Jess Glynne might have more UK No1s than any other British female, but that doesn’t mean The Spice Girls are happy about her joining their reunion tour as the support act. The Thursday singer, who boasts seven chart-topping singles on her CV, is believed to be taking home an eye-watering £1.3million on the 13-date run – but according to The Sun on Sunday Scary, Baby, Ginger and Sporty are furious that their management company, Modest, booked Jess without their say so. In fact, it’s reported The Spice Girls are that annoyed they're refusing to pay Jess from the cash the group will rake in through ticket sales – meaning Modest could be left with the hefty bill. Awkward.
A Spice insider told the newspaper: “They absolutely love Jess and are huge fans of her music but they weren’t happy when they heard she had been signed as the support act. They are blaming Modest Management for sorting the deal without their permission.” The source went on to add that the firm thought securing the All I Am hitmaker would be a great move to entertain younger attendees, who, you know, might not know all the words to Wannabe. The supposed rift is all the more toe-curling as Jess previously joked at Hits Live that she only agreed to join the girls on tour so she could hang out with them – and admitted that she collected all the Spice memorabilia as a child.
The life lessons we learned from Spice Girls lyrics
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But while it seems like the group might be ignoring their ‘Girl power’ slogan, the news hasn’t shocked all ticket holders. Numerous fans have voiced they aren’t pleased with the booking, with some bewildered that Jess was the first choice for the slot. One listener wrote on Twitter: “So apparently Jess Glynne is getting paid a ridiculous amount to support The Spice Girls what an absolute waste of money, none of the fans going to see the show even want her as a support act.” Another, slightly more cattily, added: “Jess Glynne should not only be paying the Spice Girls for the privilege of being their support act but also the audience for having to listen to her songs.” Meanwhile, others have said that they would prefer another girlgroup, like Little Mix or All Saints, to take the reins. “All Saints would be the perfect support act,” one superfan told Grazia. “They’re of the same era, they’ve got enough bops, and are mates with the girls.”
Apart from Posh refusing to join the line-up, it’s not the first controversy to hit the upcoming tour, which kicks off at Dublin’s Croke Park on May 24. The band came under fire in January when it transpired from a Guardian investigation that their Comic Relief ‘#IWannabeASpiceGirl’ £19.40 t-shirts were made in a Bangladesh factory, where workers were paid as little as 35p an hour. Grazia Online has approached The Spice Girls and Jess Glynne’s reps for further comment.
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