From tacky men’s magazines to spicy music videos: a look back at the surprisingly wild past of Strawberry Kisses singer Nikki Webster

Former child star Nikki Webster has come a long way since her iconic performance at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

From topping the charts with Strawberry Kisses to appearing on Dancing with the Stars and The Masked Singer, the 36-year-old has had quite an illustrious career.

Nikki now runs her own children’s dance studio and has two children of her own: Skylah, eight, and Malakai, five.

With her wholesome image, it’s easy to forget that Nikki once had a wild phase that started when she turned 18.

The singer stripped naked for boys’ magazine FHM on her 18th birthday in an attempt to shed her squeaky clean child star image.

Despite the backlash at the time, Nikki posed for another racy photoshoot for Zoo magazine.

A few years later, Nikki tried to revive her music career with the sizzling dance song Devilicious.

The accompanying music video saw the scantily clad singer compete against shirtless male backup dancers as they performed racy choreography together.

In her twenties, Nikki moved to Los Angeles, partly to escape the negative press attention she received in Australia at the time.

“I was the punch line to everyone’s joke and I was just a kid,” she said in 2015.

The public criticism that followed Nikki’s fame almost drove her out of the country for good.

“It was quite dark and I think that’s why I went to LA, because I was like, ‘I have to do this alone,'” she admitted.

‘I wondered whether I even wanted to come back here as an artist.’

The singer admitted that she never expected to be judged as harshly as she was, and that it was difficult to deal with as a teenager, as she linked the experience to Tall Poppy Syndrome.

Nikki says she was focused on working hard on her career at the time, but didn’t get the reception she expected.

She also faced harsh public backlash over her image, as she felt pressured by the public to remain the little girl who graced the Olympic podium in a sweet summer dress and golden locks tied with pink ribbons.

These days, Nikki enjoys focusing on motherhood while running her popular dance studio in Sydney.

She attempted a comeback in early 2020 by casting an Australian version of the hit US reality series Dance Moms, based at her studio, but the Covid pandemic derailed production.

In August, Nikki told Woman’s Day that she was so busy raising her two children that finding Mr Right wasn’t a big priority following her split from husband Matthew McMah.

“I hope one day the right person comes along and it just happens.” But I am very happy to be a mother, it is my favorite job in the world,” she said.

Nikki added that she didn’t even know where to start looking for love during this time.

‘What are you doing, where are you going? Online dating is a whole new world,” she said.

The Sydney native was married to Matthew McMah from 2012 to 2018.

Nikki rose to fame in 2000 when she performed at the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics, launching her career as a pop star.

The song became the unofficial anthem of the Matildas’ 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup team, resulting in newfound popularity for Webster.

She recently celebrated the 15th anniversary of her studio, Dance @ Nikki Webster.

“We have two studios – this year we’re celebrating 15 years, which is just amazing,” she told Sunrise in August.

“We’re just so passionate and we’re so grateful to have experienced so many incredibly talented students along the way and to have them be part of their dance family.”