Spice Girl Mel C says tomboy alter ego led friends to think she was gay

Publish date: 2024-06-23

Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm says her tomboy alter ego led friends to think she was gay.

The 46-year-old mum of one has never had a same-sex relationship – unlike her bandmates Mel B and Geri Halliwell.

But Sporty Spice – as Mel was nicknamed in the 90s pop group – still faced misconceptions.

She said: “I have friends who have only got to know me kind of later on and they are like, ‘There was no question, in my mind, you were a lesbian’.

“Which is so funny. I’ve had lesbians saying to me, ‘You are a lesbian’ and I’m like, ‘I’m so confused, I don’t think I am but maybe I am’.

Read More

“It’s so intriguing. I don’t give it much thought. I work a lot with the LGBTQ+ community and I very much feel a part of that community, even though I don’t really fit into any of those labels.

“I don’t mind being called a lesbian. There’s been times in my life when I thought, ‘I wish I was a lesbian’.”

The Spice Girls – Mel C, Mel B, Geri, Emma Bunton and Victoria Beckham – were a phenomenon in the 90s. Their debut song Wannabe was a No1 around the world.

They had their own girl power mantra and became cultural icons thanks to their nicknames – Sporty, Scary, Ginger, Baby and Posh.

A string of No1s followed, a film Spice World and dozens of merchandise deals made them the best selling girl group of all time and the most recognised pop individuals since John, Paul, George and Ringo.

They met Nelson Mandela and inspired a generation of young fans.

A second reunion show comprising of European dates and without Posh reminded Mel of just how big the Spice Girls were and inspired her to write her new upbeat electronic solo album, Melanie C.

She said: “I think when we did the stadium shows last year, it really hit home the impact that it had on a generation of young people – our music, talking about girl power, our ethos, everything.

“And it just made us feel really proud and really lucky that we’ve been given the opportunity to be able to do that.

“And it feels like without kind of meaning to, we have the chance to do something really important. I feel like we helped to make feminism much more mainstream for younger people.

“So it could be understood and not feel so intimidating or political.”

There are rumours that next year the girls, still minus Posh, will go on an even bigger tour including America to celebrate their 25th anniversary.

There is also talk they’ll do Glastonbury.

Mel won’t talk about the plans – hatched via Zoom during the Covid lockdown – but is happy to look back at the Spice Girls’ highlights.

Hers include the Brits in 1997 when Geri wore the Union Jack dress, the London Olympics in 2012 when they all had their own Spice taxis and last year’s tour.

She said: “The Brits in 1997, we’d had so much success around the world and we came home to… it was our night. I think we got three awards that night.

“It was Union Jack dress. It’s iconic. It will go down in history. The Olympics –London 2012. That was another momentous night.

“And then the tour last year, being back on stage with the girls to such a wonderful reception from our gorgeous audiences.”

Of course, despite the highs there have also been crushing lows.

Read More

Her problems began with a backstage scuffle with Victoria at the Brits and the threat of her being pushed out of the band.

The pressure she felt to be perfect in the Spice Girls led to a pattern of anorexia, binge eating and depression which she was diagnosed with four years after Wannabe was released.

Mel said: “Fame is an interesting beast. And as a young person aspiring to be famous, you don’t really consider the negatives. So many performers are vulnerable.

“And it was hard. I was 22 when Wannabe came out. Our worlds completely changed.

“And you’re dealing with intrusion into your personal life, hearing everybody’s opinion on you, a lot of it quite harsh and cruel.”

The singer went to see her GP in 2000 after the Spice Girls had split for the first time, because she struggled to even get out of bed.

She said: “I was exercising obsessively, I wasn’t eating properly. And there’s only so much of that your body can take.”

She took medication for about 18 months along with various therapies and learned to look after herself.

She had another bout of depression when she split with her now 11-year-old daughter Scarlet’s father in 2012 but is back on her feet.

Although she added: “You can’t be arrogant enough to think it will never come back. You have to be mindful.

“I always feel like it’s in the wings, it’s just there and sometimes these little dark clouds, you feel them approaching and that’s when you have to check in with yourself.

“You know, ‘Am I sleeping enough? Am I getting exercise? Am I eating properly? Am I drinking too much alcohol?’ – all those little triggers just making sure you’ve got them in check.”

Scouser Mel, whose paternal roots are Scottish, is proud of how her daughter is turning out.

Read More

She said: “She’s nearly as tall as me. I feel very grateful for this amazing little person in my life who sometimes drives me mad.”

Mel, whose long term boyfriend is Joe Marshall, had nine No1s with the Spice Girls and two solo chart-toppers, Never Be The Same Again and I Turn to You.

But a new release is always cause for celebration.

Top news stories today

Her latest, Melanie C, is her eighth solo album and its themes include “self-acceptance, being comfortable in your own skin and not being afraid any more”.

As part of the Spice Girls she helped inspire a generation of young girls and she doesn’t want to stop.

She added: “It’s not always been easy, but I’ve got myself up and I’ve carried on and overcome so many difficulties. And I just want to inspire people.”

● Melanie C is out on Friday. On Thursday, Mel will be performing songs from it on a live stream from 8pm.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pa3IpbCrnZOkv6V6wqhlrqNfo7K4v46smqispJ7AqXnNnq6sZ6OltqSxjKCgq6RdorKtecJmpqmdnqh6c36WbWttcWk%3D