Teen pop star Jess Stickley is on the verge of fame with Girls Can't Catch (From Bournemouth Echo)

Teen pop star Jess Stickley is on the verge of fame with Girls Can't Catch

9:58am Wednesday 27th January 2010 in

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JESS Stickley only turned 19 last month, but already she’s part of a successful girl band who have performed at Wembley and whose debut single made the charts.

It’s a rare, sunny winter’s day as Jess, from Verwood, joins me for a walk through Bournemouth Gardens and down to the beach. She tells me what a life-changing year 2009 was for her.

Along with fellow band members Daizy Agnew and Phoebe Brown, Jess had been on the red carpet in London’s Leicester Square at the St Trinian’s 2 premiere the previous night, along with the likes of La Roux and Girls Aloud, who Girls Can’t Catch supported on their arena tour earlier this year.

“It was a great night and I sat next to Sarah Harding,” says Jess excitedly.

“That was our first red carpet experience and we loved it – it was nice to see Girls Aloud again. After the film I said goodbye to everyone, jumped on a train back to Bournemouth and was home by midnight.”

Travelling between London and Dorset has become a regular occurrence for the down-to-earth Jess since she was asked to join Girls Can’t Catch in January last year.

“It was a bit of shock at first, travelling to London, but I think I’ve mastered the Tube now,” she laughs.

“I’ve really enjoyed having the balance of the exciting big city life, while still being able to come home to relaxing and peaceful Dorset.”

As we stroll along the beach, Jess tells me about how she came to be in the band.

“I entered an online competition where I had to submit a video of me singing and performing.

“I got to the final 10, and was invited to New York, where I didn’t win, but I was asked by Polydor’s A&R man to join a new girl band they were forming.

“So I met up with Daizy and Phoebe and we hit it off straight away.

“Since then we’ve recorded our album, supported Girls Aloud and the Jonas Brothers on their UK arena tours, and our song is being played on Radio 1 – it was a great year!”

That seems a bit of an understatement for Jess, who was revising for her A-Levels at Ferndown Upper School while regularly travelling to London to record and perform with Girls Can’t Catch.

“It was hard combining my school work with recording, but it worked out well in the end, and I did get in to Bournemouth University – but that plan is on hold for now.

“I obviously wasn’t that confident in my results though, because Sky TV asked me to open them live on air and I said no!” she says with a laugh.

“I had so much help from all my teachers at Ferndown. They have been really supportive of me for years and some of them have even bought the single and come to see gigs – along with my friends, they have all been brilliant.”

Jess – who attended her school prom two hours after leaving Glastonbury, where the group performed an acoustic set – keeps in touch with friends, family and her mounting army of fans on social networking site Twitter when she’s away touring or recording.

She takes a picture of the two of us by the beach and posts it on her site – within seconds it has been viewed by 15 people.

I ask how she’s coping with her growing fame and whether she is prepared for becoming a celebrity.

“I get recognised a bit when I go out in Bournemouth now, but I’m still the same girl who likes to customise her trainers and not so long ago queued for seven hours outside the BIC to see Kanye West,” she says with a smile.

“When we were touring with Girls Aloud they gave us great advice. They said how hard it is now for them to go outside to the shops, but at the same time they realise how privileged and fortunate they are.

“If we get to be that famous then obviously we’re doing something right and the band is being successful… so I’ll be happy if that happens.”