It’s no secret that Mel C really wasn’t into the idea of a Spice Girls reunion. And while I'll never be able to listen Viva Forever, Say You'll Be There or Goodbye with the same emotional stability as I could before my dream of one last Spice Girls tour were torn to shreds, I can totally understand Mel's apprehension about returning to the group.
Mel has openly spoken about how she struggled with depression and eating disorders while she was in the group, but in a recent interview with Attitude magazine she shed some light on how bullying also played a part in her time as Sporty Spice.
She explained that her new album *Version of Me *is about being bullied, and that the bulling took place while she was in the Spice Girls. 'I'm not going to name names. But yes', Mel confirmed. 'It's been addressed, they were aware of what they'd done. They apologised.'
It would be fair to assume that the memory of these experiences played a big part in Mel's decision not to join Geri, Mel B and Emma for their 20st anniversary tour. And lets face it, aside from the fall outs and awkward departures that we tend to anticipate from the best of bands (try and name a group where someone *hasn't *gone rouge, quit, refused to do a show, etc) it's damn disappointing to hear that bullying went down amongst the five women who for so long were the ultimate symbols of Girl Power.
‘Unfortunately, being bullied can really damage people and even when you are stronger and over it, it can still be in the background – undermining you', Mel said. And I'm sure anyone who's been bullied in the past will completely identify with that feeling at times.
Mel went on to explain that she’s a lot more confident now she’s older though, and most eloquently expressed that she 'will not be shat upon’.
‘But when I was younger I let people shit on me', she added.'What’s done is done but I’d have liked to have been a bit stronger. When we were kids we were so hard on each other and so determined to succeed that if anybody fell out of line they were quickly brought back in. That was quite a lot of pressure to live under’
I don't know about you but 'quite a lot' seems like a huge understatment for the pressure that being one fifth of the worlds most in demand girl group would've come with.
It's never nice to hear that someone you looked up to as a kid had to go through something as rough as bullying. What it does remind us though, is that Melanie Chisholm (bet you didn't know that was what C stood for, did ya?) is one hell of a woman who shall not be shat upon, which is an attitude we can all afford to adopt every now and again.
And while it's totally okay to be a bit sad that we'll probably never see the Sporty Spice high kick on stage ever again we have to admit, it's pretty amazing that she's moved on from what wasn't always a great period of her life still making music and a hell of a lot stronger.
**Like this? You might also be interested in: **
‘Remember You Are Not Alone!’ Mel C Turns Agony Aunt And Sorts Out Your Life
Ask An Adult: What Do I Do If I’m Being Bullied By My Housemate?
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.