Cheryl Baker was secretly in love with her Bucks Fizz bandmate Mike Nolan for years

The 61-year-old star made the revelation during Simon Mayo's 'Eurovision Confession' feature on his BBC Radio 2 Drivetime Show on Monday evening (18.05.15).

Recalling her first meeting with Mike, also 61, she said: "Immediately in front of me was this Adonis. This beautiful, tanned, perfect man and all he had on was a white fluffy towel hanging from his hips, he had just got out of the bath and I was introduced to him, 'Cheryl, meet Mike Nolan.' I think I probably fell in love with him at that very moment."

Describing how her feelings got stronger and stronger in the run up to the 'Eurovision Song Contest' in 1981, which they won with their song 'Making Your Mind Up', she continued: "As the next big Eurovision hopefuls, myself, Jay (Aston), Bobby G and Mike were thrown into a whirlwind of rehearsals, costume designs, fittings and recording the tracks, it was absolutely manic for three months leading up to the 'Song For Europe' and all the time I was keeping this guilty secret.

"You see, at that time, Mike and I were both in serious relationships and I knew it would be wrong to tell him how I was feeling. We went on to win the song easily ... During the week leading up to the competition we spent so much time together, I was falling in love with him more and more. As everyone knows we won Eurovision that year on the 4 April 1981 and then we went in to promote 'Making Your Mind Up' around the world. Our feet didn't touch the ground ... My feelings for Mike broke my own relationship up and to this day Mike still doesn't know how I felt for him."

Cheryl never acted on her feelings at the time because she thought it would be unprofessional because they worked together, but she admits she did try and show Mike how she felt.

She explained: "I just couldn't. I'd been in a band before and they said absolutely no relationships in the band because it can cause friction and it could split the band up, so I had this thing in my head that you don't have relationships with people you work with. I made it quite obvious at times. I even slept with him once in the same bed, it was in a scary hotel and I was afraid, in the same bedroom but there was nothing untoward. It's an affair of the heart."

Cheryl is now married to guitarist Steve Stroud and she had never discussed her love for Mike at any stage during their 23-year marriage.

When asked if her on-air confession would be news to everyone involved, she said: "Yes everyone has, it's not something you discuss. My husband is sitting in the foyer waiting for me now, so he's probably heard that too."

Cheryl says she "still loves" 'The Land of Make Believe' singer but no it's more like a "brother and sister".

Upon discovering Cheryl's confession, Mike, told the Daily Express newspaper: "I was really shocked but in some ways I am quite chuffed ... we were very, very close but I had no inclination."

Bucks Fizz still perform together and Cheryl and Mike are currently on tour - the pair will sing together for the first time since Cheryl's confession on Friday (22.05.15) in Horsham, South East England.