Natasha Hamilton is known worldwide as one third of the *iconic* girl band, Atomic Kitten. Now she is treating all of us here in Dubai to a festive Christmas concert on the 10th of December at Dubai Opera. We caught up with her to talk her twenty year love affair with Dubai, her inspirational podcast, and what is next for the singer.
Natasha is headlining a huge Christmas concert next week in Dubai, and we’d be lying if we said that we weren’t hoping there would be a few of our favourite Atomic Kitten tracks in there… “I’ll be doing a couple of Atomic Kitten numbers”, Natasha confirmed, “and also a few classics that people will know, and a load of Christmas songs as well”. Heaven to our ears!
Natasha has been coming out to the UAE ever since 2001, when the landscape of Dubai looked quite different to it does today. “The first time I ever came, the tiny, tiny beginnings of The Palm were being built”, Natasha tells us, “I was sat on the beach at the Royal Mirage and they were just starting the road. Well, not the road, just the sand! They were pumping the sand in”. T”he Marina was quiet and there wasn’t as many high rises”, Natasha added of the dramatic evolution of Dubai in the last two decades, “it was very much desert. I don’t even think the rail system was there then”.
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When it comes to staying in Dubai, Natasha has a firm favourite hotel, “The One and Only Royal Mirage is stunning”. “I’ve stayed in the residence a few times”, Natasha says, “it’s a gorgeous place to stay and it’s very luxurious. I always feel very special when I stay there”. But it’s not just the hotels which Natasha comes to Dubai for, she also has friends out here which she comes to visit and stay with. Her trip to Dubai earlier in the year was both a mix of business and pleasure, “I stayed at my friend’s house and we did lots of brunches, and we also did a lot of brainstorming because we’re business partners. We’re in business together, we are advocates of ketones”.
Between her music and business work Natasha also has found time to create a super-inspirational podcast, which is currently in the top twenty charts. “It has been so amazing just to talk to people, really honest and candid conversations”, Natasha tells us. “I’ve got experts in their fields that offer advice and support. It covers a whole range of wellness so we tackle issues with mental health, physical health, spiritual wellbeing and emotional wellbeing. It’s had fantastic reviews, people are finding it a really good tool where they feel supported. It helps people realise they’re not the only people going through tough times, and also points people in the right direction of where they can look for help as well.”
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If you follow Natasha on social media, you will already know how inspiring her feed is. “For me, it’s all about having a positive impact”, she explains, “I thrive when I’m helping others or I’m able to inject a bit of positivity into their day”. “I’ve done a lot of work myself and I realise that in order to progress forward you have to mentally put yourself in that good space. I don’t wake up every day feeling on top of the world, I’d be lying if I said I did. But I know in order to set the tone of the day, I need to go in at a level where I’m being positive and uplifting. I just use social media to share my life experiences, what I’ve learnt, show some support and also celebrate all the things in life that mean a lot to me.”
As a lot of us have, Natasha has also found lockdown to be a time of reflection and new beginnings. “The positives are to be super thankful and grateful for what we do have”, Natasha says. “It was a frightening time, and I’ve learnt a lot about myself. I’ve learnt that I’m really robust when my back is up against a wall, I seem to do great things. It’s just taught me that anything is possible, when adversity happens it’s what you make of it.” She also tells us to be mindful of who we surround ourselves with. “Find your tribe”, Natasha says, “find the people that make you feel good. Don’t be stuck looking at these versions of life which aren’t real. If that doesn’t inspire you then find something that does”.
Singer, businesswoman, mum and inspirational speaker. Is there anything this woman can’t do?
Catch Natasha Hamilton and Gareth Gates performing at Christmas Cracker, Dubai Opera on the 10th December.