Atomic Kitten to embark on 15th anniversary tour

British pop stars Atomic Kitten are continuing their reunion run with a world tour to celebrate their 15th anniversary as a band.

Liz McClarnon, Kerry Katona and Natasha Hamilton announced on Monday (01Dec14) they are hitting the road again next year (15) for The Greatest Hits Tour.

McClarnon tells the U.K.'s Liverpool Echo newspaper that she and her bandmates were overwhelmed by the response from fans eager for the original line-up to record new music and embark on a tour.

She said, "When we were approached about a tour we thought, 'That's nice for us', but we weren't sure whether anyone else would want that. But I'm so grateful everyone is indulging us. I can't believe the response."

Katona, who left the group in 2001 but returned for British TV show The Big Reunion last year (13), is looking forward to the tour, which will feature all of the band's greatest hits.

She said, "I am so excited that the girls are going back on tour. It is going to be absolutely amazing and I can't wait to start reliving my youth again.”

McClarnon added, "I love the girls to bits. We're all dead close, and that's why we're so excited. It doesn't feel like a job to us. It's been 15 years since our first song. We've all grown up so much since our last Atomic Kitten tour."

Atomic Kitten kick off the tour in Cologne, Germany in May (15), with stops in the U.K., Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia, Asia and Russia.