That Time My Cousin Was Literally in a Boyband

Every family has their quirks. Some people have a distant royal relative, others have a great-uncle who was on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Me? I had a cousin in a boyband. A real, actual, screaming-girls, glossy-magazine, coordinated-outfits boyband.

My cousin Scott was in Avenue — the group who auditioned for The X Factor in 2006 (yep, Leona Lewis’s year). They looked set for stardom, but then came the drama: Avenue were disqualified for already having management. Headlines, disappointment, the lot.

But the story didn’t end there. Avenue carried on, signed deals, released a single (Last Goodbye), did tours, and — the part that blows my mind the most — I got a front row seat to the madness.

🎤 The Launch Party

I actually went to their launch party. Picture it: flashing lights, music blasting, teenage fans screaming at the stage. And me, tucked away in the crowd, thinking: “That’s my cousin up there.” It felt surreal, like I’d accidentally wandered into a magazine spread.

While most kids were spending Saturday nights playing SingStar in their living room, I was at an actual boyband launch. Total flex.

🛋️ The Living Room Takeover

And then there was the day it got even weirder. Because Avenue weren’t just on TV — they were in my parents’ living room. The whole boyband. Sitting there, in our perfectly normal family house, like it was the most casual thing in the world.

Other people’s cousins came over for tea. Mine came over with his entire band. For one brief, shining moment, our living room was basically TRL.

💿 Family Fame by Association

I milked that fact for all it was worth. At school, whenever pop bands came up, I’d casually drop: “Oh yeah, my cousin’s in a boyband.” It wasn’t my achievement, but I carried it like it was. Who wouldn’t?

Looking back now, it feels like a little slice of 00s pop culture history that just so happened to run through my family tree. Glossy hair, coordinated outfits, actual fans… and a seat on my parents’ sofa.

🌟 Daisy’s Corner 🌟

Babes, do you know how insane this is? Your cousin wasn’t just in a boyband — he literally brought the boyband round to yours. While everyone else’s cousins were just doing homework in Year 10, Scott was bringing Smash Hits to the Clarke family living room.

If that were me, I’d still be introducing myself at parties like, “Hi, I’m Daisy, Avenue-adjacent.” Icon behaviour by association.