THEY say fame doesn't last forever and for these former popstars, they've decided to switch their lives on stage for a slice of normal life.

Household names like Westlife's Mark Feehily, Steps star Lisa Scott Lee and Kevin Jonas have proven they're just like us, as they've snapped up regular jobs.

Gone are their days of boyband power grabs and choreographed dance routines, as life now consists of making a living from running their own businesses, putting in graft on construction sites, teaching and even farming.

Here's a whole host of familiar faces who have quit the world of showbiz for something a little more relatable.

Lisa Scott Lee

Steps star Lisa is now a fully fledged headteacher, after moving to Dubai with her husband and their two children.


She heads up the Dubai Performing Arts Academy, which she and husband Johnny launched in 2014. The school has 600 pupils to its name, with students aged between three and 18.

Lisa works at the academy six days a week and told Mirror Online: "Steps is my life. It has been my life for the last 24 years, but being principal of the school is my day job.

"I can never switch off. Even when I’m with Steps, rehearsing or shooting a video, I’ll be working on my laptop. It’s become a bit of a running joke. I have to flip between my Steps hat and principal hat, which can be really hard and stressful at times."

While she focuses on the "day-to-day running of the school" and the business side, her husband is the school's creative director and main teacher.

Since setting up the school, Lisa has dabbled back into her popstar days, as Steps reformed in 2017 for a second time.

The much-loved band have sold a huge 20million albums worldwide since finding fame in the late '90s.

JB Gill



Most people will recognise JB Gill from boyband JLS, who stormed into the spotlight on The X Factor way back when in 2008, where they finished in second place to series winner Alexandra Burke.

The band – also made up of Aston Merrygold, Marvin Humes and Ortise Williams – split in 2013 and since then JB has hung up his performer boots and turned to farm life instead.

He lives in the country with wife Chloe Tangney and their two children. The couple bought a turkey farm in Sevenoaks, Kent, and JB, who is originally from Croydon in South London, has said he loves the rural life.

Comparing being a farmer to being famous, JB told In The Country: "One similarity is that you are busy all of the time and everyday there is something to do.

"But whilst I had a manager in show business, when you run a farm, you need to keep on top of everything. Thankfully Chloe is a huge support."

JLS are due to have a reunion tour this summer.

Mark Feehily



Westlife star Mark Feehily may have 12 albums to his name and forged a solo career following his time in the Irish boyband, but he's also now the proud owner of his own catering company.

Mark serves up coffee and crepes from a catering van and said in 2015 that business was booming for his new venture.

Speaking on Today FM he revealed: "It's going really well, we've got loads of interest and we've booked it in with a lot of the music festivals and we're talking about doing some Irish ones as well.

"People were flabbergasted at the fact that I was in the van making crepes. People kind of have this thing 'Oh, he was in Westlife a few years ago and now he's making tea'."

Mark added: "It's my business and I love it, anything I get involved in I get involved 110 per cent."

Kevin Jonas


Kevin Jonas is best known for being one third of The Jonas Brothers – a Disney star and singer alongside his two brothers Joe and Nick.

While Joe and Nick have gone on to have solo careers, you can find Kevin throwing himself into being a building consultant.

When The Jonas Brothers decided to take some time out from music, Kevin eyed up a career in real estate and launched a construction business specialising in home building, improvement and renovation.

In 2014, he was seen on camera on the Real Housewives of New Jersey as at the time, he was brought in as the lead contractor working on housewife Kathy Wakile's new home.

Vanilla Ice


Rapper Vanilla Ice was behind the iconic hit 'Ice Ice Baby' but since leaving the stage behind he's made a name for himself in real estate – particularly in renovating and flipping houses.

So much so, that Ice has his own home improvement show over in the US on DIY Network called The Vanilla Ice Project. It's been running for nine seasons and sees Ice taking dilapidated homes in his hometown of Palm Beach, Florida and transforming them into incredibly lavish properties.

His side hustle in home improvement started out as a hobby, but has since become a successful business.

Lucy Spraggan



Lucy found fame on The X Factor in 2012 and embarked on a solo career thereafter.

But while she's still pursuing music – her latest album debuted at number five in the charts – Lucy has also set her sights on a career in fitness and launched her own personal training platform for less than £10 a month called Fully Rewired last year.

She was inspired to help others with their fitness goals after losing an impressive three-and-a-half stone and told fans at the time: "I’ve taken all the good and the bad of my experience so far, combined it with the knowledge of professional PTs and nutritionists, and created this program.

"It is NOT a quick fix or focussed on weight-loss. It is focused on YOUR goals, whether that’s to be fitter, faster, happier, thinner, bigger, leaner or just for something to do! It’s all you.

Natasha Hamilton



Atomic Kitten's Natasha Hamilton has enjoyed years of girlband success, after finding fame in 1998 alongside Kerry Katona and Liz McClarnon.

Multiple reunions over the years have seen the girls continuing to tour, but when the pandemic hit last year, Natasha decided to look at other ways to make herself an income.

Not only has she now qualified as a therapist in Unconscious Mind Therapy, but she's also kick-started her own home-based business in health and wellness with Ketone supplement company Pruvit.

Now you can find Natasha leading coaching and reflection sessions online.

Frankie Cocozza


Frankie Cocozza hit the big time on The X Factor in 2011 and has probably been one of the show's most controversial contestants.

In 2017, he revealed that he was working as a builder after blowing his fortune from making music.

Frankie told The Mirror that he decided to switch up his career after finding himself bored and "running out of money" and actually he enjoys being on the building site.

"I have no regrets. I performed live on TV in front of 14 million and that's such a great thing to tell people," he said.

"I didn't have to have a real job for a long time after the show, and me and my mates had the best time."

Frankie, who is now married and has a child, revealed: "Now I love being on the building site. I get so much grief, but it's a crease up. I knock up pug for the plasterers. It's fun. It gives me a reason to get up in the morning."

We previously revealed the stars that shunned TV fame for normal jobs, including the EastEnders star that now works at B&M.

Plus, here are the sports stars with normal jobs, from WWE legend turned teacher to Premier League winner now a solicitor.

And this man claims he’s too famous to have a job and wants £4,500 teeth on the NHS.

    Source: Read Full Article