N-Dubz announce return, 11 years after split

N-Dubz are back with a new single and a UK tour.

The London trio hopped out of a private helicopter to let fans know, in a video posted on social media.

They made the announcement yesterday (Monday 16 May), 11 years after the group first announced a two-year hiatus.

Dappy, Fazer and Tulisa will release new song Charmer on Thursday this week, and it'll get its first play on Radio 1Xtra.

The video, which all three members posted on their Instagram accounts, includes a very brief snippet of new music.

Aitch, Unknown T and Yungen were among the big names to react in excitement at the announcement.

The live shows will start on 7 November and are booked in some of the biggest venues in the UK - including London's O2.

N-Dubz had a string of hits between 2006 and 2011 - including Ouch, Papa Can You Hear Me and Number 1 - a chart topping collaboration with Tinchy Stryder.

They separated to pursue solo careers - to varying degrees of success.

Tulisa scored a solo Number One single in 2012 with her debut release, Young, and followed it with two more Top 20 hits - but releases since then have failed to chart.

She also appeared as a judge on the X Factor in 2011 and 2012 - mentoring artists such as Ella Henderson and Little Mix.

Dappy also had a run of solo success - scoring two Top Ten hits (No Regrets and Rockstar) from his debut album Bad Intentions.

N-Dubz were named best newcomer at the 2007 MOBO Awards

More recently, he's charted with tracks such as Oh My and Motorola.

Fazer has also released solo music, including a collaboration with Tom Parker from The Wanted.

'A terrible thing to do'

But in the years that followed their initial success, the band also faced a number of controversies.

Tulisa was arrested in 2013 on suspicion of supplying class A drugs - but the case was dismissed because a prosecution witness, former tabloid journalist Mazher Mahmood, was found guilty of lying to the court.

When the trial collapsed in 2014, Tulia said she had been "tricked" into believing she was auditioning for a movie and was encouraged to "act the part of a bad, rough, ghetto girl".

"They recorded this and produced it as evidence when I thought it was an audition. It was a terrible thing to do," she said.

• Tulisa's drugs trial collapses

Dappy was given a six-month suspended sentence in 2013 (along with fines and 150 hours of community service) on assault and affray charges.

He was convicted in connection with a brawl at a petrol station in Guildford.

The court heard Dappy sparked a "mob-handed attack" when he spat at two teenage women.

• N-Dubz rapper Dappy avoids jail

In 2017 he admitted arming himself with a butcher's knife during a row with his partner.

• Dappy pleads guilty to knife charge

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