'I can't really imagine life without my girlfriends'

Singer and radio DJ Ashley Roberts chats about female friendships and Caribbean fun on a cruise ship

- SARAH MORTON

She’s no stranger to globetrotting, having travelled the world as part of one of the biggest girl groups in pop history. But despite being a seasoned jetsetter, Ashley Roberts is positively giddy after her latest adventure. 

The Pussycat Dolls star has recently landed back in the UK after her first ever cruise and, when we sit down for a catch-up, she’s still on a high. 

“It was unreal,” she gushes about her trip on the Royal Caribbean’s new ship, Utopia Of The Seas. “There were endless things to do, the entertainment was incredible. You walked on to the ship and there’s this incredible array of restaurants and bars. Meghan Trainor was performing! It was fantastic.” 

Ashley, who was holidaying with her good pal Lou Teasdale, One Direction’s former hairstylist, kept fans updated on the fun with a series of snaps shared on Instagram. And it’s safe to say the girls had a ball.

“Because this was our first time on a cruise ship, we were just in awe,” Ashley, 42, says. “We loved it – me and my girls can have fun anywhere.”

Ashley lights up when talking about the women in her life. Having been an integral part of the Pussycat Dolls at the peak of their success, she’s well versed in being around strong women. “Female friendships, to me, are the most important relationships of all,” she says. “Romantic relationships are amazing, but your girls are there through the thick, the thin, the good, the bad, the ugly. They pick you up when you’re down. I can’t really imagine life without my girlfriends. They’re my ride or dies.”

And Ashley, who is currently dating artist George Rollinson, believes travel is essential when it comes to bonding with your mates.

“You bond differently on trips,” she says. “It’s great to go out, have drinks and catch up or watch a movie together on the sofa, but being away together you get to spend proper, quality time with each other. And that’s when memories are made.”