The Spice Girls had a stranglehold on pop culture back in the ’90s, when they topped charts around the world, making big-name celebrity friends and travelling to exotic locations. But for Melanie C, her standout moment in the girl group is remarkably relatable.
About 18 months before she, Mel B, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell-Horner and Victoria Beckham exploded into the music scene with their debut single Wannabe, they were flatmates – a situation that
built a solid foundation for their stratospheric rise.
“We knew each other inside out because we had that time together,” recalls Melanie, 51, aka Sporty Spice.
“It was incredibly smart and put us on this path.”
Life as five flatmates
With a shared vision, the bandmates worked hard to achieve global domination, but navigating everyday life with four other flatmates wasn’t always easy. Particularly when it came to chores.
Mel laughs, “I’m quite a tidy person and we had a rota, but it’ll come as no surprise that certain members of the band shirked their responsibilities!”
Understanding each other’s personalities, however, helped when their careers took off.
“I remember giving Emma cuddles when she was missing her mum because she was the youngest of us all. Obviously, Mel and Geri were the most outspoken, but if there were times they were feeling a bit low, Victoria, Emma and myself would balance it out.”
The power of friendship & girl power
Their friendship and sisterhood would go on to inspire a generation of women, with their 1996 girl-power anthem Wannabe topping the charts in more than 30 countries, paving the way for further number ones, including Say You’ll Be There, Spice Up Your Life and Holler.
Almost three decades since that debut, the lyrics still hold resonance with a new wave of fans and feminists.
“It was the most magical time,” recalls Mel.
“We were full of ambition, but we didn’t know what was around the corner.”
Crossing paths with pop royalty
It was soon afterwards that Mel met Ronan Keating – then the lead singer of Irish group Boyzone and now her fellow judge on The Voice Australia – during a tour of Germany.
“We reminisce all the time about those days,” Mel says of their ’90s heyday, which Ronan describes as a “brilliant time for pop music”.
Mel continues, “I don’t think we realised how iconic those moments would become.”
Launching a solo era
After the Spice Girls released two record-breaking albums, completed their first tour and made their film debut with Spice World, Mel released her first solo album Northern Star, featuring number ones Never Be The Same Again and I Turn To You in 1999.
“I was only 25,” she says in disbelief, adding that fans and media were obsessed with their private lives.
“The tabloids in the UK were ruthless in the ’90s. We’re the only five people in the world who know what it’s like to be a Spice Girl. We were young and vulnerable, and we did have a hard time. When you’re impressionable, you think someone’s opinion is what everyone thinks. But we had each other’s backs and we defended each other.”
Amid the “Spicemania”, the singer – who has been open about her battles with depression and eating disorders – says she and her bandmates found solace in advice from superstars such as Lionel Richie.
Wisdom from icons
“We were at an awards show in France, where Lionel gave us a bit of a dad talk about being careful and not spending beyond our means. Then as the Spice Girls were changing things and opening doors for younger artists, Annie Lennox spoke to us about the industry, how male-dominated it was and to look out for each other. We became more than a pop band. The Spice Girls became a cultural thing and to meet those heroes was incredible.”
Mel hopes to pass that sage advice to her own daughter Scarlett Starr, 16, and the artists on The Voice Australia.
She smiles, “Scarlett couldn’t have any other name – she’s fiery in nature. But that’s what you want, right? This new generation is going to give the world hell!”
Fun on The Voice
Working alongside fellow judges Ronan, 48, Richard Marx, 62, and Kate Miller-Heidke, 43, has been fun for Mel, even if things can get a little competitive between them.
She says, “We spend a lot of time together and we’re happy to make fun of each other – and ourselves. We’re all different.”
Having stayed in Australia often, Mel hopes to return Down Under to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Wannabe in 2026. However, she’s keeping the details under wraps.
“We’re always talking about the possibilities,” she says of a potential Spice Girls reunion.
“Mel B and I are the most enthusiastic about getting back out on stage. I’d love to come back. We’ve never played here live, so I hope we can.”
