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OK! Magazine has published a new interesting interview by our amazing Melanie C, along with some new amazing pictures of Melanie posing for ‘Spectacle’ as ‘Spectacle Wearer of the Year’.

In a new interview for Daily Mail, Melanie C talks about Victoria and David Beckham, the Spice Girls reunion, her relationship with her former boyfriend Tom Starr and Spice Girls future projects…

It’s an image that has sent many a woman’s pulse racing – and encouraged many a man to ditch the Y-fronts and try out something more trendy.

But the seemingly ubiquitous posters and glossy adverts showing David Beckham posing in his range of pants are proving to be a turn-off for a close family friend – former Sporty Spice, Melanie Chisholm.

In a revealing and frank interview about her relationship with Victoria ‘Posh’ Beckham, Melanie says: ‘When you see David in his pants quite a lot, you think, “That’s my friend’s husband, and I really don’t want to see him in his pants.” ’

She says the continual public spotlight shining on David and Victoria and the resulting pressure on them to be fashion icons is one of the downsides of the couple’s global success.

Melanie says: ‘Brand Beckham is huge and they’ve worked so hard at building that huge empire.

Great, but there is a negative side to that.

‘I see it all the time, the endless public fascination with them.

‘I really feel for Victoria actually, because you can see whenever we meet up, she walks into a room and all eyes are on her. That’s a huge pressure.’
But she adds: ‘I think you make the decision quite early on to really nurture your profile and your relationship with the media. But the thing is, once you’ve done that it is done, and you can’t turn back.’

Melanie admits how Victoria’s determination to do her own thing led to disappointment for her and the other Spice Girls when Victoria declined to appear with them for a photoshoot at the premiere of the Spice Girls musical Viva Forever – after the thrill of their reunion at the Olympics Closing Ceremony, when they arrived on the top of black cabs to perform Wannabe and Spice Up Your Life.

‘We were disappointed that Victoria didn’t arrive with us on the red carpet at the premiere, I’m not going to lie,’ says Melanie.

‘For her that evening was about her family, and that’s what she wanted to do. But we’re all grown-ups and we’ve been through so much.

‘If somebody wants to do something a certain way, then we are not going to kick up a fuss about it.

‘The rules of the Spice Girls are that we do really respect each other, and that’s all part of it. That’s what she wanted to do, so that’s what she did.’

She adds: ‘To have come from a pop group to be respected in the fashion world – we have so much respect for her for doing that, and she’s worked bloody hard to get there. It’s not a secret that her passions lie elsewhere. So we can’t drag her kicking and screaming, telling her, “Come on! It’s time to sing Wannabe.” ’

The relationship has not always been so supportive, however. Melanie reveals that in the early days of the Spice Girls she was threatened with being kicked out of the group after a spat with Victoria.

She recalls: ‘I remember we had been working so hard and we were let off the leash to go to the Brit Awards. I decided to take advantage of the hospitality. The more I drank the more Victoria didn’t like it until she told me not to have another drink – at which point I told her to p*** off. I was close to being out of the band.’

Since those early beginnings, Melanie has been intrigued to watch her bandmate blossom into a global fashion icon.

‘Within the band, the big personalities were Melanie [Mel B, aka Scary Spice] and Geri [Halliwell, aka Ginger]. Isn’t it funny that now the biggest star is Victoria? She’s done amazingly well.’

However, Melanie too is enjoying success – as the Spice Girl who has done the most to develop her musical career.

She is a popular solo artist and has moved into theatre with starring and acclaimed roles in the musicals Blood Brothers and Jesus Christ Superstar, which tours Australia in the summer. In November she sets off on a live tour with Jools Holland, before wrapping up the year with an appearance on his annual New Year Hootenanny show.

Her own blossoming has been quite a turnaround from the days when she was driven to the verge of a breakdown by the pressure of the Spice Girls success.
Exhausted and depressed, she struggled with eating disorders and spent 18 months on medication.

The process of rebuilding her life was made easier by the support of Thomas Starr, a 46-year-old property developer she met on holiday in Barbados in 2002.

But last July, after a decade together during which they had a daughter Scarlet, who is now four, they went their separate ways.

Melanie says: ‘We wanted different things, and it was the best thing for everybody. From the day I got pregnant, I have actually been even happier and felt stronger, more courageous and confident. I didn’t have any concerns about the split affecting me emotionally in a negative way, because even though it was sad I knew it was the right thing.’

The separation has clearly been amicable and enough water has passed under the bridge for her to consider dating again.

But she says: ‘It’s all so different now, though, because everyone is internet dating. That’s fine for most people and a lot of my friends have dabbled in it, but I can’t exactly do that, can I?

‘But, yes, I am single and yes I would like another child. That’s a case where honesty probably isn’t the best policy – you meet a nice guy then he Googles you and the first thing he sees is, “I want more kids.” Disaster!’

She has also been free to look more feminine than in her Spice Girls days, when she was condemned to wear sports tops and baggy tracksuit bottoms.

‘Because of the image that was created people thought that I was sporty and loved sports gear but I grew up doing ballet. I love girly things and make up and high heels and was slightly trapped by the Sporty image. Now it’s such a joy to really claim and enjoy my femininity.’

Given her own lifelong performing ambitions, would she ever put Scarlet, on the stage?

She says: ‘My mum is a singer and she never, ever pushed me. All she cared about was that I did something which made me happy. I feel the same for Scarlet.

‘She loves singing, she loves dancing, she goes to ballet, but how many little girls do that? I’m not reading too much into it.’

If she did catch the bug, however, Melanie would not take her to audition for The X Factor, a show for which she demonstrates little enthusiasm.

‘I do think, especially when they started, there was a lot of exploitation in these shows. Then again, here we are, over ten years later, and people know what they’re letting themselves in for so I actually have no sympathy.’ She counts herself fortunate to have been in the music industry when there was still money around.

She says: ‘We sold millions of albums, and spent millions of pounds on records and videos.

‘Less money is now put into developing acts, fewer people are signed and fewer acts survive.

‘Still, I think the industry had it good for a very long time, and got greedy, and probably a little arrogant, and it’s come and bitten them on the bum.’
These days she seems too busy to be able to contemplate another Spice Girls reunion – but she hints that the decision on another get-together could be down to Victoria.

Melanie says: ‘We did really, really enjoy doing the Olympics and would love to do something else, but would we want to do it without Victoria? I don’t know.

‘It’s something that would need to be thought about in depth.

‘I would say that we have all mellowed a little but we still can go a bit crazy when we get together. There is a sort of magic and we all feel invincible.

‘I remember back in the day going to the Ivy, and the high jinks that would go on were always fun but if a guy tried to chat one of us up we would make mincemeat of him.

‘It’s so strange when we meet now, all we do is laugh – but we are all mums and so now there is no dancing on the tables.’

She accepts that the Spice Girls will always be a source of public fascination, and that talk of reunions will be endless.

But she is keen to clear up some rumours that they are set to audition for a new member.

‘That one is just bizarre to me,’ she says. ‘Let’s be clear: yes we get together a lot and we fantasise about touring and doing stuff, but we haven’t put wheels in motion.

‘With the Spice Girls, probably more than any other band in history, it was our individuality and the identities that made it the success it was.
And she insists: ‘No Spice Girl will ever or could ever be replaced.’

SOURCE: Daily Mail

VICTORIA BECKHAM says that it takes more than “hard work and dedication” to become a successful designer.

“It’s also about recognising the importance of combining creativity with commercial viability,” she explained. “Understanding the business and all its aspects is key, as well as surrounding yourself with the right team and structure.”

On February 16, Beckham will join Diane von Furstenberg and Donatella Versace to judge the International Woolmark Prize – a competition once won by a then young Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent. She will watch as a shortlist of six emerging designers from around the world present a catwalk show, featuring their respective collections. In addition to her experience as a designer (she launched her eponymous label in 2009 and won the British Fashion Awards’ prestigious Designer Brand of the Year accolade in 2011), Beckham will bring an “eye for detail, fit and proportion” to the panel.

“I create fashion but am also a wearer of fashion, so I will be looking at the designs with both sets of eyes,” she explained. “I also really appreciate other designers’ aesthetics and I’m excited to see some inspiring use of wool. I’m also incredibly happy to be part of this process which offers such a great opportunity to the finalists.”

The competition aims to promote Merino wool as a valuable, versatile and contemporary material – qualities Beckham strongly believes in supporting herself.

“For the ready-to-wear collection, we’ve used wool for a few seasons,” she said. “As a natural fibre, I love its comfort, strength and value. Used in the right way it can last and wear and take colour beautifully.”

zcenter>SOURCE: vogue.co.uk

PICTURES: HQ1 - HQ2 – MQ1

It’s Monster Spice: Geri Halliwell signs up to voice new Disney character for cartoon show Henry Hugglemonster

She’s a world renowned pop star who has tried out being a bikini designer, talent show judge and even charity ambassador.

But now Geri Halliwell is putting her voice skills to the test once more in a different way.

The former Spice Girl has signed up to star as a monster in a children’s TV show.

The singer will play Isabella Roarsome in new Disney cartoon series Henry Hugglemonster which is to launch next month.

Also adding their voices to the animated pre-school show which follows the adventures of five-year-old monster Henry are Brian Blessed and Brenda Blethyn.

Halliwell, 40, plays a monster pop star in the show who is never seen without a gold tutu and matching bling whenever she is seen around the fictional town of Roarsville.

She said about signing up to the role: ‘Being involved in Henry Hugglemonster has been such a joy.

‘The show has a truly positive message, teaching kids to be themselves and reminding them of the importance of family values.

‘What’s more, it’s been so lovely to share this experience with my own daughter, who helped me learn the songs for my role as Isabella.‘

The programme is to be screened by Disney Junior UK from February 8 and will eventually be seen by audiences in more than 150 countries.

It has been developed from a series of books created by Ireland’s Children’s Laureate Niamh Sharkey.

Halliwell, Blethyn and Blessed will feature in the English-speaking territories where Disney Junior airs including the US and South Africa.

Yesterday, Emma and Jamie Theakston were on ‘Loose Women’ to promote ‘Heart Breakfast’ – here’s the video! Thanks to SpiceAddict.