The Fizz star Mike Nolan has said he is leaving the group “for personal reasons”.
The spin-off group, whose members were part of Eurovision winning act Bucks Fizz, announced on Sunday that the singer will quit later this year.
The original pop group, which consisted of Nolan, Jay Aston, Cheryl Baker and Bobby G, stormed to victory at the 1981 song contest with their hit Making Your Mind Up.
Nolan, Aston and Baker have most recently been performing together as The Fizz, but Nolan told ITV’s Good Morning Britain he has become exhausted by all the travelling it requires.
Asked by host Ed Balls if he had “really made his mind up”, Nolan joked: “I’m not living in the land of make believe, I’ll tell you that.
'Have you really made your mind up?'
The future of The Fizz hangs in the balance after Mike Nolan's shock announcement that he's leaving – could @edballs step in to save the day? pic.twitter.com/igsAA6GxSh
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) May 6, 2024
“It’s actually personal reasons why I’m leaving, but also I was getting fed up with the amount of travelling that you’ve got to do.
“Everyone has to travel but because I can’t drive any more I’ve got to get in a cab, onto a train, onto another train, meet up with a band, do the gig, stay overnight, two trains back, another cab and just, and then 40 years of it….”
Asked if they were sorry to see him go, Baker joked: “No! For the last three years I think he’s been going: ‘I think I’m gonna leave.’ Just go! But of course it’s not going to be the same.”
She added they would “replace him, of course,” joking: “Ed’s not too tall, is he?”
At this point Balls broke into song, dancing and singing the Bucks Fizz hit Making Your Mind Up.
After Eurovision, Bucks Fizz went on to have a successful career, selling millions of records with six studio albums released throughout the 1980s.
❤️💙💛****IMPORTANT NOTICE****
We can confirm, following the Michael Ball show, that Mike will be leaving the group at the end of the year. Cheryl & Jay will be continuing as 'The Fizz' & a statement from Mike, will follow in the coming days. Thank you for your understanding. pic.twitter.com/p1QlibGXhm
— TheFizzOfficial (@TheFizzCMJ) May 5, 2024
Aston quit the group in 1985 and was replaced by Shelley Preston, who featured on Bucks Fizz’s last album Writing On The Wall in 1986.
In 2004, the group reunited under the name The Original Bucks Fizz, which had all the original members except Preston in Aston’s place.
A few years later, the band members reconnected with Aston and she took over Preston’s space in 2009 after the singer left.
Aston, Baker and Nolan have since been performing together with various line-up additions.
The spin-off group currently go by the name The Fizz and have released a number of albums.
On Sunday, the group announced the trio was to become a duo, writing on X: “Mike will be leaving the group at the end of the year.
“Cheryl & Jay will be continuing as ‘The Fizz’ & a statement from Mike, will follow in the coming days. Thank you for your understanding.”
The trio are still expected to perform together on June 28 at The Indigo at The O2 in London, at their concert titled Party Like It’s 1981.
