Being in the Spice Girls Was a Very Tough Experience, Says Mel C

Fame is something many strive for, but not all can cope with the pressure of it. Melanie Chisholm, or Mel C, or Sporty Spice of the Spice Girls knows that from experience, since her time in the band almost ruined her health completely.

Melanie has never made a secret of her struggle with body issues and an eating disorder. In a new interview, she says being in the Spice Girls was extremely rough on her self-esteem.

Because she was different from the other girls and was more of a tomboy, she had to deal with lots of criticism from the fans and, above all, the media.

This kind of negative attention can do serious damage to one’s confidence, Melanie says in an interview cited by the Daily Mail.

“Being in The Spice Girls was amazing, but also very tough. I was young and impressionable, and I found it hard to read about myself. There were lots of lies printed about me. I’d read that I was ‘gobby’ and masculine,” Melanie says.

Every day, she’d also have to read stories speculating on whether she was straight or gay, and that only made matters worse.

“The tabloids were cruel about my appearance, and nothing can prepare you for that. You just have to fight your way through it,” she says.

Now a mother and a successful solo singer, Melanie says she’s learned a lot from the past, including that she doesn’t have to fit a mould to be a good person.

Becoming pregnant helped a lot, including with taking matters into her own hands and struggling to overcome bulimia, as she said in a previous interview.

“People think I became broody because the other Spice Girls were all having babies, but that wasn’t it. I’d always wanted to be a mum. My body clock was ticking, so I had to get on with it,” Melanie is saying now.

In the same interview, Mel also discusses the possibility of another Spice Girls reunion, what it was like to have ago at theater and whether she has any regrets about her pop past. See here for more.