit, but I’m not a massive Tina fan,’ she confesses. ‘[But] I asked if Jackie could be a rubbish impersonator, so I could lean into the ridiculousness of her character.’
Set in Birmingham and filmed all across the West Midlands, Just Act Normal has its roots deep in Jamelia’s homeland, having been born in Handsworth.
And she made sure the women of Handsworth were visible in Fake Jackie: ‘I wanted Fake Jackie to be like so many of the fantastic women I’ve known across my 44 years in Birmingham. Brummies have a unique vibe – we’re very free people, we’re allowed to shine, and we’re not as self-conscious as other regions.
‘We have a culture that’s uniquely us and I wanted to bring that to the screen. I wanted to [portray] so many of those women at the same time – you don’t see that culture on screen much, so I think Birmingham will be proud of what we’ve done.’
A mum-of-four, Jamelia praised writer Janice Okoh for bringing Brummy kids to the BBC: ‘You don’t see many stories like Just Act Normal told [on TV]. There were so many things that were familiar and authentic to me.’
Stealing her heart the most, however, were Chenée, Akins, and Kaydrah, the lead trio playing siblings Tiana, Tionne, and Tanika – Jamelia says she still keeps in touch with them all.
‘It’s such a beautiful thing to see working class kids like Chenée, Akins, and Kaydrah get big opportunities. Growing up as an inner-city Brummy, these things didn’t really happen for kids like us. To see them be so professional, and fantastically dedicated and committed, every single day, was such a joy.
She laughs as she describes herself as ‘someone from the 1900s’ who’s excited about the generation of talented kids about to take their first steps in the entertainment industry.
‘Giving working class kids these chances is amazing. I could have cried every single day because I saw my younger self in these fantastic actors. All three of them, it was either their first or second acting job – ever. This will be a launch for them all.’
After Just Act Normal drops, Jamelia is ready for any potential spotlights that might drift back towards her impressive hits collection, with a dozen Noughties R&B hits available for any new fan to choose from.
With no plans for a return to Loose Women – ‘I still watch [but] I don’t think they’d have me’ – could a return to the studio be her next big move? What about if Superstar goes viral on TikTok?
2024 was defined by unexpected comebacks for Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Natasha Bedingfield, and an acclaimed revival from the Sugababes – three of Jamelia’s contemporaries during her chart heyday. So, does Jamelia fancy a Saltburn-style Superstar resurgence?
‘I have four daughters – hearing them singing Natasha and Sophie’s songs in 2025 is the most beautiful, wonderful, amazing thing, so I absolutely would love to have a moment like that for myself.
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‘If I could choose a hit of mine to go viral it would be [top five 2000 hit] Money, with Beenie Man. That should have been bigger [at the time]. But I know the people would choose Superstar – and that’s great, I’d be more than happy to keep performing it.’
Jamelia is back in the studio working on new music, set for release later this year – ‘I’ve been inspired and I’m having fantastic sessions’ – but is comfortable revealing that she’ll be happy to do anything, so long as it’s in show business.
‘I’m in a fantastic space creatively and the entertainment industry is my favourite thing. I love to yap, I love to interview people, and I love music.’
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Just Act Normal is coming to BBC iPlayer and BBC Three from Wednesday, April 16.
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