MV: With hindsight are you happier now that you have a solo deal and are not part of Girls Aloud?
JH: Now I am - but obviously at the time I was like ’Oh my God I’m not in the band’ I was really upset about it. But now, I can see that probably it was the right thing, especially the kind of music they’re doing. I was bought up listening to reggae and soul. I think it’s great for them but I just think I would look wrong doing it. I wouldn’t be doing it and enjoying it - it would be very half hearted.

MV: There was a lot of hype at the time about the show being rigged - what was your opinion on that? People thought you were the best singer by a mile...
JH: I think from that whole thing, I realised how much people supported me. I have people coming up to me on the street and saying ’Even if your single is rubbish, I am still gonna buy it because you deserve it’. I think people kinda forgot about me on the night. Literally everyone just thought I’d be in the band, even before they even heard me sing. It was like they had to have the token black girl in the band. Obviously not!

MV: Are you still in contact with any of the guys and girls from Popstars - The Rivals?
JH: I still see Cheryl now and then but we are not as tight as before. She just has her own thing going on. I’ll probably see her more again now that I am doing my thing and going to TV studios. I did a concert the other day in Manchester and they were performing there as well. They have been really supportive which is nice.

MV: Do you think the guys (One True Voice) are going to be able to last for very much longer?
JH: I think they have one more chance but their new single is awful. I just feel sorry for them. But they are at number 8 in the charts. Ok, people are fobbing them off and they’re getting really bad press. The song ain’t great but there must be some closet buyers as people are buying it. I still think they could come back with something really strong though.

MV: Do you come from a musical background?
JH: My family used to blast the music up, especially on a Sunday when we had a family roast dinner. I used to listen to Neneh Cherry, Jodeci, Whitney Houston, and there’s loads of pictures of me trying to be Michael Jackson when I was little.

MV: Who is/are your icon(s)?
JH: I have so many musical icons. At the moment, it’s Amerie - I think she is so wicked. Also people like India Arie, Beyonce, Aaliyah...

MV: You’re a Ladbroke Grove girl. What do you like about living in the area?
JH: It’s a good community. There are some strange people around here but you can dress and look how you want and no one looks at you different. There’s a real ethnic mix - the Moroccans, Asians, blacks, mixed race and everyone kinda moves with everyone.

MV: Do you see yourself living in the area for the foreseeable future or are you going to go all Hollywood on us?
JH: I could never move out of West or North West London - I have to stay in the perimeter. Everything you want is here.

MV: Tell us something we don’t know about the Grove?
JH: Where Ion Bar is, that used to be where the tramps used to sleep - so whilst people are all in there drinking their champagne, they are dancing on a site that used to be an old toilet.