Mel C on Dancing with the Stars: Everything you need to know about the Spice Girls singer

Singer rose to fame as part of pioneering girl group, Spice Girls

Sam Moore
Tuesday 21 September 2021 02:27 BST
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Melanie C insists Spice Girls never got Glasto call

Mel C is one of the 15 contestants on season 30 of <em>Dancing with the Stars</em>.

Born Melanie Chisholm in Merseyside in 1974, she moved to London after finishing school to attend a performing arts college, but didn’t finish the course.

Nicknamed “Sporty Spice” during her time with the Spice Girls, she auditioned for the girl group in 1994 alongside Geri Halliwell, Victoria Beckham and Melanie Brown. Fifth member, Emma Bunton was added to the group at a later date.

With the release of their debut album, Spice, a year later, they became one of the biggest selling acts in the world as the album went number one in 17 different countries.

Spice went on to sell over 30 million copies worldwide. In the UK, all four singles released from the album hit the top of the charts.

Follow up album Spiceworld was released in 1997 to similar success, selling another 20 million copies.

The group also starred in Spice World: The Movie. Though critically maligned, the film, which also starred Richard E Grant, was a commercial success and the highest-grossing movie ever made by a musical group.

She became the subject of tabloid scrutiny over her relationships with fellow musicians including Robbie Williams, and Red Hot Chili Peppers singer Anthony Kiedis. Kiedis wrote the song “Emit Remmus” about his time with Chisholm.

After Halliwell departed the group in 1998, Chisholm embarked on a solo career, first duetting with Bryan Adams on “When You’re Gone”, which reached No 3 in the UK charts.

Her first solo album, Northern Star, came out in the autumn of 1999 and became the most successful Spice Girls solo project. On the album, Chisholm collaborated with Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes from RnB group, TLC, on the No 1 single “Never Be the Same Again”.

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Though Chisholm continued with her solo career, none of her later releases matched the impact of her debut album.

Her most recent album, the self-titled Melanie C, was released last year and reached No 8 in the UK charts, but sold just 8,000 copies in its first week.

Chisholm has also turned to acting, and appeared in theatre productions of Blood Brothers and Jesus Christ Superstar, along with hosting and judging on reality TV shows includingThe Voice Kids UK, Asia’s Got Talent and Bring the Noise.

Chisholm has also been open about her mental health struggles and experiences with depression.

She has one child, Scarlett, who was born in 2009.

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