Will.i.am Confirms Fergie Has Quit Black Eyed Peas

Fergie has left the Black Eyed Peas to focus on her solo career.

Frontman will.i.am confirmed the news, ending months of speculation.

Speaking to UAE entertainment news magazine Ahlan! he said: “Since the beginning of Black Eyed Peas, we've always had amazing vocalists that appeared on the mic with us. People like Macy Gray, Esthero, Debi Nova, Fergie. On Elephunk, there were several females that appeared on that album.

“Obviously Fergie was the featured female, but on songs like 'Let's Get it Started,' it's Noelle [Scaggs], and then Fergie, songs like 'Latin Girls,' it's Debi Nova, and 'Request Line,' it's Macy Gray. We'll always work with good females.”

Fergie – real name Stacy Ferguson – joined the group in 2002 for their Elephunk album and went on to sing on some of the group’s biggest tracks including "I Gotta Feeling" and "My Humps."

Will.i.am said the band are “proud” that she wants to focus on her own music, and confirmed there are no immediate plans to replace her.

Responding to rumors that Nicole Scherzinger could step in he said: “Nicole is on the new BEP project as well. I don't want to go into details how she's involved yet.”

The Black Eyed Peas will perform at Sunday’s One Love Manchester benefit concert in aid of the victims and those affected by last week’s Manchester terror attack.

Twenty two people were killed and dozens injured when suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated an explosive at Ariana Grande’s Dangerous Woman concert at the MEN arena.

Justin Bieber, Katy Perry and Niall Horan are among the artists confirmed to perform at the event which will donate all ticket proceeds to the “We Love Manchester Emergency Fund” set up by Manchester City Council in partnership with the British Red Cross.

Fans who were at Grande’s concert when the attack took place have been offered free tickets to Sunday’s fundraising event.

But Ticketmaster yesterday revealed it had received “10,000 unscrupulous applications” for free tickets.

Tickets for the concert went on sale to the public on Thursday morning and sold out within six minutes.

Online auction site eBay was forced to remove lots as touts attempted to flog the tickets at extortionate prices.

One Love Manchester will air live on BBC One on June 4 at 6pm.