From car park sex scandals to emu farming – where the most iconic 90s and 00s lads mags pin-ups are now

Scottish Sun

26-07-2025

One these models helped FHM sell more than one million copies within just two months
GLAMOUR GOALS From car park sex scandals to emu farming – where the most iconic 90s and 00s lads mags pin-ups are now
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SHE was one of the most successful pin ups of the 90s.
But this week The Sun revealed why Melanie Sykes has ditched fame to focus on the quiet life in Yorkshire, where she spends her days painting nude pictures of herself.
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Dani Behr modelling back in 2008
Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
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Dani, 55, ditched the UK in the early noughties to live in the States
Credit: instagram/danibehr
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Page three model Melinda Messenger is kissed by a couple of Chelsea Pensioners
Credit: PA:Press Association
Mel, 54, was one of the many beautiful women who shaped 90s culture and the years beyond.
Here, we look at what some of the sexiest stars of yesteryear are up to now, from successful TV careers to tragic health battles…
Dani Behr
Nothing summed up the 90s quite like pop culture show The Word.
And front and centre was Dani Behr, the gorgeous blonde presenter with the husky voice who joined the programme in 1992 at just 17 years old.
Following her tenure on the show, Dani embarked on a brief but high profile relationship with Manchester United star Ryan Giggs and was later axed from CBBC's The Saturday Show, after making risque comments to a lads mag about having 'seedy' sex in an NCP car park.
Dani, 55, ditched the UK in the early noughties to live in the States to work as a luxury real estate agent in Los Angeles, selling million dollar houses.
Now a mum of two, she's kept herself ingrained in showbusiness, and has just announced that a new show which she created, called 'Members Only: Palm Beach,' has been picked up by Netflix.
It will follow 'a group of glamorous women navigating America's most exclusive social circle.'
Melinda Messenger
With her tumbling blonde locks, cheeky grin and flawless figure, Melinda was the ultimate pin up and one of the 90s most iconic glamour girls.
I was a Page 3 girl and popped up in James Bond film... then got addicted to heroin
The Sun labelled her 'The Girl of the Thrillenium' and she was dubbed the new Eva Herzigova as she shot to fame thanks to posing in her undies for a double glazing advert.
Nowadays, things are drastically different for 54 year old Mel, who has three children and lives a peaceful life in the Berkshire countryside.
She likes to plant flowers, walk her dog and is a fully trained psychotherapist.
Melinda, who regularly appears as a guest at wellness festivals across the country, was back in the news recently to argue her 21 year old daughter, Evie, was not a 'nepo baby'.
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Melinda Messenger emerging from a swimming pool onto a Sun towel back in 1997
Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
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Melinda Messenger at Octopus Park in Tenerife back in 1997
Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
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Legendary Page 3 girl hasn't aged a day as she poses in swimsuit
Credit: instagram/melinda.j.messenger_
Reports claimed Evie was going into modelling, having been given a leg up by her famous mum.
But Mel chimed into the debate insisting 'She isn't a model, though, to be fair she could be if she wanted to, but I am her mum, so I might be a tad biased.'
Keeley Hazell
As glamour girls go, few were as popular as Keeley at her peak.
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Keeley Hazel, 21 with 'Come on England' roses back in 2007
Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
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Keeley featured in practically every lads mag going
Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
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Keeley turned to acting appearing in Hollywood films Horrible Bosses 2 with Jennifer Aniston
Credit: Getty Images - Getty
Not only did she feature in practically every lads mag going, but her Official Keeley Calendar 2007 sold 30,000 copies in its first couple of days, making it one of the biggest sellers of that year.
And this was a time when celeb calendars were big business.
Famed for her doe eyed girl next door looks, Keeley turned to acting after modelling, appearing in Hollywood films Horrible Bosses 2 with Jennifer Aniston and Like Crazy, alongside Jennifer Lawrence.
But it's her turn as evil chairman Rupert Mannion's wife, Bex, in Ted Lasso that has really put her on the map.
She's also one of the show's writers.
With her tongue firmly in cheek, Keeley, 38, will release her first book next month, a collection of essays entitled 'Everyone's Seen My Tits.'
Jodie Marsh
She's a long way from her sexy pin up past, but Jodie Marsh was once one of the hottest women in showbiz.
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Jodie Marsh at the FHM 100 Sexiest Women event
Credit: Rex Features
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Jodie Marsh became famous for her special bra outfit
Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
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Jodie recently won a battle against her local council in Essex
Credit: John McLellan
Famed for her daring, outrageous outfits and constant comparisons to fellow model Katie Price, Jodie was a mainstay at celeb events and on reality shows in the early 00s.
However, a lot has changed and Jodie, 46, now runs an animal sanctuary called Fripps Farm, where she keeps everything from emus to lemurs.
She recently won a battle against her local council in Essex to keep the animals, but last month the former glamour girl begged fans to donate money to her project, after learning the farm's social media pages had been taken down.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) Jodie could be seen cuddling an emu and pleading, 'We are working on getting them back up. Please help by donating at frippfarm.co.uk.'
Sarah Cawood
Channel 4's The Girlie Show, famous for launching the career of the original ladette, Sara Cox, also catapulted Sara Cawood to fame, and she too became a fixture on the walls of teen boys across the country.
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Heather Suttie & Sarah Cawood presenters for the BBC's Live & Kicking pictured in Ibzia
Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
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Sarah Cawood at the 2004 Kerrang! Awards
Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
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Sarah Cawood at the Live Odyssey launch party
Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
However, the Top of the Pops presenter, while incredibly sexy, never took her kit off in the press.
Following a battle with breast cancer in 2022, Sarah told The Sun of her regrets, saying 'they were honestly the best boobs — better than Denise Van Outen's, I'd say. So I should have got them out.'
These days Sarah, 52, has stepped away from the limelight to focus on her health and her two children.
In April she shared a post which said, ''I need to stop drinking. Like stop completely.'
She also reflected on her former TV career saying, 'sometimes I wonder what went wrong, but I'm here now so I'm going to make the most of it, however, that looks.'
Gail Porter
Was there a more iconic image from lad culture in the 90s than the naked body of Gail Porter, projected onto the Houses of Parliament? Arguably not.
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Cover girl challenge The front cover of FHM magazine showing Gail Porter in the nude
Credit: FHM Magazine
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Gail Porter promoting a motor car in London
Credit: Rex
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Gail Porter, patron of a Scottish charity, at the launch of an affordable lending program
Credit: Tom Farmer
However, that 1999 stunt for men's magazine FHM, proved to be the beginning of the end for Gail's successful glamour and TV career.
The 54 year old, who was famed for presenting shows like Live and Kicking and Top of The Pops, said she wasn't aware of what had happened and later claimed she was never paid for the shoot, despite the publicity helping FHM sell more than one million copies within just two months.
Since then Gail has famously lost her hair due to alopecia, has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and fought a battle against drink and drugs and bankruptcy.
She was also sectioned under the mental health act in 2011, after texting her then boyfriend to say she was suicidal.
Last month Gail, who shares a daughter, Honey, with Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave, stepped out at the British LGBT Awards ceremony wearing a long blonde wig, leaving fans praising her 'transformation'.
Nell McAndrew
Gorgeous Nell was always destined for big things, having started her career as a Marilyn Monroe impersonator.
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Model Nell McAndrew in red lingerie and a white fur coat in 2000
Credit: PA:Press Association
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Nell McAndrew at a charity fashion show
Credit: Capital Pictures
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Now Nell, 51, spends her time as a fitness guru
Credit: Instagram
She was the Lara Croft model for Tomb Raider when the computer game was released in 1998 and since then was a mainstay in men's mags such as Maxim, Loaded and even Playboy.
She was famously named Rear of the Year in 2005 and had a successful run presenting shows such as The Big Breakfast and It's A Knockout.
She famously 'wed' gay pal Dale Winton in a televised ceremony, which was later revealed to be part of a BBC documentary.
Now Nell, 51, spends her time as a fitness guru, who has run several marathons and written a book called Nell McAndrew's Guide to Running.