'The wheels are falling off a bit!' Mel C, 43, reveals she's feeling the physical effects of ageing... after years of embracing ultra fit Sporty Spice image
More than two decades ago, she became one of the UK's de facto faces of ultimate fitness as she burst onto the music scene under the moniker Sporty Spice.
But now that she's 43, Mel C has admitted that she's starting to feel the effects of getting older - and certainly isn't as nimble as she once used to be.
'At 39, I thought I was getting better with age,' she told Good Housekeeping for its May issue. 'Then I hit 40 and did start to notice the wheels falling off a bit. Just waking up in the morning and taking longer to get going.
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'The wheels are falling off a bit!': In a new interview with Good Housekeeping, Mel C has admitted that, at 43, she is feeling the physical effects of ageing
'And it hurts more when I bend down! But I feel lots of positive things, too. I’m much more confident and stronger in voicing my opinion and standing up for myself. Physically, there is a bit more maintenance, though!'
Part of that maintenance has included use of Botox, although the mother-of-one is adamant that she doesn't want to dramatically change the way she looks.
'There are so many people in the public eye and in the street who look great and benefit from it, but I think it’s easy to get a little bit dysmorphic about it,' she said of the popular cosmetic procedure.
Let's face it: The former Spice Girl also admitted that she's indulged in Botox over the years - but ti staunchly against drastically altering her appearance
She added: 'It can be a slippery slope. I’ve done musical theatre and I want to be able to move my face. I’ve had bits of Botox done.
'I do like it, but it does freak me out because I don’t want to turn into that person that everyone thinks looks like Michael Jackson!'
And while she may look more youthful than her years would otherwise suggest, the star, full name Melanie Chisholm, is saddened to see the grip that ageism has on the music industry - particularly when it comes to fellow females.
Fighting fit: The singer, seen in March 2000 at the height of her Spice Girls days, became one of the UK's de facto faces of fitness as she adopted the moniker Sporty Spice
'I come up against a lot of ageism in music, especially for women,' she told the magazine, for whom she posed as a cover star. 'There are certain radio stations that won’t play you because it doesn’t fit their demographic.
'I don’t have an issue with that. But there will be things that I would quite like to do and someone might say to me: "Well, you know we live in a very ageist society."
'Why can’t I be the face of a sports brand just because I’m 43? Why can’t I try? I want to break down these ageist barriers. I still feel youthful. I’m in the best shape of my life and I have just made one of the best records of my career.'
Rise to fame: The mother-of-one shot to fame in 1996 alongside fellow Spice Girls (l-r) Emma Bunton, Mel B and Geri Horner
In her wide-ranging interview with the publication, Mel C admitted that she used to be at odds with the image that came with being known as Sporty Spice.
'In the band, there was power in numbers and we egged one another on,' she recalled. 'As Sporty Spice, I felt I was portrayed as being quite bolshy, mouthy and aggressive and that has never been me.
'I felt really uncomfortable with this portrayal. When you’re in your early 20s, you are trying to figure out who you are anyway.
Hitting the right notes: She revealed in her interview that she and Victoria recently enjoyed a New Year's Eve duet of 2 Become 1 as they holidayed in the Maldives
'I hate confrontation and, in the band, I was the diplomat. I’ve always been very low key and put up with stuff. I just got to a point where I realised it wasn’t serving me well. I had to take responsibility for myself.'
Despite turning down a reunion with the Spice Girls, she admitted that her New Year’s Eve duet with Victoria Beckham in the Maldives when they belted out their classic hit 2 become 1 was particularly enjoyable.
Mel said: 'We had a bit of a joke and I made her the offer: your last chance! She came and it was lovely. We hadn’t been on stage together since the Olympics. It was fun for us, and I think it was really fun for the audience, too.'
Coming soon: The May issue of Good Housekeeping goes on sale from April 5th
She's now in the midst of preparing to hit the road on tour after taking a break from the scene - a prospect which she admitted that she finds both 'exiting' and petrifying'.
'It’s exciting! But whenever I’m back on stage after a break, it is so petrifying,' revealed Mel. 'It’s like anything in life – when you haven’t done it in a while, you question whether you still can.
'It’s been five years since my last record – my longest break.
You find yourself entering a world that has changed so much, but the album’s been well received, and now I finally get to my favourite part, which is getting on stage and performing and being able to express those emotions night after night. It’s going to be fun!'
The full interview appears in the May issue of Good Housekeeping, on sale 5th April. For further content, please go to goodhousekeeping.co.uk
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