Mel B was ‘in the middle’ as she represented mixed-race women in Spice Girls
Melanie Brown MBE found fame as one-fifth of the best-selling girl band the Spice Girls in the 1990s.
Since then she has gone on to launch her own solo career, released a best-selling book made a successful venture in TV, and was recently announced as a judge on an eagerly-anticipated spin-off version of America’s Got Talent. After making huge strides in her career, Mel B says she has seen the industry come a long way since she was asked to straighten her hair for the Wannabe music video and from idolising a small handful of black stars who were on TV when she was growing up.
Speaking to the Mirror, Mel said: “100 per cent there has been a change. Growing up the only girl who looked like me on television was Neneh Cherry. I’m also a lifelong fan of Trevor McDonald and Moira Stewart because they were on the news, a man and woman the same colour as my dad and they were reading the news which seemed very important and intelligent to me.
“But that’s just three people. Now it is far more mixed and far greater representation in entertainment, sport, the media and industry which is a massive step in the right direction. It’s no longer a surprise to see different cultures and identities in every walk of life – although I’d still like to see more in places like boardrooms, courts and legal offices.”
On breaking barriers herself, Mel said: “It was massive for me, I represented Brown, I am mixed race. I have a black father from Nevis and a white, blonde mum from Yorkshire. I didn’t fully belong to black or to white, I was in this vague place in the middle so for me to find my place, to represent a mixed-race British woman was huge.”
Melanie grew up in a working-class background, with her dad Martin being born in Saint Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean, while her mum Andrea, is from Leeds. Discussing growing up in a mixed household with two very different heritages, the former X Factor judge explained: “My heritage is both my mum cooking Yorkshire puddings and roast dinners and dad and my black grandma, who never liked black and white movies because the Black people were always servants. My dad talking to me about growing up on an island with goats and chickens and beaches; my mum having all her four sisters round singing and chatting about life; sitting with my black grandad in the Mandela club playing dominos and spending my holidays with all my white cousins camping in Wales.”
But despite having such varied lives, Melanie says her parents never sat down and told her things about their backgrounds. “My heritage was all around me and I soaked it up,” she explained.
“It was exactly the reason behind me refusing to have my hair straightened for the video of Wannabe. I wanted my fro to be out there as a symbol of who I was, my Yorkshire accent to speak for me and my attitude always to be proud of my identity.” As a mum to three young women, all with mixed heritage, Mel says she feels “lucky” that her children Phoenix, 24, Angel, 16, and Madison, 12, have grown up aware of the issues surrounding minority groups.
Mel said her children became aware of the Black Lives Matter movement following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, which made headlines around the world. She said: “I consider myself lucky to have my three children of an age where they were fully aware of the Black Lives Matter movement and everything that followed – from documentaries of important black activists to discussion programmes, the concept of white privilege and most importantly making it a subject people could openly discuss.
“We are very open as a family, my kids can talk to me about anything and they do.” But while Melanie and her three children live a life of privilege, Phoenix has seen first-hand the horrific treatment Black people endure. Mel revealed: “Phoenix has experienced situations herself where her friends in Los Angeles have been targeted more by the police because of their colour so it’s not really something you have to sit down and make them aware of. They are always aware of it because it’s all around them.”
A recent report by The Washington Post claimed that Black people are still killed by police at a higher rate than other communities. It’s claimed that police shot and killed around 1,055 people nationwide across America last year. This was the highest number since the outlet started tracking fatal shootings by cops in 2015. Black people who make up 13 per cent of the American population were 27 per cent of those fatally shot and killed by police in the US in 2021.
Most recently, Melanie teamed up with Phoenix to promote the Poir Moi Own Your Confidence which saw them pose together in lingerie. Over the years, the 24-year-old fashion enthusiast has been seen alongside her famous mum at a string of events. Discussing their tight bond and whether they act more like sisters, Mel laughed before adding: “Phoenix is always my daughter. We get on really well and we can have fun together, have a laugh together, and discuss anything we want to discuss with full openness but she is always my daughter.
“No one can make me laugh like Phoenix can, I did have her young so she’s been with me every step of my life. I’m incredibly proud of her.” In 2018, Melanie poured her heart out in her memoir, Brutally Honest, which discussed everything from her early years of fame – to her abusive marriage with Stephen Belafonte and an attempt on her own life. Belafonte has continually denied allegations made against him.
Mel says Phoenix was the driving force behind the emotional memoir, explaining: “She was a massive encouragement to me when it came to writing my book, Brutally Honest, about my ten-year abusive marriage. She’s been incredibly supportive of my work as Patron of Women’s Aid and works with Women’s Aid herself going into schools, and talking to kids about the effect living in an abusive situation can have on them. She’s an amazing young woman.” Melanie and Belafonte were officially divorced on December 15, 2017, nine months after she filed the petition. She accused him of emotional and physical abuse.
After swapping the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles, Mel now lives back in her native hometown, surrounded by her nearest and dearest – as well as her Spice Girls memorabilia. But do her children know just how influential and famous their mum was? “Believe it or not I don’t sit at home forcing my kids to watch Spice Girl concerts and telling them every achievement we had, haha,” Melanie said while roaring with laughter.
She went on to add: “Phoenix was more aware because she’s the oldest and she’s the one who loves to rummage through my costumes and look at old memorabilia. But to her, I’m still her mum and that’s very much the case with my two youngest. Angel is massively into art and illustration and that’s her passion and focus so she would probably be more interested if I was part of the art world, Madi loves coming with me when I work and she absolutely loved the 2019 tour but at the end of the day, I’m still first and foremost their mum, not a Spice Girl.”
For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk.
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