Editing Heather Small (section)

===2000–2005: ''Proud''===
In 2000, Small released her debut solo album, ''[[Proud (Heather Small album)|Proud]]'', and [[Proud (Heather Small song)|a single of the same name]], closely affiliated with the [[British Olympic Association|British Olympic team]] of the time. The single, which was used for the first season and the last episode of the final season of ''[[Queer as Folk (2000 TV series)|Queer as Folk]],''<ref>{{Cite web|title=Queer As Folk: The Final Season (Music from the Showtime Original Series)|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/queer-as-folk-final-season-music-from-showtime-original/399503386|access-date=23 June 2021|website=Apple Music|date=23 August 2005}}</ref> is Small's [[signature song]], with which she achieved international success. When [[Oprah Winfrey]] was looking for a song to sum up the work she had been striving to achieve over her twenty-year career, she contacted Small, and "Proud" became the theme song to ''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show]]''; in 2005, Small made her American television debut on the show. Later the same year, "Proud" became the theme song for the American reality weight-loss show ''[[The Biggest Loser (U.S. TV series)|The Biggest Loser]]''.

"Holding On" was released as the next single, followed in November 2000 by a duet single with Tom Jones, called "You Need Love Like I Do".

Small took time off to look after her newborn son, and record her second solo album. She occasionally appeared on various TV programs such as ''[[Parkinson (TV series)|Parkinson]]'' and ''[[Songs of Praise]]''. She also sang three songs at the [[Tsunami Relief Cardiff|Tsunami Relief Concert]] at the [[Millennium Stadium]] in [[Cardiff]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2019}}

In 2005, a second M People greatest hits collection, ''[[Ultimate Collection (M People album)|Ultimate Collection]],'' was released. The record featured both the biggest M People hits and two of Small's solo singles. "[[Proud (Heather Small song)|Proud]]" was re-released from this album and reached number 33 on the UK Singles Charts. M People reunited and played together on an arena tour in 2005, and they have played a few times each year afterwards.