Amelle, Heidi 'quit band, not Keisha'

Heidi Range and Amelle Berrabah have claimed that they both quit Sugababes before Keisha Buchanan was ultimately ousted by their record label.

Speaking to OK!, the pair denied reports that Buchanan had been sacked from the group, instead insisting that their record label made the decision to follow them after they left.

"It’s flattering that people are so interested [in the split], but it's hard when things that aren't true are written about you," said Range. "When the whole lineup changed, it was me and Amelle that left the band – Keisha was never kicked out. We risked our careers. We [just] couldn't take the situation any more."

She added: "Our record company stood by us, [and so did] all the people we work with. They were going through everything we were going through anyway and they supported us."

Range and Berrabah said they have previously maintained silence on the truth behind the split out of respect for Buchanan, who was dropped from the lineup in September.

"We didn't come out and say the details of what had happened and what went on because we wanted to be respectful of the good times that we did have together," said Range. "But because we haven't, people have come to their own conclusions."

Meanwhile, Buchanan's replacement Jade Ewen has said that she often "gets quite angry" by untrue speculation.

"At the end of the day, it's not my story to tell," she told the magazine. "But I feel frustrated for them because it's a catch-22 situation: if you say nothing, people come to their own conclusions, but if you do then it's like papers start writing stuff and it becomes a vicious circle."