I was wild & sexy in the 90s – I’m glad the trends are back but won’t copy Pamela Anderson’s lips, says Denise Van Outen

IF the 1980s were the decade of excess, the Nineties can be summed up in one word: Cool.

And now it’s back, with the era’s most unforgettable fashion, TV and music having a huge resurgence.

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From Gladiators dominating TV schedules like it is 1996 all over again, to Oasis singer Liam Gallagher teaming up with Stone Roses’ guitarist John Squire to make an album of new material, there is no escaping the decade’s resurgence.

And few people know the power of the Nineties quite like former Big Breakfast host and Denise Van Outen, who rose to fame during the decade, partying and presenting her way to instant fame.

“I’m not surprised that all these Nineties trends are coming back,” she says.

“What’s not to love about the greatest decade of all time?

“Everything about those days was so cool. We had freedom, we partied, everyone was that little less judgemental.

“It felt like everyone was united. You could be a dance chick or an indie chick — it didn’t matter.

"We lived in the moment. I’m so happy I spent my youth in the Nineties — it was one hell of a ride.”

Denise, 49, was one of the central figures of the ladette movement — which also included ballsy women on TV, such as Sara Cox and Zoe Ball, who gave the men a run for their money.

“Oh, us girls ruled the decade,” says Denise, mum to 13-year-old Betsy.

“Women became very prominent in music and TV.

"The Spice Girls and All Saints were huge, we had the greatest supermodels in Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell — suddenly it all felt really empowering to be a female.

"It felt like a decade of constant celebration.”

Well, the party’s started again, with Rihanna donning baggy jeans and Taylor Swift wearing chokers — Nineties looks that their Gen Z fans are copying, while also embracing grunge make-up inspired by the era, as seen at New York Fashion Week.

TV shows such as Netflix’s One Day have millions of viewers reminiscing about the good old days, and even cheesy boyband New Kids On The Block are touring again.

To top it all off, Den teases she will soon be reuniting with her Big Breakfast pal Johnny Vaughan for a new, top-secret project that she teases “Nineties fans will love.”

Here, Denise gives her guide to the best trends making a comeback and why she’s ready to embrace nearly all of them.

TELLY

Gladiators reign supreme once more

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I CAN’T tell you how thrilled I am to see the Gladiators back on the box, 24 years after the original ITV series ended.

My 13-year-old daughter Betsy and I sit and watch it most Saturday nights and she’s just as obsessed as me.

I used to see a lot of the cast out and about in the Nineties, especially Rhino and Jet, who were great fun.

I’d see a lot of Ulrika Jonsson too, as she was obviously very famous, being the host.

Another programme getting a reboot is kids’ TV drama Byker Grove, notable for giving us PJ and Duncan – aka Ant and Dec.

I absolutely loved that show and I think it’ll be wonderful that a brand new audience will get to discover it.

I knew some of the cast back in the day and I’m still very good friends with Donna Air, who played Charlie.

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I’d be very happy if Betsy watched it, provided it’s as good as it used to be.

I know some people don’t want to see beloved shows rebooted, as they’d rather their kids see the originals, but times change and there’s no harm in reworking something for a modern audience.

Look at Frasier, a Nineties classic from the US. I’m happy it’s back with new shows.

Meanwhile, One Day on Netflix starring Ambika Mod has got me all misty-eyed for the good old days.

A large portion is set in the Nineties and it’s reminding me just how much I loved it – from the fashion to the very realistic portrayal of being drunk on live TV (the show’s protagonist, Dexter, is a famous TV presenter in the mid-Nineties).

I never drank on the job but I remember seeing a lot of hungover faces on The Big Breakfast.

Back then it was perfectly acceptable to turn up worse for wear – it was all part of the fun.

MUISC

Chart stars get back on the road

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MUSIC is my absolute passion, so you can imagine how much I love it when Betsy plays me a “brand new song” she’s heard on TikTok and it turns out to be a Nineties classic.

David Guetta’s recent single Baby Don’t Hurt Me featured Haddaway’s What Is Love, and Nicki Minaj sampling Aqua’s Barbie Girl is another example.

I’m loving seeing all the great bands of the Nineties back on tour.

The Corrs recently announced they were going back on the road, taking Natalie Imbruglia with them.

New Kids On The Block, S Club, and B*Witched are all gigging as well, which I just love.

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Liam Gallagher teased this week he might play Glastonbury with John Squire from the Stone Roses.

Two absolutely iconic Nineties bands, but let’s face it, all anyone really wants is the ultimate reunion – Oasis. Please make it happen, Noel and Liam.

We interviewed so many amazing music stars on The Big Breakfast – it was the show everyone wanted to be on and Oasis were among them.

I was lucky enough to hang out with the band all those years ago, going to a party at Noel’s house, Supernova Heights.

Pardon the Nineties music pun, but it was all a bit of a Blur back then and my memory is hazy.

There were plenty of sleepless nights, though – I will say that.

MOVIES

Reboots and sequels dominate the screens

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IT’S not just TV rebooting some awesome Nineties classics – Hollywood is also having a go at recreating the magic.

But I’m not sure how well they’ll fare with the new Barney The Dinosaur film, which is meant to be in the same vein as the Barbie movie, this time based on the cuddly purple dinosaur first seen in 1992.

I might leave Betsy to that one.

The film I’m most worried about is the sequel to Dirty Dancing, which is in the works and going to be set in the Nineties.

I’m a huge fan of the original so I will definitely go and watch it, but sometimes you have to realise you just can’t improve on perfection.

Imagine someone trying to remake Trainspotting now – It just wouldn’t hold up.

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Don’t touch the classics, I say, unless you’re taking it to the stage.

I’m a huge fan of the West End, having worked as an actress for many years myself.

And I’ve seen practically all the stage adaptations of Nineties classic films such as Pretty Woman, Sister Act and Mrs Doubtfire, which is particularly excellent.

Cruel Intentions, based on the 1999 film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe, opened last month and sounds like a winner, so I can’t wait to see that too.

FASHION

Slip dresses are back in style

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IT’S a good job so many Nineties looks are back in fashion, as Betsy pinches a lot of the old clothes I kept from the era.

I’ve got clothes made by Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen which she’ll happily try on, so I’m pleased to say my daughter has very good taste.

Slip dresses, which were made famous by Kate Moss, are back, thanks to gorgeous women like Kendall Jenner.

They were cool then and they were cool now.

I would wear clothes like that on TV, quite risqué stuff, but we were so confident back then.

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And that’s what the decade gave us – it allow- ed us to be a bit wild and sexy and to have a bit of a movement.

I actually bought a slip dress again recently, in fact.

It’s also great to see kids embrace baggy jeans again, which were huge in the Nineties thanks to my pals All Saints.

I’ve known the girls for years, and I can honestly say they still rock those jeans as well as they did back then.

My style was always a bit more girly and sexy, but I just loved how effortlessly cool Mel Blatt, Shaznay Lewis, and the Appleton sisters Nicole and Natalie were.

They were the alternative to the Spice Girls. They had the trainers and the cargo pants and it looked amazing.

Chokers are back in fashion too, which really brought back memories. I’d always have a choker on back then.

BEATUY

Two-tone lips and grungy make-up

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WHEN I think of the Nineties I think about all the beautiful women in the public eye who just looked so stunning.

Our pop stars, our supermodels, our TV presenters – they were just untouchable.

I think beauty and make-up then was a mixed bag, but we all had fun with our looks.

I noticed that at this year’s fashion weeks, a lot of models were sporting Nineties grunge-inspired looks – heavy eye shadow and matte lips, which I’m all for.

And TikTok has brought back the contoured lip – two-toned lips with a darker lip liner, which was made famous by the likes of Spice Girls star Geri Halliwell and Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson.

I’m not sure I’ll be trying that myself.

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Maybe Betsy will experiment with that one, as kids these days copy everything they see on TikTok – but not me.

The one thing I’m really glad hasn’t re-emerged is the skinny eyebrow.

We plucked our brows to death in the Nineties and we all tried to rescue them with our little brown eyebrow pencils.

I’m very happy to see that particular trend is not making a comeback.