Spice Girls legend Mel B has quit the hit ITV2 show Celebrity Juice, the Daily Star Online can reveal.
The singer, 45, is standing down from the panel show where she has appeared as one of the team captains alongside funnyman host Keith Lemon.
A source close to the star told the Daily Star Online the singer had “loved” her time on the show but her increasingly hectic schedule had left it difficult for her to commit to it further.
The source said: “Melanie has loved working with Leigh [Keith], Holly and the whole team at Celebrity Juice but next year is going to be very busy for her.”
Mel has left her role on the Celebrity Juice panel as speculation rises around the Spice Girls’ reunion (Image: ITV / Talkback Thames)
A spokesperson for Celebrity Juice confirmed the news to Daily Star Online, saying: “Mel has been a brilliant team captain and we’d like to thank her for all the laughs. We have no doubt she’ll be back to banter with Keith as a guest on the show in the near future.
“A brand-new series of Celebrity Juice will be on ITV2 this Autumn with two new team captains and a whole host of guests.. watch this space!”
Mel joined the show in 2019 replacing Paddy McGuinness as the team captain rival to Holly Willoughby and quickly became a fan favourite with her razor-sharp wit.
Her leaving comes just weeks after Holly announced she was leaving earlier this year.
The shock news comes following increased speculation that Mel will be once again hitting the road with Spice Girl bandmates Geri Horner, Melanie C and Emma Bunton.
Mel took to the road with the Spice Girls last year, performing across the UK (Image: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)
Next year is the 25th anniversary of the groups smash hit Wannabe which propelled the five-piece group to superstardom as the biggest band on the planet.
Last year saw the Spice Up Your Life hitmakers travel across the country for their Spice World 2019 tour – performing in stadiums with an estimated 700,000 fans belting out their classic hits.
The band have made no secret about their plans to celebrate – while speaking about the recent coronavirus pandemic, Melanie C said: “Touring is up in the air right now but that was my wish.
“But getting four people to agree on times, places and duration is really, really hard. We stay in touch, the door and the dialogue is open.”
Melanie C recently teased that a tour is on the cards for the mega-group (Image: PA)
The Liverpudlian went on to say: “We are discussing opportunities on a weekly basis, so I like to think that at some point we’ll be back out on the road.”
Sadly for Spice fans, fashionista Victoria Beckham allegedly will not be donning her signature LBD any time soon.
Last year, Posh opted against touring with her pals, instead focusing on her fashion brand.
Despite reuniting in 2007, Victoria reportedly won’t be taking part in the upcoming tour (Image: Getty Images)
Speaking to Vogue Germany, Beckham claimed it took “courage” for her to turn down the opportunity.
The mum-of-four told the publication: “It took me a lot of courage not to go on tour with the Spice Girls again, but to be the one who says, ‘You know, I’m not doing it because things feel different now than they used to. I’d rather concentrate on my family and my company.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
