Mel B

Mel B
MBE
Mel B in 2016
Born
Melanie Janine Brown

(1975-05-29) 29 May 1975 (age 49)
Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
Other names
  • Scary Spice

  • Melanie B
  • Mel G
  • Melanie G
  • Melanie Gulzar
EducationLeeds West Academy
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • television personality
  • actress
Years active1993–present
Works
Spouses
  • Jimmy Gulzar
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1998; div. 2000)​
  • Stephen Belafonte
    ​
    ​
    (m. 2007; div. 2017)​
Partner(s)Max Beesley (2000–2002)
Christine Crokos (2002–2006)
Eddie Murphy (2006)
Rory McPhee (2018–present; engaged)
Children3
RelativesChristian Cooke (cousin)
Tillie Amartey (niece)
AwardsHon D Univ, Leeds Beckett University
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentVocals
Labels
Member ofSpice Girls

Melanie Janine Brown MBE (born 29 May 1975),[1] commonly known as Mel B or Melanie B, is an English singer, songwriter, television personality, and actress. She rose to fame in the mid 1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Scary Spice. With over 100 million records sold worldwide,[2] the Spice Girls are the best-selling female group of all time. [3] The group went on an indefinite hiatus in 2000, before reuniting for a greatest hits album (2007) and two concert tours: the Return of the Spice Girls (2007–2008) and Spice World (2019).

Mel B debuted as a solo artist in 1998 with the release of "I Want You Back" which peaked atop the UK Singles Chart. Her debut solo studio album, Hot (2000), produced the successful singles "Tell Me" and "Feels So Good". Her second studio album, L.A. State of Mind (2005), spawned the single "Today". Mel B released "For Once in My Life" in 2013, her first single in eight years; it peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart.[4]

Since 2007, Mel B has established herself as a television personality and talent show judge. She participated on the fifth season of the American dance competition series Dancing with the Stars (2007), finishing in second place with her professional partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Between 2011 and 2016, Mel B served as a guest and main judge on the Australia and UK shows of The X Factor. In 2012, she co-presented the Australian version of Dancing with the Stars for one season. Mel B has also judged on America's Got Talent (2013–2018), The Voice Kids Australia (2014), The Masked Singer Australia (2022–2023), and Queen of the Universe (2023). From 2016 to 2018, she co-presented Lip Sync Battle UK alongside rapper Professor Green.

Mel B was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to charitable causes.

  1. ^ "Mel B". MTV. Archived from the original on 5 April 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  2. ^ "Magic Radio sign Melanie C". Bauer Media. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  3. ^ "Magic Radio sign Melanie C". Bauer Media (Press release). Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Dance Songs: Top Dance Music Chart". Billboard.com.