Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware - Geri Halliwell-Horner

Episode Date: April 2, 2025

She’s here to spice up our lives, we have the icon that is Geri Halliwell-Horner joining us this week! Geri is a Spice Girl, author, actress, and singer - there’s nothing she can’t do! Over lunch we heard about the time she met Nelson Mandela, winning Star Baker on Bake Off, her love of the Tudors, collecting snails as pets, living with George Michael and we discover that she would choose pick ’n’ mix as her last supper main course! Always an absolute treat to have a Spice Girl join us on the podcast, 3 down, 2 to go! Geri’s new children’s book Rosie Frost: Ice on Fire is released on 10th April worldwide. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello and welcome to Table Manners, I'm Jessie Ware and the sun has gone. It was summer two days ago and now we're back to winter. But we do have the daffodils out so it's still spring. We have a Spice Girl coming on today. Well, she's not just a Spice Girl, she's a UN Goodwill Ambassador. She is an author, a children's book author. She is a star baker. She is Geri Halliwell Horner. I feel like she has many things,

but first and foremost, the way that we know of her is that she is a Spice Girl. And this is our third Spice Girl on the podcast. She's pop royalty. She's an icon. We have a few people in the room that have, well, we have Luca who does our socials who is a devoted Spice Boy and we also have Peter Lorraine who's our manager who also actually named the Spice Girls so

potentially he will be coming on the mic to talk about that because that is good trivia. I'm on cooking duty and so I have done, I think Jerry is gluten and dairy free so we're going quite light with the menu today which is perfect. I'm doing a side of salmon, it's an Alison Roman recipe, it's a citrus slow cooked side salmon so I think you put it on quite a low heat, it's like 140 and it's blood orange season. So you've got blood oranges, lemons and thyme on there, seasoned and then it gets cooked for about 35 minutes. And then I'm doing it with smashed potatoes, which I swear I've done very recently with the capers and I've done a whipped feta and yogurt thing to go with it.

You love to get your whip out, darling. I do, I do. But Geri won't be having any of that, but she can have the potatoes. And then I'm just doing a herb salad. It's very, very straightforward. And it's been very stress-free and I like that. So I was encouraged to make the best of rhubarb season,

which is February, March. We're just seasonal gals. Just seasonal gals. And I've made rhubarb stewed is February, March. We're just seasonal gals. Just seasonal gals. And I've made rhubarb stewed with ginger, orange, stem ginger and orange. And I made some gluten-free almond biscuits. Yum. You're good at those biscuits.

I don't understand. I can't cook desserts. How I end up on desserts every week at the moment. Well, listen, my bread making is going from strength to strength. Good. So I may be stepping in as the baker very soon. Good. Who knows, watch the space. So Geri's coming on to talk about her book. It's her second book of the character Rosie Frost and I think it's for... Isn't it based on her own experiences of childhood? I think there's parallels.

OK. But it's about a girl who is kind of visited by the ghost of Amber Lynn and it's kind of Hunger Games-esque. How did Amber Lynn get executed? What is it? Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded, survived. Yeah. So? Which one was Amber Lynn?

I think she got beheaded. OK. And Geri's like a bit of a fan of Amberlynn. She feels like she's never really got her flowers and has been quite misunderstood. Anyway, I'm looking forward to meeting Geri Hallie-Roy Warner. Geri, coming up on Todebunners. Jerry, you are the nosiest guest I've ever had and I love it. You've been in nearly every room. You've asked every question about everybody. We think you should do your own podcast. You may as well add it to the accolades you've already got. I'm speechless.

How are you? I'm great. Thank you so much for having me. I'm speechless. How are you? I'm great thank you so much for having me. I'm so happy to have you. Yeah I'm like I'm in awe and slightly wow. Where have you come from? I've just come back from the National Gallery. What were you doing there? I was doing an interview there but actually I was looking at a painting. have you been there? The National Gallery yeah. And for those listening and reminding oh my god the paintings there are amazing I was looking at this painting of Lady Jane Grey it's massive and it's the it's the influence the book that I've written. Rosie Frost which is your second book of the series. Yeah and but there's a painting of her she's getting it's a bit gruffish getting her head chopped. But there's a painting of her. She's getting, it's a bit graphic.

She's getting her head chopped off, basically. She's about to be executed. Which one was Jane Grey? Basically, in the Tudor, do you like history? Okay, so in the Tudor times, so Henry VIII, he had three kids. So he had Mary, and then he had Edward and Elizabeth. So not in that order, the two girls first.

But what happened was that the first two daughters got a null, they were sort of like, didn't count, so to speak, I'm sort of short cutting there. And then Edward, who was 15, he got really ill. And when he was dying, and he was all about prostitutes versus Catholics, the prostitutes didn't want a Catholic to take the throne. So they, the family all said, oh, make sure that you get your cousin, so to speak, Jane Grey, to go on the throne because she's a prostitute and she was only

17. But meanwhile, you had Mary and Elizabeth, well, Mary, they're all Catholic, all her supporters were furious. So what happened was they put her on the throne. So it was all just kind of using this young girl. She was 17 years old. She was the queen of nine days. She went up and literally she was a queen for nine days

and then she got executed by all the uprising of the Catholics Supporting Mary and it wasn't Mary's fault either. It was just all these men, you know Orchestration pushing want to be queen. Any way you go. You just got it. You're you're right Lenny. There you go That's so this is amazing painting there and you're drinking Earl Grey tea. Oh great. I'm sure they were there There's a nice theme there. Is that my thing? Sorry no that was my alarm saying that the salmon is ready but we're just gonna... What are we having? We're having a slow-cooked salmon with blood oranges and lemon and thyme by one of my favorite chefs that we've had on the podcast called Alison Roman. Do you know

of her? No. She's fab. New York fab. And you like it really, have you always been into cooking? I've always been into food, yeah. Yeah. And I do like cooking. I love it actually. And in fact, I've just got into, I know you're a baker, a star baker in fact. But I've just got into doing sourdough and I feel like I'm boring everyone talking about it. Okay, so you've got a really, I know a tiny bit about bread. Yeah.

You've got the proving. Oh yeah, the stretch and fold. Yeah. And the, and my, the mother. And yeah. How's your mother? My mother's fab. She's thriving.

And what's her name? I've called her after my yoga teacher, gave it to me, Helen. Helen. So, Helena. Helen, oh, it should have been Helena. Helena, yeah. You've never made a bread in your life Lenny, so I'm not doing that, thank you. But yeah, actually, just why not finish this? After you leave, Geri, I will

be making a loaf. Because that's the kind of girl I am. It's quite satisfying, isn't it? So what's your best bake? Okay, so when I was a little girl, I used to go to my neighbour's house and I had this, she was called Auntie Doreen and so, and it was a real treat. We always had to call everyone who was older than you. Auntie. Auntie something. Or is that a kind of Spanish thing as well? Both, I would say.

And so I'd go across the road and make a simple cake with her. And for me, those memories would be like, I don't know, Victoria's sponge or a crumble. I would say I'm not the biggest foodie, but if I have to choose, I love cakes. Just simple cakes. Are you the person that looks at the dessert menu before you start your main course? Is that more important? I would say that, yeah, I think, yeah, totally. You have two children and so a birthday cake's a big deal in the house and do you make them? I can do, I can do some, but they always want that fancy, you know, like icing. Right.

You know, all the, I wouldn't say that's my... So when was the last... Baking is different though to the, I wouldn't say that's my. So when was the last? Baking is different though to cooking, I think. It's much more scientific. Yeah, see that's why I don't really get on with it. Yeah, yeah, okay. Have you, has the listeners ever seen your house? They kind of see bits of it because,

like they usually see the kitchen, they don't really see anything else. Okay, if I looked at your personality through your house yeah you see this flair and colour and personality and warmth you know everywhere you go is and so it's indicative of your cooking is the same. You're psychoanalysing me and I like it yeah I mean this marble is beautiful but it's like full of flushed with color and then she's got loads of paintings everywhere and photos and it's kind of it's not chaotic. It's a bit chaotic. It's beautifully chaotic. I think it is. Yeah really nice I was like you know when there's your sensory overload when I

walk through the store I was wow, look at this. But you seem like you absorb everything, can you take it in? I love that you've just been to the National Gallery to go and look at a painting before coming and doing the podcast and then you're looking around, we're just getting to know each other and you're already so passionate. And yet you decide, this is your uniform now, you've been wearing white for how long it just doesn't make it for me It doesn't make so I feel like you should be in all the colors would you like it because you need the calm I went through a period

When I was in my 20s, yeah wearing black all the time really Was that post-spice girls? Yeah, I think so but I've gone through different theories and obviously, you know clothes Helena Lenny is wearing bright orange and it's, you know, sunshine and warm. But what I found, I tell you what, I looked at a lot of guys

and they always wear the same thing. Yeah. Okay, whether it's, whether it was Steve Jobs, Facebook guy, you know, all of, they all just wear the same thing. Yeah. Like a uniform. Like a uniform. Yeah. So they're, so they get out of bed and go. And that is a multitude of things.

I thought, well, actually, how much time do you use getting ready? Yeah, I, look, I'm- Yeah, that was one thing. And everything matches. So it was a bit of that. It does suit you though. You do look gorgeous in it. It suits your colouring. Thank you. And you've got gorgeous skin. But do you think that...

Thank you, I appreciate that. And it looks great on you. Oh your aunt wears... It's simplicity. Wears a lot of white as well. It's so funny because I think of you and it's not that I... You are gregarious. In a Union Jack. Well, no, I don't just think of you in a Union Jack, of course, but I wonder whether it was like, you needed that simplicity, like you needed that kind of uniformity and that's kind of- It just keeps things, maybe it keeps things simple,

I suppose. Do you, when you're at home, do you wear jeans and different colours? Or is this when you're at home, do you wear jeans and different colours? Or is this when you're going out? Sometimes I'll put on, so I've got some khaki trousers or something, but you know. You're cooking white. Yeah.

What colour is your swimsuit? White. What do you think mum? White. Mm-hmm. But I do have other colours, but then then sometimes I just throw it into... Yeah. Your dry cleaning bill must be through the roof, Geri. Yeah, yeah. Do you dress your children in white? No, no. They're in school uniforms really. Yeah, they'd dress themselves. Actually, one of my daughters,

she went through a period of wearing the same dress when she was about three. Oh, wow, we did that one. Yeah, she just wouldn't change out of it. And so I ended up really making a point every day she had to put something different on, because she was getting... I think my daughter had this one. It was getting... Do you remember that dress?

My daughter had this one, it was an Euler Lee dress that I got on eBay and you know... It actually was falling apart by the time. It was like a shmatti by the end, I mean she loved it so much. It's so funny isn't it? Isn't it? I suppose it's about what they can control and what they can be safe with. Totally, and then there's us being like, you must, yeah no. Can we take it back to Watford, where you grew up, and what is a memorable dish from your childhood,

and who was around the dinner table? Liver. Oh my God. Where do you stand on liver now? Well, actually, sometimes I see food as medicine or fuel. So actually, I ate liver yesterday. Did you? Yeah. Sometimes I see food as medicine or fuel. So actually I ate liver yesterday. Did you? Yeah.

What sort? Carves or chicken? It was, I think it was carbs. And you know, if you need a bit of iron, just eat it. But back in the day, I think meat was a treat. It wasn't so greedy. Because I've tried being a vegan. I I've done I did that for two years and I don't really have a stand on it doesn't matter to me but I've tried all different ways of eating

and what I think back to you know and food was you know it wasn't so how can you put it it wasn't so available you know back in the day I didn't know we'd have you know a steak as a treat and now you know, back in the day, I didn't know we'd have, you know, a steak as a treat. And now, you know, I went through a stage a couple of years ago where it's just, you know, you can have it as much as time as you like. And then suddenly, if you just put it in the right size there, I think that's a good thing. But in answer to your question, what was the real, what would I really think about? My mother, she'd mix up like English food, my mother's Spanish. She'd sort of put a bit of paella on there and sometimes there'd be something like roast potatoes. She'd be mixing it up.

Does she have a Spanish accent? Very, very. How does she say your name? Geraldine. Oh. Are you bilingual then? I can sort of speak Spanglish as she speaks English. Yeah, I can speak get by if we were lost. Oh God, that's my alarm saying

that I need to take the salmon out. I'm just going to let it do it. It's a very annoying alarm. Are you an only child? No, but I'm the youngest child, so I've got that. You're the youngest. So did you all sit around the dinner table together? Yeah, very I'm the youngest child, so I've got that. You're the youngest. So did you all sit around the dinner table together? Yeah, very much so.

My mother was all about that. With your bitter paella and your potatoes. Yeah, yeah, totally. My mother's always been about sitting down at the table. And having dinner all together. Yeah, 100%. And you do that now. I do that as well, 100%. And what's your best dish that you cook

that everybody loves? Do you know what? I think I'm safe with, I know it sounds really basic, but scrambled eggs. Oh wow. Slow scrambled eggs. If you do it really slowly. Yeah.

Like the French. Oh, well we did have Countess Luanne on from the Royal Housewives of New York and she says, she calls it eggs a la France, and she adds a little bit of water to it. Okay, to really. Really low and slow. Low and slow. Yeah, that's right.

I would say that's one thing I feel secure on. Yeah. But for me, cooking. So that's breakfast. I know, but you can have it anytime. Okay, absolutely. But, it's really nice when you make food that it's, as you're a creative,

it's like a song that you make someone go, mm, right? When it's like that, but when food feels like you're just a is a cafeteria, do you know what I mean? Then it becomes, then it takes the enjoyment out. Do your kids appreciate your food? Not enough. There you go. Right, okay. There you go. What's on the menu tonight? Are you in tonight? Are you working on it? My son just loves chicken nuggets. Oh. No matter where we go, he could do like a guide to the best chicken nuggets

in the world. Do you know what I mean? He absolutely loves chicken nuggets. What do they call them in America? Tenders. Tenders, yeah. Chicken tenders, yeah. My kids had a, well, you know what though,

we've started doing, we can do, you know, the big old chicken nugget, but you can put like katsu curry with it. So then at least you feel like you're giving them something slightly different than just a chicken nugget. But yeah, my kids are chicken nugget crazy. Chicken nuggets. Bluebell really likes cooking.

Does she? Yeah, she cooked last night for us. She was very good. And she cooked liver? Yeah, no, actually that was an extra bit. I had had liver earlier. She cooked Chinese chicken, but she'll do anything. She cooked me steak the other day for Valentine's.

Rather than going out, she cooked for the, you know what I mean? Sweet, what's she studying? English, literature. Oh great. Are you thrilled? Yeah, that mother's pride, isn't it? You must be very proud of your daughter,

of what she's achieved. Yeah. And this is amazing. Yeah. So to watch them thrive and find their own lane, is that my bag? Is that your bag? Yeah. Yeah, I'm sorry Joy. I apologise. No, it's alright. I don't know. I don't want it to be an emergency. No, I turn it off. You're very popular, Geri. Or you're on a group, a school WhatsApp group. No, I'm not on, oh my God. You don't do the school WhatsApp group? Sometimes, sometimes not. Do you mute them? No, I'm just, yeah.

Sometimes it gets, you know, just being on WhatsApp groups, I find quite, what do you think? I have to be on all of them because my husband just taps out. But do you get, when you go, do people want you to do something spice girly for the school? If there's a school performance or... Not spice girly, but sometimes they might ask for some motivation, which is, you know, I'm happy to do, to help encourage and uplift.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. to help encourage and uplift. It doesn't matter what the genre is, whether it's sports, music, science, or book writing. Do you know what I mean? To encourage others to use their initiative and do like, okay. Which leads us perfectly onto Rosie Frost. This is Ice and Fire, it's the second of the series. I mean, so we were just talking about it and about big chunky a chunky book and and Rosie

Frost is the protagonist and she is kind of guided by the ghost of Amberlynn yeah in the first book she is right yeah she looks slightly like someone sitting at the table here today. Oh she's got the hair slightly round. Is there a lot of you in Rosie? You can't help putting a little bit of yourself in character and then but you sort of it's like you know it's not dissimilar of being a chef when you write because you get all these ingredients for different personalities you take a bit of that one, a bit of that one, and put it into that person. And you get to decide, you get to play God, like what happens.

So, if you like adventure, and if you like history, it's in there. I always sort of, it's a modern day story, but it's with a backdrop of a little bit of history. Each one has it, like the previous one was Amberlynn. This one is, I don't want to spoil it, but it's one of the other queens. Is it a Tudor?

Yes, always Tudors. I love the Tudors. The school Hever Bridge is built on this island in the south of England. So instead of Jurassic Park with dinosaurs, you've got endangered animals. And this school Hever Bridge was built by Queen Elizabeth I in honour of her mother. So it's a bit like you building a school for

your gorgeous Lenny. Absolutely, yeah. Never going to happen. Not going to happen. Okay, in honour of her because Amberlyn was executed by her husband Elizabeth's father when she was three. So Elizabeth was only three when she lost her... That's so cruel. It's so cruel. If you think about it in modern day times,

a three year old loses her mother by, and her father had her mother's head chopped off. Shamed her. Can you imagine? He was a terrible husband. Yeah, he was a tyrant. So Elizabeth builds this school for her, right? And it's full of polymaths,

it's really clever kids in honor of her mother, right? And so all these brilliant kids go to this school. So it's like all sorts that you would know of, like whether it's Frida Kahlo, Emmeline Pankhurst, scientists, all brilliance have gone to this school and up till now 500 years later, so Rosie Frost is sent to this school. And so you've got all the different heritage

of different tutors that are there, but also brilliant brainy kids are there. But there's like this horrible head mark, well he's a deputy head who's got up to something. There's the mean girl. So does that give you a picture of you? Yeah, yeah. That's so exciting. Is Rosie clever? I think Rosie has definitely got, yeah she has got potential. Yeah definitely

potential. She's come from an ordinary school, centre of this school and she's like what the hell am I doing here? She's lost her mother, she's grieving and actually in book two she's kind of like who's my father, there's a bit of that and but there's a lot of the science involved with this big science competition but there's more it's murderous okay the way I can describe it okay so you know and try Star Wars I ish okay so you know how the sort that it ups the ante each day so this has got more murder more betrayal more revenge so an adult could read this and go, okay. Yeah. And if you like Harry Potter, it's kind of quite,

do you think it's kind of a fantasy? Yeah, I mean, that's the, you know, she's amazing, holy grail, that brilliant writer and brilliant adventure. It's got the fast paced adventure, but what I'd say instead of magic, it's like the courage from within. Finding your inner power.

And Rosie's turning 14, so she's going through puberty, but falling in love, you know, all those feelings. But you could read it too, because it deals with adult themes like revenge, betrayal, and how you unpack it. Is it going to be made into a film? A musical film. Oh Lord.

Look at my look. We'll see. How exciting. I'd love that to happen for you, Geri. Thank you. That's exciting. I'm going to just get the food on the table. Okay.

Should I serve? Can we just talk about your earrings? Oh, completed works. I love completed works. Describe them for the... Okay, so they are, they're actually resin. Can we just talk about your earrings? Oh, completed works. I love completed works. Okay, so they are, they're actually resin. They look like polos. They're supposed to be like a scrunchie, that's what they call them.

I think they're called the scrunchie, but they do look like polos. They look like fruit polos. And they're purple and I don't know, maybe subconsciously, because of Eugenia Lavenda I put on Lavenda. I don't know, now I'm wearing white. I sound like a freaking weirdo. But they're completed works and I love them. They're really interesting. Thanks. Are you hungry?

Are you hungry? A little bit, yeah. If I'm honest, I did eat a little bit before I came. Okay. It's okay. It's fine. Thanks for the honesty, Geri. Thank you. Just me slaving away. Because I hate showing up really hungry. Really hungry, I agree with you. I think it's bad manners. Because then you're ravenous.

Yeah, and then I'm not. And you want to eat everything. Yeah, and then I can't concentrate. Me too. Can you have some of that water as well please? Yeah, of course. Do you understand what I mean? Yeah, I absolutely agree.

And then I'll just eat the bread and then not actually eat the dinner. Do you ever get together with the other Spice Girls now for dinner? Occasionally, occasionally. Yeah. It's like old school friends. Yeah. And does anybody cook?

Does anybody have a meal at their house and they cook? Sometimes. I think Melanie does. Melanie says she... Who's the best cook of all of you? She's really good. We've had Melanie. Which Melanie? Mel C. Mel C we've had. We've had B as well. We've had C and B. Oh amazing. Okay yeah C, Melanie. Yeah and we went to see it, did you go and see when she did the ballet? Oh my god I saw it. We went to see it. Me and Mel have actually become friends. She's nice isn't she? She's the loveliest. She's so nice. She's just really, like you can't describe her to me.

I think also Emma, Emma and I are both UNICEF ambassadors and so I've seen Emma and Melbie was gorgeous when she came on too and I don't know Victoria but Emma's always been completely warm and always makes the time if we see each other, it's like she's always got time for you, which I just think is so gorgeous. And then Mel C, because I guess we both do music and she's such a kind of LGBT ally. We both do that. And we have lots of mutual friends,

but like she came on and then we kept in touch and she's just always made an effort and I love that.'s not flaky like she's kind of she's real and she makes an effort and so I and I can't quite believe that you know a Spice Girls texting me do you know I mean inviting me to like a party that's so nice or like being like congrats like she's just a lovely person. Very nice person. So we ask everyone if you were going on a desert island for six months because I can't bear the thought of a death penalty, what would be your last supper if you're going away for a long time, you don't have access to everything

you like? Start a main course and drink. I was just gonna go straight for the cake. Oh my god she is a straight for the cake person. Huh? I probably just cake. I think the world is divided up into two lots of people, the ones that have to have dessert. Say I had to have two starters and a main course and then cheese. Yeah, like for me, I get it. Wish I'd made a cake now.

No, it's fine. So like, no, I'm- You can do some freedom. Yes, but now again, we can go off piece, you know, which is one. Yeah. Yeah. No, I just like cake. And if you're on your last meal at Desert Island, you could just certainly go for it. OK, so I'd have cake.

What's your favorite cake? Um, that's so hard. Is it chocolate? No, it's not. Lemon drizzle? I do like lemon drizzle, but I kind of like just simple. Just a simple. A Victoria sponge? Yeah, just simple.

Yeah. Keep it simple. So are you going to eat any starter? Just have lots of cake? I'll eat, I'll eat, I'll eat. Oh. What would be your starter? Okay, if I had to have something, what would I do?

I quite like, if we were going to make it fancy. It doesn't have to be fancy, it's what we love. Maybe some toast. Toast. Quite like toast and butter on it. Yeah, toast and butter. Yeah, it'd be quite nice. Any spread, like marmite or?

No. Okay, toast and butter. What's your butter that you like? Salty butter. It doesn't really matter. Okay, and then do you have a main course? What's your butter that you like? Salty butter? It doesn't really matter. Okay. And then what, do you have a main course? Remember you're going to be spearing for fish.

Oh, because I was just about to pick an oyster. So it can be anything you like. There's no point in picking an oyster. Do you like oysters? I do actually, yeah. Do you? Yeah. I think the world's divided up in people who like more, don't you?

Oh really? How do you eat most? Do you put a little? Yeah. What do you like?? Do you put a little, what do you like? I'd put, no you'd put like vinegar. With onions? Yeah again is what you get out of it as well, you get a really, it's got this full of zinc, it looks lovely for those listening it's salmon and there's potatoes and they look really nice. So're dairy free aren't you? yeah so yeah we're gonna have it with a little whipped feta thing yeah but you can just have a little smashed potato there

amazing did you cook this this morning? yeah just now that's really nice thank you this looks lovely thank you I don't know if it is or not but anyway. Did we get a main then? We got, she wanted oysters. Okay. But were you having anything else besides oysters for your main? I actually wouldn't bother with the oysters because if we're going on a desert island we probably could get them there. You might be able to.

Yeah. So I wouldn't bother. I'd get something like pick and mix. Pick and mix. Which would be in your pick and mix selection? Sweetie. I'd go for sweeties like, you know, cola bottles or... Oh, I love cola bottles. Fizzy?

Yeah, fizzy cola bottles. Do you like the sour ones or the... Yeah, I like sour. It's fine. I'd just go for sweeties. Like a good sugar. You're brilliantly confusing to me, Gerrit. It's like you're a lady. You ask for an El Grey and then you have a pick and a mix for your mains. I love it.

Imagine being me. We do have my manager, our manager, Peter Lorraine is here, who you actually know. I know Peter. How do you know Peter Lorraine? I know Peter. He used to be editor of this magazine, Top of the Pops magazine, which was like back in the day, this is pre-internet, magazines would be the forefront of the narrative of what was in and what was not.

And that particular level, Top of the Pops, was the leading magazine. It was quite young, sort of going going from preteen upwards of them and One of the first interviews when I was in the band the Spice Girls He made a spicer he sort of did this little thing he interviewed us and then he did a spice rack It was like just funny and then he just said oh and then he just named each spice That was it. And then we just and then it stuck. then he just named each spice. That was it. And then we just, and then it stuck. We thought that's a good idea.

Let's keep it. Were you happy with his choice? Yeah, I didn't mind it at all. Is there a very memorable Spice Girl meal? I was thinking about this the other day. I was in the car. I was always designated driver and I don't that? I don't know, I think it was because I was the oldest and I had a car. But I remember very much two things. One was stopping off at service stations and having... you know, I mean just so you... and the service stations wouldn't be as, you know, souped up as they are now.

Yeah. And there'd be, you know, souped up as they are now. Yeah. And there'd be, you know, having things like sausage rolls. Ginsters, right, yeah. Yeah, that kind of thing, yeah. Or I really remember having chips and scraps, which is from up north is the little, you know, the bottom ends, which I really, I do love chips. I have to say that is my other favorite food, I say I like chips do you cook them now I don't cook

them now but for chips from a fish and chip shop or sort of medium-sized fries okay you like a little chunk and little I don't like big chips I like sort of medium forget about a palm frie that's okay yeah that's okay they're done well yeah if they're done well. Yeah, if they're done well. Yeah, I like keeping it simple. I have to say your air fryer chips are great. Yeah, I've started doing the air fryer chips and it's so good because you can get, Jerry, you can get chicken nuggets and chips. How do you do it in an air fryer? You literally put your chicken nuggets and your chips into the raw yeah like from freezer or whatever and you put it on and you put air-fry didn't even spray

them you could just spray them with a bit of oil if you had to make it from scratch oh no yeah no you could just put potatoes in yeah you just put sliced potatoes nice potatoes but for the ease of if your child needs that food very quickly, you don't want to heat up the oven. You can get them on the table in 15 minutes. OK, I'm going to get an air fryer. OK, that sounds really good. These potatoes are really nice. They're lovely, darling. Thank you. Really nice.

Did you just boil them and then squish them and then... So I boiled them and then just got kind of a jar and pushed down on them which made them smashed or squished and then put capers. They're really nice. Thank you. What did Nelson Mandela give you to eat? Rice and salad and fish. It was like a buffet. You had to sort of like line up and have it. Is that one of the most special moments of being a Spice Girl,

getting to meet so fantastic, wonderful people like that? I feel very privileged to have met him, amazing. You know, I read his book, The Long Walk to Freedom, and then it's amazing. It's one of the most moving books. Yeah, amazing, and that sort of teaches me so much about forgiveness and overcoming and. We went to Robin Island, didn't we?

Mm, did you? And we went to Brixton. What was that like? Very, I mean. Really upsetting, you'd be really astonished. It was, it was so. He was there 20 years. Yeah, and you know, he was kind of blinded by the quarry

because it was so bright white. Because they were working in the quarries, they'd just work and chip away. Because of the sun's reflection on the white, it affected his eyesight. Did it? Yeah. Oh, this cat. Sorry, I don't know why the cat... Hello. Sorry, this is Pinky.

Hi, Pinky. The cat started eating fanicles. Hello, he's so cute. Do you have any animals? I've got lots of animals. Do you? Yeah, I love animals. So what have you got? Okay, so originally I was a cat person. Hello Pinky. She's a flirt, she has a bit of a tart. I like that. So I've always had cats, I love cats. And then I've had lots of dogs. At the moment I have, his name's Otis, okay, and he is half poodle with a golden retriever. What are they called then? Golden poo or golden poo. Yeah and

is he big or small? He's medium-mish. And his coat is it? It's poodle-ish, but it's sort of like he's got my colour hair. Yeah. He's the nicest energy that I've ever experienced in an animal. And do you walk him every day? Yes, pretty much. I'll let him run out.

He's just amazing. And then I have a little dog called Daisy from Battersea. And she's just like, she's just like a worrying Wendy she's like she's a little bit how old was she when you um she's very very young but they had to keep her a little bit she'd been overbred but she's so what sort of she I think she's a maybe more T-Shitsu something I can't tell and does she love Otis? Yes she's woken her up a little bit.

Showed her being more playful, so that's really nice. And then I've got some goats, horses, and donkeys, and fish. Wow. So what kind of fish have you got? They are tropical fish, actually, and I can't remember their names, like tiger fish. I'll tell you what one of them is,

like the one out of Nemo. The black one with a white stripe in the tank. But then I also got these ones that eat their algae up the side of the, you know, eat the algae up the tank, so that's quite useful. But I find them quite relaxing to have. Where are they in your fish room? You've got a big aquarium, like a big fish tank.

Yeah, it's not huge. Yeah. If they're nice fish tanks, they're a bit like lava lamps, aren't they? Yeah, it's fine. They're kind of relaxing, because they kind of bubble and they move. Yeah, I quite like it.

I wanted to talk about whether you still do, well, you called it, it was in your documentary, and you called it Cosmic Shopping at the time, which I think is almost like manifestations. But maybe we didn't have that word when you were making the documentary. There's a bit in the documentary where you're looking at a photo of your dad and you tell the documentary maker,

what's her name, Molly? Molly Deneen. And you really did your research then. Did you watch that then? I rewatched it, yeah. But in the and but in the back in the back you've done these letters yeah you're always writing letters in that documentary Jerry and to the Prince Charles and and love it.

Is he still a pal? I saw him well I saw him yesterday at the King Charles. I saw him at the Abbey, and it was the Commonwealth. Oh yeah, and you were invited. Yeah, it was amazing, and that's really like unifying it, you know, all the countries coming together, it's brilliant. But the cosmic shopping, you talk about it, and it's kind of making manifestations,

desires, what's gonna happen, you speak, and you're like, I am happy, I am, you know I am going to reach and I thought it was completely charming and beautiful and optimistic and it was based on a book that you read. Do you remember the book that you read? I can't remember the name of the book. But I just wanted to know whether you still do cosmic shopping. I think if you visualise, I definitely visualise things and I think we all do, definitely visualize things. And I think we all do. We have, in our thinking, you know, whatever's going on, we are thinking as we speak.

No matter what consciousness, we're thinking. And it's up to us whether they're going to be positive or... But I do, I... That thinking, you know, but you're creative. So you visualize it before, you know, before you paint or you sing. We always visualize. But there's like you paint or you sing We always visualize But there's like a determination in you Jerry that cut like speaks and it like it sings out and I do find it really

Amazing. I also love the fact that you were like I'm gonna were you married to George Michael in one of the in one of the Letters But then you even say you're like, well, we're not married but we are friends. Yes we can we can get married but yeah. Did he ever cook for you? You lived with him for a few months didn't you? Yeah he's an I was just talking about him he was an amazing force in my life. Yeah I lived with him many times in my life and yeah we'd always we'd get takeaways together and, you know, watch movies and we were always going out to dinner. We had our own special restaurant we'd go to, which was really nice. It was like an Italian.

Was it in Northampton? In Hampstead? Yeah. I know that one. Yeah. So that was really nice. That was our special. It's an old the one. Yeah. So that was really nice. That was our special. It's an old-fashioned one. Very traditional. Yeah. So I quite like that. I suppose I'm quite traditional. Do you like Italian food? I love Italian food. And my... George did. Yeah. Spanish food. Do you eat a lot of Spanish? Do you go to Spain a lot?

I haven't been to Spain for a while. Spanish food... It's okay. I mean, they've got good chips. Oh, Jerry! Oh, so naughty! I love their breakfasts. What was the specific one? The pan con tomate. You know, you get the bread and you get that lovely kind of paste made of fresh tomatoes and you put olive oil in the tomato. That's nice, yeah. I don't eat pork, but I look at Arbirico pork

and I think it looks amazing. They eat snails. Do they? No, I wouldn't be eating snails. My grandmother cooked the snails. I used to have, maybe that's why I'm a bit put off, but I used to collect snails as pets, like with Peter and Paul, and I had this whole tray.

Peter and Paul? Peter and Paul. What, were they the names? Yeah, these snails in whole tray. Peter and Paul? Peter and Paul. Were they the names? Yeah, these snails in this tray. Right. And I had plants and soil that was their land. So I was really into snails, right?

And then one day I went to see my grandmother in Spain. She said, she'd go out and collect some snails. And I was like, oh my God, absolutely. Let's go and collect these little snails. I'm feeling really excited. I out and collect some snails. And I was like, oh my God, absolutely. Let's go and collect these little snails. I'm feeling really excited. I've got loads of snails. I'm gonna keep them in a little. My grandmother cooked the snails.

And then the next thing I looked up, they were strung up in like a net, all like cooked. So I was like, oh. That's a sad memory for you. That's a sad memory of snails cooked. Oh no. So that's. Oh no. Can we a sad memory of snails cooked. There you go that explains it all doesn't it. Before, yeah would you like a little sweet something?

It depends what you've got. Well it. God you're a great guest. Yes she's hateful. Eight before you're not gonna have a bloody gluten free. I made some gluten free biscuits. You've made them oh my god of course. But also Jessie can you put that into a bowl? That's so nice. I'll take one home with me as well.

You can take more than one. Can you put it in a bowl darling? Did you do that so much? I just have the biscuit. That's so nice. I made I made rhubarb because it's seasonal. Did you? Oh my god that's so good. With ginger because of ginger spice. I love the rhubarb, oh my goodness. Rhubarb, that gives me, isn't it funny how food gives you memories? Like I always remember rhubarb yogurt. Look at this for everyone at home because they can't see it. It's rhubarb and it's beautiful and it's like beautiful pink. Would you like another cup of tea? I'd love one, thank you, that's really kind. Look, that's coconut cream. We need both, darling. Look at this.

That looks so nice. That looks really good. The biscuits look delicious. They're light as a feather. They look like, what's it called, those baby rusts? This is totally my cup of tea. Thank you so much for making such an effort. Could you taste the ginger?

I could actually. Now you said, yeah I could taste it and I couldn't identify it at first. I was like okay it makes it a little bit more, it's got a bite to it, a little bit more. It's really nice. Can you taste the ginger? Yeah I've just had like slices of it, it's delicious. It's very good for you. It's very good for you as well. Is it? Why? So ginger's good for you. Ginger is totally good for you. Do you cook with ginger a lot? I put it in like a tea and I read that gingers, we have a different pain threshold. Are you actually ginger, Gerri? I'm not being funny. No, I just wanted to know. Hang I just wanted to know. My mother. You go less ginger as you get older don't you? Yeah I'll show you. So gingers have a higher pain pressure. I'm going to show you this. This is me. Oh yeah you're ginger.

Oh wow sweet. If you look at my brother and sister he's bright blonde my sister's really dark and then I'm like red blonde, my sister's really dark and then I'm like red. But you know, it's always changed, it's not a bright screaming red, but no matter what I always end up with a sort of little auburn. But no, I read that the other day that we have a different pain threshold and also we don't go grey as much, which is interesting. I was like, oh, okay. Lucky. This is really good. This does like, this is really nice.

You can take them home, darling. This is really good. I'm now eating what looks like a Farley's Rask, but it tastes delicious. It's almonds. It's delicious. It tastes just like them. This is so my cup of tea.

This is really nice. Good, good, good. This is like, it tastes like happiness. Oh, I love you, Geri. Yeah, good, good. This is like, it tastes like happiness. Oh, I love you, Geri. Yeah, I do as well. You describe things really well. That's why you're a writer, probably.

Yeah. Geri, you just were talking about the rhubarb and it reminding you, isn't it funny? We always ask our guests what a nostalgic taste that can transport them back. It's so true, it's like perfume, isn't it? When you smell like a certain perfume and you get transported back. Or it reminds you of someone.

Yeah, totally. And food does the same thing, isn't it? God, that's such a good question. What food really takes me somewhere? Or a smell or... For me, I'd love a cup of tea on a sandy beach. On the beach on Devon. you know, it's cold, you know, but the sun is shining,

but that tea is warming you up. When was the last time you were in Devon with a cup of tea in hand on a beach? I was there in October. I like winter. Okay, winter. Beach, I think it's gorgeous. Seaside.

Yeah, I think it's beautiful. I think English seaside is fantastic. What do you always have in your fridge that you couldn't do without? Well, my son likes barbecue sauce. Ha ha ha. I am, yeah, I'm yielding to that. So I think that's quite adventurous. Chicken nuggets with butter and sauce.

Yeah, I'm really slaying, aren't I? Ha ha ha. I think you are slaying aren't I? I think you are slaying actually. Jerry, I think you're brilliant and I think it's been such a pleasure to meet you. Oh thank you so much. And just your, I don't know, I feel like I've grown up with you and you feel exactly the same

as what we saw on the telly which is so lovely. In fact even warmer and more gorgeous and generous but it's a total joy to meet you telly or on which is so lovely and in fact even warmer and more gorgeous and and generous but it's um it's a total joy to meet you and listen to you talking about Rosie Frost and thanks for being on the table my love. Oh thank you very much for having me and thank you, Geri. Thank you, Geri, for coming on the podcast. So warm.

Really lovely woman. She said to me, good luck with everything. And she took a picture of my sofa. She said she liked it. She liked the colour of it. Okay, good. So I'd like to say- Did she go into your sitting room

to have a quick- She snoops around. She went, sorry, can I ask where you got that sofa from? And oh, I like the colour of that. She took pictures. Love it. She probably, yeah. Maybe I'll be her interior designer maybe she's looking for your execution

block Jerry Halliwell Horner on a complete icon and legend totally and so passionate and I can't wait to read Rosie Frost me neither with my daughter I think I may start performing it tonight like I have done with the other. Good. Delicious salmon. Do you think? Yeah it's really... I think I was I've got people for dinner on Friday and I thought I was going to do prawns with ginger. Now you're going to do the Alison Roman. Which is that in Nothing Fancy? Yeah it's so straightforward. So straight that's what I'm going for, straightforward salad and potatoes.

My potatoes were nice. Very delicious. How long were they in for? I kind of did them on a high, parboiled them and smashed them, high heat for about 20 minutes and then just kind of slow. Yeah, so you left them in while you cooked the salmon? Yeah.

Okay, fine. Those almond. Did you like them? Yeah, they feel left them in while you cooked the salmon? Yeah. OK, fine. Those almond... Did you like them? Yeah, they feel like pesto, like Passover cookies, don't they? Because they've got no flour in them. Yeah, but really, really nice. And actually, I found custard in the fridge, so I just had rhubarb and custard in there. It's just the greatest combo.

Can I say I'm quite proud of my rhubarb? Yeah, how did you do that? Because it was firm. I roasted it with some orange juice and some stem ginger and the syrup that comes from the stem ginger and I sliced the stem ginger and roasted it for 20 minutes. Mum it's so good because sometimes it just goes sloppy and sad. Yeah, that's good. I'm going to have that in porridge tomorrow.

Thank you to Geri Halliwell Horner for coming on. Rosie Frost Ice and Fire is out now so go and give it a read or a listen on audiobook and you can hear one of Gerry's original songs actually on the audiobook. And we'll see you next week. You