As the Spice Girls celebrate 31 years since they were first put together, we’re taking a deep dive into their lives now and the various conditions the five women suffer from
The Spice Girls were first put together in 1994 – and shortly after that they turned into a global phenomenon. Here’s a look into some of the health conditions the five members have suffered from over the years.
The super group consists of Emma Bunton, Mel B, Mel C, Victoria Beckham and Gerri Horner, who are all still idolised across the world by their millions of fans.
But many of whom would be surprised to find out about some of the conditions the five members have dealt with over the years. Let’s take a closer look…
Emma Bunton
Baby Spice star Emma, 49, was diagnosed with endometriosis at age 25 and at the time her doctors told her she might not be able to have children, which left her heartbroken and scared.
The singer told Rochelle Humes of the new AOL Original series, Being Mum: “It broke my heart. It literally broke my heart and I was frightened.” Luckily for Emma, she went on to have two sons with her Damage star husband Jade Jones, Beau, 17 and Tate, 14.
Emma is among the millions of women who continue to live with endometriosis, which is known to affect around 200 million women or roughly 10 percent of women in reproductive ages (12-52). Emma tried for five years to conceive before falling pregnant with her first child.
The singer also told Stella magazine: “That nearly broke me. “I knew I had the right partner; I knew I wanted to be a mum. I didn’t give up hope, but it wasn’t happening.”
In 2023, Emma opened up about the effects menopause had on her libido, and how she overcame it. Emma shared with The Times: “My desire, my libido, whatever you want to call it, it went and that really worried me.
“Even after 24 years together Jade and I still really fancy each other, but instead of acting on it, it was more like, ‘Shall we watch the last episode of Succession?’ Or just ‘zzzzzz’ rather than ripping each other’s clothes off. And that fading desire is a big, big shock for a woman.”
Mel B
Scary Spice star, 49, recently opened up about the difficulties she faces at work due to having dyslexia. During her appearance on BBC Breakfast, Mel admitted that she struggles with narrating for kids’ TV due to the condition.
She shared: “I’ve also got to challenge myself because I got diagnosed with dyslexia later on in life, so I got to sit there, read a script and time it with the characters. It took me a few times because now I’ve actually recorded 60 episodes. So my first few episodes it was very difficult and very challenging.
“But the more I did it, the more I got used to it and the more I enjoyed it. And I just think don’t let anything like dyslexia hold you back. There are challenges that you can go through, but you can strive and make yourself better and better, and that’s what I did.”
In 2019, Mel also opened up about suffering from a painful eye condition and wrote a lengthy statement on Instagram alongside a snap of her wearing an eye patch. She penned: “Thank you so much for all the lovely support and messages I’ve had about my eye.
“Just so you know the real truth. I had an awful experience last week when I went blind in my right eye and my left eye went blurry.
“I was actually in a lot of pain and very very scared but thanks to the incredible eye specialists in A&E at London’s Moorfields Hospital and after at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital, I was diagnosed by an eye specialist with severe IRITIS in my right eye and UVEITIS in my left eye.
“I’m taking multiple prescription heavy duty eye drops and other medication the [doctor] gave me that I have to take every day to keep the inflammation under control.
“Also I’m being so well looked after by Team Spice special thanks to our paramedics too.”
Iritis is a rare condition that causes inflammation that affects the iris, which is the coloured ring around the pupil, and when left untreated could lead to glaucoma or vision loss. The condition usually gets better quickly with treatment but can come back over time.
Mel C
Sporty Spice star Mel C, 49, began struggling with eating disorders during 1994 after the group’s former manager Chic Murphy made a comment about her thighs when she did a backflip at a pool.
After that, she began eliminating food groups and ruling out carbs, which lead to her periods eventually stopping. The band’s following manager Simon Fuller ended up sending her to a mental health clinic because of her worrying behaviours around eating.
The singer admitted that at times she she said would binge eat until she was “unconscious” and tried to make herself sick. She commented: “It was more the level of fame. And so many of my issues were driven by control or lack of control.
“I was binge drinking. I was binge eating. I was embarrassed and ashamed of it. I had to keep it a secret because even though you’re in denial about it, there’s still that tiny little voice going: ‘This isn’t right, you can’t continue like this’.”
Over the years, Mel has been open about being diagnosed with an array of conditions which include clinical depression, anorexia, a binge-eating disorder, severe anxiety and agoraphobia, according to The Daily Mail.
Victoria Beckham
Posh Spice star Victoria, 50, once opened up about the health issue that caused her confidence to take a huge hit when she was younger. Her acne affected her that much that it sparked her to stop smiling in photos.
She told The Telegraph: “Probably I did look stern in a lot of pictures, but I was so uncomfortable. It was because of my skin that I became very careful about what I ate.”
This lead her to cut out meat altogether at the age of eight, and later wheat as, to ensure her skin stayed as polished as possible.
Her hubby and football icon David Beckham once revealed that he had only ever seen her eat “grilled fish and steamed vegetables” since he met her in 1997, during a chat with the River Café Table 4 podcast.
Victoria is much more confident in her own skin now and shared: “Was there a time when I used to scroll through all the comments about me? Probably. But now I just don’t have the time.
“If you’d told me a few years ago I’d step onto a red carpet to pick up an award wearing only a bit of concealer and no foundation, I’d have thought you were mad, but that’s what I did last week.”
David also revealed Victoria, along with the rest of the Beckham clan, suffered from another health condition. He told GQ: “The kids and my wife get it every year but this is the first time I’ve struggled with it.”
Geri Horner
Ginger Spice star Geri, 52, has been open about her devastating eating disorder in the past which she nearly died from during her height of fame.
The singer revealed she nearly died from bulimia and has praised the intervention of Robbie Williams for pushing her through the other side. After she left the group in 1998, her weight plummeted to seven stone, prompting close pal Robbie to persuade her to get medical help.
Geri said on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories in 2010: “I was worried I’d get fat. I would binge and then felt fatter and would make myself sick. It was awful. Robbie knew about my bulimia and he advised me to get help. He told me to go to rehab and that possibly saved my life.
“The bulimia would have got worse without it. I will always be grateful to him, always. I became really close to Robbie after leaving the Spice Girls and it was a very poignant friendship.
“I was lonely and felt he was the only person on the planet who could understand me because of his experiences with Take That. We understood each other. But I didn’t really go out with him. I am happy and healthy now.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
