It was a moment that neither the Spice Girls themselves – let alone their fans – thought they’d see again. Sitting around Victoria Beckham’s dinner table at her £25million Holland Park mansion, the woman formerly known as Posh Spice belted out the band’s 1998 hit Viva Forever, joined by her one-time bandmates Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell and Melanie Chisholm.
Victoria’s youngest son Cruz – born four years after the group went their separate ways in 2001 – strummed along on a guitar.
It was poignant largely because Victoria, 51, now a fashion designer, had vowed to never sing in public again, and did not take part in the band’s 2019 reunion tour.
But there was one very notable absentee from this impromptu singalong: Melanie Brown, the band’s fifth member.
Those who still follow their lives beyond their pop heyday will know that this has become a rather common occurrence.
Just a fortnight ago, Mel B did not join her former bandmates for Emma’s 50th birthday celebrations at Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire, although she did post a sweet photo of the pair on Instagram.
Nor was she at the star-studded premiere of Victoria’s Netflix documentary last October. In fact, at Mel B’s own 50th in May last year, only Emma and Mel C travelled to Leeds to mark the occasion at the former Scary Spice’s farmhouse nearby. And only Emma attended her wedding to hairdresser Rory McPhee at St Paul’s Cathedral two months later.
This year, however, the women have more reason to get together than most as it marks the Spice Girls’ 30th anniversary, with rumours of a reunion. Fans will want to see them perform, but even they can’t ignore the speculation about a schism between Mel and the rest of the group.
Left to right: Melanie Chisholm, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton and Victoria Beckham
Mel B was conspicuously absent from her former bandmates for Emma’s 50th birthday celebrations at Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire
There is usually a ready-made excuse from Mel’s camp for her absences. She might be working in the US or on a belated honeymoon.
But some of those familiar with her bandmates say they ‘don’t buy that’. As one said: ‘It seems to happen a lot. Isn’t it funny that whenever these gatherings happen, Mel B is busy? Who knows what way round it all happens, but whatever the truth, it’s becoming very noticeable now.’ And I can reveal that at least part of the reason is growing tension over Mel’s tendency to be indiscreet.
‘The problem with Mel B is that she cannot keep her mouth shut,’ says my insider. ‘She spills it all, she can’t help herself.
‘Nobody thinks she necessarily means to. It has become a bit of a joke that Mel can’t hold water. It’s an open secret among them all and they have a bit of a giggle about it, but it does make things a bit tricky.
‘Sometimes she’s not even secretive about it. She will talk about Spice Girls plans on the radio or in an interview. The others are like, “Oh, Mel’s at it again. Typical!”’
Mel, a mother-of-three, has admitted being thrown out of their WhatsApp chat several times, most recently late last year. Joking about it on TikTok, using hashtags such as #letmebackin, she said she had been removed for prematurely sharing news about potential reunion tours and – tellingly – for being too outspoken.
Not that there is bad blood between the girls – or, at least, not all of them. Indeed, I’m told Victoria ‘adores’ her, while Emma and Mel C, 52, are the peacemakers who will remain loyal to her.
Things are a little more tense, however, with Geri – who struggles to be in the same room as her.
Mel B posted a photo of her and Emma on social media to mark Baby Spice’s 50th
This has prompted speculation that by leaving Mel on the outside Geri has effectively ‘won’. Referring to Geri, or Ginger Spice, a source mused: ‘She’s always there, isn’t she? It’s Mel who isn’t.’
Geri’s husband, former Red Bull F1 boss Christian Horner, is also not Mel B’s biggest fan, the source adds. The couple, who have two children, were incandescent in 2019 when Mel B told Piers Morgan on his ITV show Life Stories that she and Geri had a one-night stand in the band’s early days.
When Piers asked her, ‘Did you sleep with Geri like that?’ Mel smiled and nodded. She told him: ‘She’s going to hate me for this because she’s all posh in her country house with her husband. But it’s a fact. It just happened and we just giggled at it and that was it.
‘It was just that once. And hopefully when Geri gets asked that, which hopefully she will after this, she won’t deny it. Because it was just a fun thing.’
But Geri denied the claim, said Mel’s remarks were ‘hurtful’ and consulted lawyers. The only time they have been seen together since was at Victoria’s 50th birthday in April 2024.
‘It’s literally impossible to get the pair of them in the same room,’ says my source. ‘And when you do there is this fear that it will all kick off. Things have been so strained between them since. Geri denies [they slept together] but Mel insists it happened. Whatever the truth, Geri was and still is so cross that Mel talked about her private life on national television.
‘Geri was distraught. While she loved her Spice Girl days, it has been awkward for her. She has moved on and is with Christian, who didn’t need those stories coming out. It was a bit grubby for him.
‘The upshot is that Geri would rather not be around Mel unless she has to be. They were at Victoria’s birthday together and despite stories that they kept their distance, they did join in a Spice Girls singalong together for Victoria.’
The irony, though, is that the two members of the Spice Girls who are most keen to reunite the band this year are Geri, 53, and Mel B.
Last year, Geri met the band’s creator, Simon Fuller, to get the project going, and Mel is by far the most outspoken about the idea.
No doubt a tour would be a huge moneyspinner for all five members. But the big question is this: could Mel B and Geri put their differences aside to make it happen?
‘Yes,’ says my source. ‘But there would be fireworks – and who knows if they’d make it to the end.’