Sophie Ellis-Bextor, the ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ singer, has finally spoken out about the long-rumoured ‘feud’ with Victoria Beckham that dates back to their chart battle in 2000.
The pop stars were pitted against each other as they vied for the number one spot, but Sophie has recently revealed feeling ‘unnerved’ by the media frenzy surrounding the event.
In a candid chat with AnOther Magazine, she clarified: “As I’m sure you would probably imagine there wasn’t anything real going on behind the scenes. And we did a show together around the time that Groovejet came out, actually. I went and knocked on her door and we had a little chat.”
She also downplayed any notion of bad blood with the former Spice Girl, stating: “She is someone that is very savvy as to how the press work and I was the one that was more unnerved by the scale of it,” reports the Daily Express.
Reflecting on the iconic chart showdown during an appearance on Gabby Logan’s Mid Point podcast earlier this year, Sophie mused: “Some of it was about genre; this was at a time when house music was just crossing over to being commercial. Her track was a garage track and Groove Jet was a house track; that’s like Ibiza, Ayia Napa.”
Speculation of a ‘feud’ between the two began in 2000, when both Sophie and Victoria embarked on solo careers. Sophie released Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love) while Victoria launched her hit “Out of Your Mind”, with both songs vying for the top spot.
However, in the tight race to number one, it was Sophie who triumphed. Despite having numerous chart-topping records over the years, Sophie is perhaps most recognised for her hit ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’, which was first released in 2001 but climbed the charts again earlier this year after featuring in the film, Saltburn.
Sophie and her popular tracks will take centre stage on BBC One’s New Year’s Eve celebrations tonight, as we bid farewell to 2024.
She stars in Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s New Year’s Eve Disco at 11.30pm on BBC One.