Highs and lows of a Spice Girl’s wild ride

For Melanie Chisholm – known by millions around the world as Sporty Spice – writing a memoir was a gift to herself, a recognition of all she had accomplished and survived.

But making the decision to publish the book was one of the hardest things the former Spice Girl has ever done, and in an interview with STM she reveals she still questions “whether I have done the right thing.”

That’s because the book, Who I Am, is a no-holds-barred look at both the incredible highs of her wild ride with the Spice Girls but also the deep lows, which included periods of depression and an eating disorder. They are illnesses the 48-year-old still has to manage.

“Obviously there’s been really joyous moments of reliving all the great, iconic Spice Girls moments whether it’s the BRITs, or the Olympics, meeting Nelson Mandela, all these amazing things,” she told STM.

“But then, of course, it’s a long life and career that I’m reflecting on, and there are some very dark places to revisit.”

Chisholm revealed she consulted with her fellow band members, Melanie Brown (Scary Spice), Emma Bunton (Baby Spice), Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice) and Victoria Beckham (Posh Spice) before publishing.

“I had to be very sensitive because this is my experience and this is my story, but of course it involves and affects other people. So, I did speak to the girls. I didn’t want to upset or hurt anybody or make any mistakes in saying things that aren’t correct. So, I had an open dialogue with the girls and as soon as I was happy with where the book was, I got it out to them,” she explained.

The book offers an incredible insight into the two year period when the Spice Girls took over the music world after bursting onto the scene with first single, Wannabe, in 1996.

“I think it’s incredible what we packed into two years,” Chisholm says.

“The impact that we made continues today. Even though the crazy Spice Girls times were less than two years in the public eye, we’re here and we’ve been going strong for the last 25 years.”

Read STM’s full exclusive interview here.