Mel B reveals dyslexia diagnosis was a relief after years of feeling 'dumb and thick'... as she discusses 'cathartic' experience of her new autobiography
Mel B has candidly confessed she suffers from dyslexia.
The former Spice Girls star appeared on Loose Women on Tuesday as a guest panellist, discussing how she struggled with reading her whole life until her diagnosis last year.
Mel, 43, explained how her learning difficulty has affected working on her upcoming autobiography Brutally Honest, and left her feeling 'stupid' at school.
Honest: Mel B, 43, appeared on Loose Women on Tuesday as a guest panellist, discussing how she struggled with reading her whole life until her diagnosis last year
She has had to hire someone else to read it for the audiobook version and has found the experience of listening back to her story Stephen Belafonte 'cathartic'.
The TV personality said: 'I've got my book coming out, Brutally Honest, it was very painful [to write], I should say.
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'So for me to be able to read it, I decided I'm not going to read the entire book [for the audio book], I'm going to hire someone who can read it better than I can.
'I was diagnosed with dyslexia last year. I find it very difficult to read sometimes and especially when I get emotional.'
Of being diagnosed so late in life, she said: 'All my life I've just thought maybe my brain was wired differently.
Struggle: The former Spice Girl explained how her learning difficulty has affected working on her upcoming autobiography Brutally Honest, and left her feeling 'stupid' at school
![Difficult: The TV personality said: 'I’ve got my book coming out, Brutally Honest, it was very painful [to write], I should say'](http://web.archive.org/web/20190529015916/https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/07/24/14/4E898E7600000578-5986471-image-a-34_1532438856577.jpg)
![Difficult: The TV personality said: 'I’ve got my book coming out, Brutally Honest, it was very painful [to write], I should say'](http://web.archive.org/web/20190529015916im_/https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/07/24/14/4E898E7600000578-5986471-image-a-34_1532438856577.jpg)
Difficult: The TV personality said: 'I've got my book coming out, Brutally Honest, it was very painful [to write], I should say'
Show your wild side like Mel in a leopard print playsuit by Diane Von Furstenberg
Mel B and leopard print have gone hand-in-hand ever since Spice Girls crash landed onto the music scene back in the nineties and brought their sassy sartorial styling with them; and it seems as though Scary Spice's affinity for all things animal print is still going strong in 2018!
Paying Loose Women a visit earlier this week, Mel B showed off her fashion flair by donning a green leopard print playsuit by Diane Von Furstenberg. Complete with puff shoulder and sleeve detailing, this romper ticks all the trend boxes as far as SS18 is concerned. And the green colorway adds a unique spin to everyone's favorite animal print!
Want to make it yours? Click the link to your right to snap up Mel's DVF playsuit now. Alternatively, click through our carousel below to shop more colorful animal print playsuits. Our favorite? Missguided's $30 offering is pretty chic...
'That's why I like the entertainment world and writing and singing and dancing, I opt for that kind of creativity.
'I kind of hid it but didn't know what I was hiding. When I'd see words backwards, or I'd have to memorise a script over and over again or it'd take me five months to read one chapter of a book because I couldn't compute it.
'To get diagnosed with that helped me really, I felt really relieved. All these years and now I know why I've struggled so much, especially at school.'
'I felt very dumb, just thick. Everyone else could understand everything apart from me.'
Different voice: Mel went on to reveal that she had auditioned several women - who don't sound quite as 'Northern' or 'harsh' as she does - to read the book aloud
Stronger: Mel has now learned how to cope with her dyslexia and refuses to be embarrassed by the condition as she is convinced it has made her the person she is
Mel went on to reveal that she had auditioned several women - who don't sound quite as 'Northern' or 'harsh' as she does - to read the book aloud.
She explained: 'For the audio I wanted it to be a little bit softer. The journey I'm talking about is deep and emotional, I want her voice to be able to go up and down, mine is one tone.'
The whole process has been eye-opening for Mel as she reflects on her bitter split from ex-husband Stephen Belafonte.
'That's one of the reasons I'm doing it this way. I could only actually read three chapters at one time of my own book because I'm still going through the whole healing process', she said.
Split: The whole process has been eye-opening for Mel as she reflects on her bitter split from ex-husband Stephen Belafonte
Advice: The Say You'll Be There hitmaker shared: 'There are tools that you can learn, everyone has a different type of dyslexia and mine comes in fits and starts so now I use colours with writing because that helps me understand better'
'These ladies when they read it to me, I said, 'God this is my story'. It's very surreal. To hear it back to me, it was healing, very cathartic actually.'
Mel has now learned how to cope with her dyslexia and refuses to be embarrassed by the condition as she is convinced it has made her the person she is.
The Say You'll Be There hitmaker shared: 'There are tools that you can learn, everyone has a different type of dyslexia and mine comes in fits and starts so now I use colours with writing because that helps me understand better.
'Also talking about it and not feeling embarrassed or ashamed about it helps, and taking a minute with things, so if I'm having difficulty with a word I just take a minute and go over and over it again.
Thinking about it: Mel also went on to talk about her dating life, explaining 'I'm open to the thought of someone being flirty and stuff'
Honest: Mel (L) added cheekily: 'I just want a service every now and again!'
'Now I see it as a gift and a blessing, even now it's emotional to talk about because for such a long time I didn't know what was going on with me, but now I see it as this is why I've been the way I am.'
During the show, Mel went on to defend her friend Simon Cowell following David Walliams's comments on Simon's appearance, saying he looked like he'd been in 'an accident'.
Mel rebutted: 'Simon's a really good friend of mine – that's mean, I'm sure he's [David] said it tongue in cheek. I always think maybe he just hasn't had enough sleep.'
During the candid interview, Mel also went on to talk about her dating life, explaining 'I'm open to the thought of someone being flirty and stuff'.
Fum enough for two: Mel went on to explain what her ideal man would be like: 'I just want somebody nice and honest. I'll bring the excitement!
Loyal: During the show, Mel went on to defend her friend Simon Cowell when David Walliams said he had a puffy face
Provoking laughter, she added cheekily: 'I just want a service every now and again!'
Mel went on to explain what her ideal man would be like: 'I just want somebody nice and honest. I'll bring the excitement!
'I'm not really bothered about what they look like. If you look at all my exes, they all look completely different. So now I just want nice, in whatever form it comes in!'
Mel's comments come after she confessed she endured a 'stressful relationship' with ex-husband Stephen Belafonte, who blocked her from contacting her family during their time together.
She said on the panel show on Monday: 'I was in an isolated, stressful relationship that prevented me from reaching out to my family. It was very awkward and distressing for me for the whole 10 years.'
Tough time: Mel's comments come after she confessed she endured a 'stressful relationship' with ex-husband Stephen Belafonte (pictured together in April 2016)
