Bananarama have announced a shock reunion with founder member Siobhan Fahey, who rejoins the band after leaving more than 30 years ago.

Bananarama
Bananarama reunion

Fahey left the group in 1988 and will now join Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward for a hugely-anticipated 15-date nationwide theatre tour. This will be the first time the trio ever toured together. “Keren and I have toured as a duo for years, but we never toured or played live with Siobhan,” explains Sara.  “We’ve been talking about this idea for a while and now the moment has finally arrived it’s incredibly exciting! Lots of fans have often asked ‘please just do one tour with Siobhan,’ so now their wishes have come true.”

“We’ll be performing all the hits and some surprises, too, I really can’t wait it’s gonna be an amazing party every night!” says Keren.

“These were my formative years,” adds Siobhan. “I never thought it would happen again. It’s like going back down the road to find a piece of myself that I left back then. The older I get, the more I realise it was pretty magical.”

Bananarama made it into the Guinness Book Of Records as the most successful female group of all time on account of the fact they’d had more hit singles than any other girl band ever. To date, they have had 30 chart hits. They hit the top of charts around the world. In the US, Venus became their first No.1 single on the Billboard chart. Their combined record sales were over 40 million.

Fahey was a member of the group during their most successful era which saw them rack up numerous hits including Really Saying Something, Shy Boy, Cruel Summer and Robert DeNiro’s Waiting.

Since their unforgettable last performance as a trio on The Brits in 1988, Keren and Sara have continued as Bananarama, releasing records and touring to global audiences. Siobhan went on to have hit singles and albums around the world as part of Shakespears Sister before becoming a solo artist.

The reunion news followed a recent post on the band’s official social media channels, which saw a one-armed bandit flash up three banana graphics.

The tour, which was announced on the group’s official website on Sunday night, kicks off on 12 November at the Glasgow SEC and concludes on 2 December at the Southend Cliffs Pavilion. Along the way, dates include gigs in Newcastle, Manchester, London, Bristol, Cardiff and Brighton among others. Tickets are due to go on sale at 9am on Wednesday (26 April).