Amelle Berrabah has been announced as the replacement for Mutya Buena in the Sugababes trio.

Berrabah is a 21-year-old from Hampshire, whose family is originally from Morocco, and has been a long-standing fan of the band. "For years I’ve dreamt of breaking into the music business but never did I dream of waking up one day to be the third Sugababe," she said. "They’re the biggest girl group in the country and absolutely the only band I would ever think about joining."

Heidi Range, who joined the pop trio in 2001 as a replacement for original member Siobhan Donaghy, added: "Our management introduced us to Amelle as someone they knew with an amazing voice, who looked great and, just as important, was already a big fan of the band! The fans will certainly not be disappointed when they hear Amelle sing."

Mutya quit the group earlier this week, saying her decision was based "purely on personal reasons".