What Mel C Has Been Up To Since The Spice Girls
Mel C, also known as Sporty Spice, rose to fame as one-fifth of the British girl group the Spice Girls. Unless you are too young to remember, the "Say You'll Be There" hitmakers spread "Girl Power" around the world and have remained one of the most iconic girl groups of all time.
According to ChartMasters, the Spice Girls' debut album, "Spice," sold more than 21.9 million copies globally. As noted by The Official Charts, every single of theirs — minus "Stop" — went to No. 1 during their original run. Since parting ways in 2000, there have been a couple of reunions from the legendary group. Their first took place in 2007. Along with a new single, "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)", they also embarked on a world tour, per The Guardian. Five years later, the Spice Girls performed at the London 2012 Olympics Ceremony with a show-stopping medley. Most recently in 2019, they gave fans what they really, really wanted — another tour. As previously reported by The Sun, the BRIT Award winners sold 700,000 tickets and made an impressive profit of £200 million ($283 million).
Outside of the Spice Girls, Mel has been very busy with her solo projects. Keep reading to find out what the chart-topping star has been up to over the past two decades.
Mel C's solo music career certainly hasn't gone unnoticed
Each and every one of the Spice Girls pursued a solo music career after their original run with the group. However, Mel C's solo music in particular has proven to be a success around the world and is still making noise today. Her debut album, "Northern Star," earned the Liverpool-born star two No. 1 singles — "Never Be The Same Again" and "I Turn To You" — and spent a whopping 79 weeks in the chart, per The Official Charts.
As of this writing, Mel has achieved seven top-10 singles and three top-10 albums in the U.K. As noted by West Somerset Free Press, the "Next Best Superstar" hitmaker holds the record as the only female performer to top the U.K. charts as a solo artist and part of a duo, quartet, and quintet. Outside of music, Mel has also ventured into television and theater. In 2012, she became a judge on "Superstar" and "Asia's Got Talent" in 2015. In 2009, she made her West End debut when playing the role of Mrs. Johnstone in the musical "Blood Brothers" and later on portrayed Mary Magdalene in "Jesus Christ Superstar" in 2012.
On a personal level, Mel became a first-time mom in 2009 and gave birth to a daughter, Scarlett Starr, who she shares with her ex-boyfriend, Thomas Starr, per Metro.
Mel C's career is on an all-time high
After the Spice Girls' explosive reunion in 2019, Mel C has continued to be booked and busy. In 2020, the "Never Be The Same Again" hitmaker released her eighth studio album, "Melanie C," which became her first top-10 album in the U.K. since 2003's "Reason." The LP received generally favorable reviews on Metacritic and has a Metascore of 76 based on eight reviews. In 2022, the powerhouse entertainer will embark on a tour across Europe to promote the record.
In 2021, the singer has continued to pursue a career in television and became a coach on "The Voice Kids UK." Mel's busy career doesn't stop there, however. As of this writing, she is currently a contestant on Season 30 of "Dancing with the Stars." For her first dance, she hit the dance floor and showed off her moves to the Spice Girls' debut single "Wannabe."
In August, Mel was honored with a Celebrity Ally award at the British LGBT Awards and expressed how much it meant for her to win via an Instagram post. "I have learnt so much from the LGBTQ+ community and I'm beyond proud to be recognized as a true ally. I have traveled the world performing at Pride Events and have seen love and understanding of the community grow but sadly that isn't the case everywhere," she said, adding, "I will continue to support and fight for my LGBTQ+ family always. Thank you so much to my wonderful fans."