Mike Nolan’s Surprise Return to The Fizz

Mike Nolan retired in November after 40 years of performing with Bucks Fizz (Picture: Ross Gilmore/Redferns via Getty Images).

Eurovision Song Contest winner Mike Nolan quit The Fizz in November but made a surprise return to support the iconic 80s band this week. The 70-year-old announced in May he would be exiting The Fizz – formerly Bucks Fizz – after performing with the Making Your Mind Up hitmakers for 40 years. But it seems the Irish singer couldn’t stay away, as five months later he turned up to shower his former bandmates with support as member Cheryl Baker failed to make it to their Tonbridge Wells Fire Station gig.

On Saturday, singer Matthew Pateman announced the band would be performing as a trio that evening – with Jay Aston and Nikk Mager – due to Cheryl being ‘stranded off the coast of Africa’. ‘Oh it’s been a week. Looking forward to seeing you all for double the fun and Sunday’s surprise guest!’ they teased. It turned out Mike was that surprise guest, making an occasion of the gigs by taking selfies and chatting with fans.

Cheryl Baker – on the right of Jay here – couldn’t make the gig this weekend because she was stranded off the coast of Africa (Picture: Dave Benett/Getty Images).

He posed with Nikk Mager, Jay Aston, and Matthew Pateman this weekend (Credit: @nikkimager1984). The band’s official social media thanked Mike for attending the event as well as their fans for 44 years of ‘love and support’. ‘Through highs and lows, you are always there. We are so grateful. Much love from us all,’ they said, before announcing their next show would be in November.

Bucks Fizz, made up of Mike, Cheryl, Jay Aston, and Bobby G, won Eurovision for the UK in Dublin in 1981 with their entry song Making Your Mind Up. While many Eurovision stars fade away after their moment in the spotlight, Bucks Fizz went on to release three number one singles and one top 10 album in the UK.

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Mike Nolan, Jay Aston, Cheryl Baker, and Bobby G were the original Bucks Fizz lineup (Picture: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images). Explaining his decision to leave the band in November, Mike told PA News: ‘I am going to miss it, but I’m also not sorry. ‘When we had that time off in lockdown, all of a sudden – and it wasn’t just me – the whole world came to a standstill, and it was really weird. ‘I was doing a lot of walking around and we were off for a long, long time, and when we went back, I didn’t want to go back, I just didn’t want to go back.’ Mike has been replaced in The Fizz by Matthew, the former lead singer of 1990s boy band Bad Boys Inc, and Nikk of Phixx, who appeared on ITV talent show Popstars: The Rivals.

Bucks Fizz Name Change Explained

Original members Mike, Cheryl, and Jay renamed their spin-off band to The Fizz in 2016. This came after a legal dispute with Bobby G after he left the group in 1985 and his wife trademarked the name Bucks Fizz in 2001. The three members originally renamed to The Original Bucks Fizz, but it was ruled this was in breach of trademark laws, so they became The Fizz.

The original members went through a lot together, having been involved in a coach accident on the way home from a gig in 1984 which left Mike fighting for his life. On the impact, Mike went through the windscreen and spent time in intensive care, and he still suffers from epilepsy from the crash.

Talking to a publication last year, he explained: ‘The coach and a lorry hit each other, and Cheryl and I went with a windscreen, and I actually banged my head and I ended up with a clot on my brain, which I didn’t know about, because I went into a coma. ‘When I came round, I took a long, long time to get over it. I lost 50 percent of my vision which has affected me on a daily basis, although I am thankful to be alive.’ He added: ‘It changes you forever, and it took me 25 years to get to a place where I am fine and don’t need anyone to talk about it. Now, I just want to get on with my life.’

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