The Edge Breakfast - EXCLUSIVE: Mel C from the Spice Girls!

Episode Date: November 5, 2025

NO F****ING WAY A SPICE GIRL?!?!?!

This is a podcast from Rover. Clint, Megan Dan. Well, this is a real bucket list thing that I didn't know I was going to tick off in my radio career. Speaking to a spice girl, Mel C, welcome to the show. Hi. Why would that not get ticked off? I don't know.

I just thought it had maybe passed me. And I was just like maybe I've just missed my moment. And no, it turns out I haven't. Well, I'm happy to fulfill that moment for you. Is there anyone in your life after all these years at the top of your game that you are still like, am I ever going to meet that person? Am I ever going to, you know, or have you done it all? Do you know what?

My friends and family do laugh at me because most people that come up in conversation, whether it's like a movie star or a musician, I have met them at some point doing, you know, whatever I've done. You haven't I met? Do you know what? It's tough because I have met loads of people. Oh, you might have to leave that one. You might have to leave that one. Wow.

Wow, that's a boss move. Come on. How often are you then in conversation when people are talking about a celebrity biting your tongue going, I've got a story for that. I've got a story for that. Be cool, mail, be cool, now.

Don't take over the conversation. Name dropping constantly. The new single sweat, I just watched the performance you did on the Voice Australia. And look, I should be surprised at this point, A, after nine studio albums that you're still putting out good music.

And I really shouldn't be surprised that you've still got the abs that you had when you were in the bloody wannabe music video. I mean, are you living at the gym or is it just so much a part of your life now that you don't even notice when you just lifting weights in your sleep? Yeah.

Do you know what? I think now we are so much more aware of like how to train smart, how to eat better. Do you know what I mean? Like in the 90s, it was all about cardio. we didn't really know much about protein, do you know what I mean? So I feel like actually now from years and years of being active, from being a kid, doing gymnastics, dancing or through my life,

it's kind of, I don't want to be annoying, but it's just there. It just needs a bit of maintenance, you know what I mean? Yeah. I don't know what you mean personally. We're like, when I watch your secrets. Speaking of as well, you were... You know what, I do... Go.

I do work hard, but I just am one of those people that really loves it and it really benefits me in so many more ways than just physically, you know what I mean? So it's like, it's so good for my head, it's so good for my mood. So, yeah, so there you go. Yeah, you were the coach of a Kiwi star, friend of ours, Cassie Henderson, on The Voice, and I think just one of those, it's got to be one of all the jobs that you've done and all the things you're invited to be a part of. Being a coach on the voice, where does that rank?

Do you know what? I'm so committed to anything I put my mind to. I, you know, in my career, because you know what it's like, right? It's a 30-year career. So there's been highs and lows. But everything I've done, I've done it because I really want to. And of all the shows in that genre, the voice is the only one I would want to do. Do you know what I mean?

And actually working on it in Australia, the team are. amazing. They really look after the artists who come and audition and I just had a very positive experience. Cassie is amazing. I know you Kiwis know that, right? She is such a superstar.

When we talk about it now, I'm still quite upset that she didn't win. But in my eyes, she is the true winner because I feel like she's on her way already. She has a career. You know, and she's just brilliant. She's

she was the only woman in the end in the final that got a guitar chucked on her mid-song and rocked out and she's got so much to give so yeah I think you guys know this but you know the rest of the world needs to know you're going to see her because she's brilliant you were the perfect mentor for her what was the like advice you gave her at the end you know like she didn't win what was the advice that Mel gave to her you know going forward

yeah would you know what i for her it's just it's keep keeping on and it's not like you know although it's hard isn't it because it is a competition yeah but you know the reality is she she ticks all of the boxes she's smart she's a songwriter she can sing so brilliantly she's a musician uh she's just yeah she's got it all she's got so much charisma as well so um yeah for me it's just you know keep on this path and a show like the voice she's had so much more exposure though it's only a positive thing for her. So I'll be, you know, I'll always be there as a mentor for Cassie as long

as she wants me. That's awesome. I would imagine the hardest part about being a judge on the voice is having to sit there in the same outfit for so long because whenever I watch it, I'm like... Oh my gosh. How long were you wearing the same outfit in that chair? Yeah. Honestly, honestly, so the audition days

are like 14 hour days and you're on set. You get like 20 minute breaks for the Lou and to shove some food in your face. And you wear the same clothes for three days. Wow. And by the end of it and you feel so self-conscious because when people come off the stage and you give them

a hug, you know, it's the hours and the days progresses. It's like the what is like, you're going to think I'm smelling. But yeah, you do get sick of those clothes. But, you know, I think the hardest thing sometimes is not turning because the courage it takes for those,

a lot of them really young people as well to get upon that stage and perform the way that they do, even if they don't go through. It's still a massive undertaking. So yeah, because I think I'm too nice sometimes. So it was hard to, you know, to be negative. You don't want to be negative with people. Yeah. Of course, because you know how hard it is and you don't want to, you never want to be the bad guy and you're a nice person. I do have to say, though, you kind of, you may not have realized this, but I'm kind, I'm a bit, oh, I am younger than you, but I feel I'm in the same zone of when like you were kind of came

into the zeitgeist as a spy school and you had the sneakers right and then it got to like the clubbing years and everyone was clubbing in these skyscraper high heels so uncomfortable now girls are hitting the clubs dressed as you pretty much and if I were you I'd be like I am responsible for chicks being comfortable at the club are you taking that as your own everybody you are so welcome um I've been telling my daughter this for years I remember about About five years ago, we went into Urban Outfitters. I think I did a business store you have there, but we have it here in the UK and in the US.

And it basically was my wardrobe from the 90s. And I was like, literally, your mum started this. Yeah, whatever, Mom. So, yeah, I feel, I think the Spice Girls, in so many ways, we do feel very proud of the legacy. And mine is women are comfortable. Come on. I'm allowed to be comfortable on that.

Thank you. I bow down and I thank you. What is the biggest pitch me moment in your career? Because as you said before, there's been so many highs. And what was the moment, it could be spy skills, it could be later than that, where you were just like, how is this my life? Because I'd imagine you've got so many of those moments. So many.

And they continue to happen. You know, obviously meeting people like Nelson Mandela playing Wembley Stadium, the Olympics, London, 2012. I mean, the list is endless. And I think for me now, you know, I get to do really amazing things still. I performed at St. Paul's Cathedral in London last week with a string quartet. And, you know, there was 2,000 people in the cathedral. And that was like, wow, I get the chance to do this.

So it never stops. And at the moment, there's a lot of spy skills chat because Victoria Beckham's got a three-part documentary series on Netflix. And so she's talking about all the highs and lows of the spy skills. and there's some stuff as well I think we just had like no idea the scrutiny around your lives and how quickly you were just thrust from five girls that nobody knew

to all of a sudden you can't go anywhere without security and the media feeling like they owned you and you'll get away with anything is there something you look back on and you're like at the time I mean I can't believe I let that happen because we all have you know moments at that when you look back at your youth

and like if that happened again I tell that person to get fucked but like as a child As children, it's different. Yeah. Yeah, honestly, so many situations. I think the saving grace of being a spice girl is that there was five of us and one of them was Melby.

She didn't take any shit. You know, and we all had each other's backs. But absolutely, I think just culturally then, like in the 90s and the naughties, the British tabloids were ruthless and they were on us. And not just as spice girls, anyone in the public eye, It was incredibly misogynistic, you know, and it was, looking back, it's shocking, the things that were said or the things we were asked or the things we were expected to do. You just, it just wouldn't fly these days, no way. Like that scene where Victoria Bickham gets weighed after she's just had a baby to see if she's lost the baby way?

I was like, how? It's wild. It's wild. And, you know, I would be, that didn't happen to me. But I would be like, now you'd be like, God, wouldn't you? You'd be like, why would you, why would you agree to do that? Well, at the time, you just did what you did. Yeah.

It's crazy. Your bond must be so strong with the other girls as well. Like, how often are you guys talking? I mean, the group chat's been spoken about before. Is it an everyday? Hope it's not as messy as our group chat. Yeah, no, me. Yeah, yeah.

Sometimes I mute that. I got in trouble recently. Yeah, I got in trouble, didn't I? Because I did the thing where, because you don't know if you're not in one of the group chats. do you? And I just, I'm not daft. Do you know what I mean? There's one that includes

someone's missing off one of them. You know what I mean? And you're going to be one of them. But Emma wouldn't have it. She was like, no, there isn't one. There isn't one without you. I'm like, yeah. What? I love it. But, you know, to be honest with you,

it kind of ebbs and flows, whatever's going on. You know, we've all got busy lives. Sometimes we'll be speaking on a weekly basis. Sometimes we don't speak for them. And so it just, it depends. Like any friendship, really. Exactly. You guys are just normal like the rest of us.

Well, we love you, sister. Thank you so much for everything you've given us over the years for being such a champion. You're awesome. You're the best. We can't wait to see what's next for you and to see you as an 80-year-old with abs still. I'll have to come and see you in person. Yeah, I'll try and love us. Thank you so much, guys.

Thank you, Mel C. See you, Matt.