PREPARE for an explosion of pink; the stars of the Sheila’s Wheels adverts are heading for Huddersfield.

The Sheilas will be putting on their fuchsia frocks, brushing up their beehives and jumping in their pink Cadillac to come to Visage nightclub at Folly Hall on Wednesday, October 3.

The trio – Australian Cathi Ogden, Liverpudlian Emma Robbins and Carly Romain from Wales – are on a tour to promote their first single (I’m So) Happy Happy (You’re Mine), which hits the shops on September 24.

The perky pop song, which will be available on download from September 17, has been written by legendary producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman who have signed The Sheilas up for a record deal.

Lead vocalist Cathi, 39, said their success following the Sheila’s Wheels adverts had come as a shock to them.

“We never expected in a million years this would happen,’’ she said. “We had no idea people would react the way they did.

“We always hoped we would release a single one day, but we didn’t realise how big the ads would be. It’s been really crazy.”

Cathi – who moved from Sydney to London after marrying her British husband 10 years ago – met her fellow Sheilas at auditions for the adverts.

All have singing backgrounds; Emma, 39, was in a jazz band and 27-year-old Carly is a drama school graduate.

Despite not knowing one another before the auditions they are now firm friends.

Cathi said: “We have a great time. The adverts are fun to do. They are as hilarious to make as they look! The dresses are stunning and we have a ball.

“We had a particularly great time when we made the big advert with 30 nutty Sheilas fans!

“When we did our first dress rehearsal and we had our hair and make-up done it was so exciting. As soon as you put the pink dress on it lifts your spirits.

“I have never been a pink girly girl but I seem to be turning into one!”

With long breaks between filming the adverts, The Sheilas have had the chance to go on the road for the last year, performing live gigs around the UK.

Cathi said: “We started with a Motown and disco set before we got the deal. We wanted to get out there because we kept getting asked to do live sets and we realised that people really love seeing us perform.”

Now they have adapted their set to promote the new single. They also perform some covers – Bananarama’s Love In The First Degree and It’s Raining Men are favourites – and, of course, the Sheila’s Wheels jingle.

Cathi said: “We do change things a bit depending on the audience. In Huddersfield we will be pretty much doing the usual set, but we like to please the fans.”

As well as being a session singer, Cathi writes her own material and released a solo album, Out There, in 2001. She had written a second album, but put it on hold when the Sheila’s Wheels job came along.

So, does she hope to have one of her own songs on The Sheilas’ forthcoming album?

“I would love to have one of my songs on it, but when you compare them to things written by Mike Stock, I don’t know if they live up to it.

“I don’t really mind at the end of the day, because I trust their judgement.”

The album will be released at Christmas if the single performs well and the girls have already recorded four tracks for the CD.

Cathi said: “It would be great if it came out then. I can just see us in pink Santa hats singing in the snow in a video!”

So, with a pop career taking off and a hectic schedule of live gigs, will we ever see The Sheilas back on TV?

Definitely, says Cathi. She said: “We are under contract with Sheila’s Wheels and long may it continue, because it’s fantastic working for them.”