Keisha Buchanan has spoken out over racism she faced in the music industry and said she was unfairly blamed for infighting during her time in the Sugababes and bore "the brunt of criticism" as a black singer.
The 35-year-old singer, who was one of the founding members of the chart-topping band alongside Mutya Buena and Siobhán Donaghy in 1998, said she was often portrayed as "bully" who the other members were scared of.
During an appearance on This Morning, the Push the Button singer said she was frequently blamed for infighting in the group because she was the only black member.
''I believe that systemic racism comes in all different forms and if you're abusing someone's character to manipulate them... it's based on perception," she said.
''Some people had never met me and just decided I was the instigator of situations, and no one ever gave me the chance to say actually what happened.
"We know in life there are always two sides to every story.''
Donaghy departed the group in 2001 and was replaced by Heidi Range, while Buena quit in 2005 with Amelle Berrabah brought in as a replacement.
Buchanan says she was unfairly blamed for Donaghy's exit and admits the situation escalated when Buena left.
''It all started when I was about 15, 16, it was when Siobhán first left. As young girls do, you have arguments, disagreements, fall-outs, as far as I was always aware, it was just like sisters falling out. And Siobhán and I are really good friends and still work together so even she recognises that we were just kids.
''But what started happening was journalists would write up the story and instantly take sides. They'd take Siobhán's side and it was like those two tough and rough girls from north west London and nobody asked us about it and what was our experience.
''I felt, especially after Mutya left, I took the brunt of that. But behind the scenes the girls were very supportive of me and told me to ignore everything that was being said because they know who I was.
''That was probably part of the reason why I felt I didn't need to speak out.''
Buchanan posted a ten minute clip to her YouTube channel last week, further detailing her experiences as a black woman in the music industry in the early noughties.
