Singer Melanie Chisolm has said she made herself “really ill” after suffering with image problems during her time as a member of the Spice Girls.
Speaking on Desert Island Discs, Chisolm, known as Mel C, suggested that her moniker “Sporty Spice” was partly to blame for her struggle with eating disorders.
“I read about myself and wondered who that person was,” she said. “I am sporty and athletic, but I am quite soft and gentle really.
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“I was described as the plain one at the back. So I tried to make myself perfect. I ended up making myself really ill. I was anorexic for a few years. I was exercising obsessively and I ended up being incredibly depressed. I was in denial.”
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1/23 1997
Spice Girls performing at the Brit Awards ceremony
PA
2/23 1996
PA
3/23 1997
Spice Girls outside the Martinez Hotel in Cannes, during the 50th Cannes Film Festival
PA
4/23 1996
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5/23 1997
Prince of Wales with the Spice Girls at the Royal Gala celebrating the Princes Trust 21st Anniversary in Manchester
PA
6/23 1997
Spice Girls arriving at the Empire, Leicester Square, for the gala premiere of the film Spice – The Movie
PA
7/23 1997
Prince Harry with Mel B, Emma Bunton and Victoria Beckham
PA
8/23 1997
The Prince of Wales and Nelson Mandela with the Spice Girls at the presidential residence Mahlamba Nalopfu in Pretoria, South Africa
PA
9/23 1998
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10/23 1998
Modena, Italy
PA
11/23 1999
Unveiling of their wax doubles at Madame Tussaud’s Rock Circus in Piccadilly
PA
12/23 1999
Mel B, Victoria Beckham, Mel C and Emma Bunton launching their book ‘Forever Spice’
PA
13/23 2000
Posh, Scary, Sporty and Baby arriving at the launch party of their new album ‘Forever
PA
14/23 2000
Emma Bunton, Mel C, Victoria Beckham and Mel B celebrate after their finale performance at the Brit Awards where they received the Outstanding Contribution to British Music Award
PA
15/23 2000
MTV Europe Music Awards in Stockholm
PA
16/23
The Spice Girls kicking off their reunion tour in Vancouver in 2007
Reuters
17/23 2007
PA
18/23
The Spice Girls perform at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2007
Reuters
19/23
PA
20/23 2012
Spice Girls performing during the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 London Olympics
PA
21/23 2012
The Spice Girls perform during the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games
Reuters
22/23 2012
The launch of Viva Forever, a musical featuring songs from the Spice Girls
PA
23/23
Geri Horner, Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton and Melanie Brown announced they will kick off a six-date UK stadium tour in June 2019 in Manchester as a four-piece without Victoria Beckham
Dawbell/PA
1/23 1997
Spice Girls performing at the Brit Awards ceremony
PA
2/23 1996
PA
3/23 1997
Spice Girls outside the Martinez Hotel in Cannes, during the 50th Cannes Film Festival
PA
4/23 1996
PA
5/23 1997
Prince of Wales with the Spice Girls at the Royal Gala celebrating the Princes Trust 21st Anniversary in Manchester
PA
6/23 1997
Spice Girls arriving at the Empire, Leicester Square, for the gala premiere of the film Spice – The Movie
PA
7/23 1997
Prince Harry with Mel B, Emma Bunton and Victoria Beckham
PA
8/23 1997
The Prince of Wales and Nelson Mandela with the Spice Girls at the presidential residence Mahlamba Nalopfu in Pretoria, South Africa
PA
9/23 1998
PA
10/23 1998
Modena, Italy
PA
11/23 1999
Unveiling of their wax doubles at Madame Tussaud’s Rock Circus in Piccadilly
PA
12/23 1999
Mel B, Victoria Beckham, Mel C and Emma Bunton launching their book ‘Forever Spice’
PA
13/23 2000
Posh, Scary, Sporty and Baby arriving at the launch party of their new album ‘Forever
PA
14/23 2000
Emma Bunton, Mel C, Victoria Beckham and Mel B celebrate after their finale performance at the Brit Awards where they received the Outstanding Contribution to British Music Award
PA
15/23 2000
MTV Europe Music Awards in Stockholm
PA
16/23
The Spice Girls kicking off their reunion tour in Vancouver in 2007
Reuters
17/23 2007
PA
18/23
The Spice Girls perform at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in 2007
Reuters
19/23
PA
20/23 2012
Spice Girls performing during the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 London Olympics
PA
21/23 2012
The Spice Girls perform during the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games
Reuters
22/23 2012
The launch of Viva Forever, a musical featuring songs from the Spice Girls
PA
23/23
Geri Horner, Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton and Melanie Brown announced they will kick off a six-date UK stadium tour in June 2019 in Manchester as a four-piece without Victoria Beckham
Dawbell/PA
She added: “I went from being anorexic to having a binge-eating disorder. No matter how much you eat, you can’t fill this hole. My appearance began to change, which was the biggest fear.”
Chisolm, who has enjoyed success as a solo artist and in theatre, went on to say she tended to be the “diplomat” when the group were experiencing tension.
She now feels she has learnt to speak up for herself: “I have spent too long being quiet.”
Chisolm picked tracks by Billie Eilish, Stevie Wonder and Blur for her island stay.
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