Tuesday, 23 October 2007

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Mutya Buena: Being a mum was much harder than I thought

The former Sugababes star explains why she suddenly quit the band

Mutya Buena says she didn't tell fellow Sugababes Heidi Range and Keisha Buchanan her reasons for leaving the group suddenly in 2005, because she didn't feel they'd understand.

Daughter Tahlia was only nine months old and the young mum, now 22, felt pulled in two different directions.

'They didn't have children,' Mutya tells Sunday magazine. 'I was convinced I could be a full-time Sugababe and a mother at the same time. But I quickly realised that being a mum was much harder than I thought.'

After a bit of juggling, she was able to carry on singing and her successful solo album spawned chart hits Song For Mutya and Real Girl.

'Tahlia came first, so if she was ill and I had to miss a gig or an interview, I felt guilty for letting the other girls down,' Mutya admits. 'And if I was working, I'd feel guilty for not spending enough time with her. Either way, I wasn't happy.'