Girl group Atomic Kitten has been confirmed as the first name to appear at next year’s MacMoray in Elgin – and they can’t wait to meet Douglas Ross.
During the last Scottish Parliament election the Moray MP made headlines when he sang the band’s hit Whole Again during a TV interview.
The politician has previously admitted the 2001 number one hit is his favourite karaoke song.
Now the girl group has pledged to try and make the Scottish Conservatives leader “whole again”, but have joked they’re not sure it’s possible.
In a tweet, Mr Ross described the announcement as the “best day ever”, adding: “Dreams do come true.”
‘Guilty pleasure’
He added: “It feels like all my birthdays and Christmases have come at once.
“I never tire of saying how great Moray is and it’s clear that Atomic Kitten agree by confirming they’re heading here next year.
“On a serious note, MacMoray has been a great event attracting many big names and I’m delighted that Atomic Kitten will join the list of headline artists. ”
He continued: “Whole Again is my guilty pleasure and go-to karaoke song so I’m looking forward to hearing the professionals sing it live in Elgin at an event that brings lots of enjoyment to the area and is a big boost to the local economy.”
Atomic Kitten are the first band to be confirmed for next year’s MacMoray.
The band, which once featured Kerry Katona, were big stars in the late 90s and early 2000s with five top 10 singles, with Whole Again being the most successful.
This week the group has been performing in their hometown of Liverpool as part of the Eurovision celebrations.
Also on the MacMoray line-up is Gareth Gates, who was runner-up in the first Pop Idol in 2002 following a titanic battle with eventual winner Will Young.
His debut single, a cover of Unchained Melody, was the second best-selling song of the 2000s decade – beaten only by Will Young’s debut Evergreen.
More recently, he has been appearing in musical theatre in London’s West End, including the starring role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and as Marius in Les Miserables.
The final act to be confirmed today is Swedish club legend Basshunter, who has sold more than 3 million records worldwide.
The DJ, who appeared on Celebrity Big Brother, is best known for hits Now You’re Gone, which spent five weeks at number one in 2007, and All I Ever Wanted.
MacMoray tickets for next year already selling fast
About 10,000 people packed Cooper Park in Elgin for two days this month for MacMoray, enjoying hits from the Vengaboys, B*Witched and Cascada alongside Scottish favourites Big Country and the Bay City Rollers.
Next year’s event has already been confirmed for the weekend of May 4 and 5 with tickets already selling fast.
Nearly half of the weekend tickets have already sold out, with VIP packages already completely snapped up.
Organisers have already secured a licence to keep holding the event in Elgin until 2025.
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