Mel B facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Melanie McPhee
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Mel B in 2012
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Melanie Janine Brown
29 May 1975 Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
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| Education | Intake High School, now Leeds West Academy |
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| Years active | 1993–present |
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Works
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| Partner(s) | Christine Crokos (2002–2006) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Christian Cooke (cousin) Tillie Amartey (niece) |
| Awards | Hon D Univ, Leeds Beckett University |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
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Melanie Janine Brown McPhee, MBE (born 29 May 1975), is an English singer, TV star, and actress. She is famous for being a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, where she was known as Scary Spice. The Spice Girls are the best-selling female group of all time, having sold over 100 million records worldwide.
After the Spice Girls took a break in 2000, Mel B started her own music career. Her first solo song, "I Want You Back", went to number one on the UK Singles Chart. She released two solo albums, Hot and L.A. State of Mind.
Since 2007, Mel B has become a well-known television personality. She has been a judge on many talent shows, including The X Factor in both Australia and the UK, and America's Got Talent. She also competed on Dancing with the Stars, where she finished in second place.
For her work with charities, Mel B was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2022.
Contents
Early Life
Melanie Janine Brown was born in Leeds, England. Her father was from Saint Kitts and Nevis, and her mother is English. She is a cousin of the actor and director Christian Cooke.
From a young age, Mel B was interested in performing. She studied performing arts at Intake High School in Leeds. Before she became famous, she worked as a dancer in Blackpool, a seaside town in Lancashire.
Career
1994–2000: Rise to Fame with the Spice Girls
In 1994, Mel B saw an ad in The Stage magazine for female singers to form a new group. She auditioned along with about 400 other women. She was chosen along with Melanie C, Geri Halliwell, Victoria Adams, and Michelle Stephenson. Stephenson later left and was replaced by Emma Bunton.
The group was first called Touch, but they later changed their name to the Spice Girls. They signed with Virgin Records and became a huge success. Their first album, Spice, was a worldwide hit. It sold 30 million copies, making it the best-selling album by a girl group in history. Their first single, "Wannabe", reached number one in 37 countries.
In 1997, they released their second album, Spiceworld, which sold 20 million copies. They also starred in their own movie, Spiceworld: The Movie. The group's popularity was so massive it was compared to Beatlemania.
In 1998, Geri Halliwell left the group, but the Spice Girls continued as a four-piece. That same year, Mel B released her first solo song, "I Want You Back", which was a number-one hit in the UK.
1999–2008: Solo Career and Reunions
Mel B began working on her first solo album, Hot, which was released in 2000. The album included the hit singles "Tell Me" and "Feels So Good". Around the same time, the Spice Girls released their final album, Forever, before taking a long break.
Mel B also started working in television, hosting shows like This Is My Moment. In 2002, she wrote her autobiography, Catch a Fire. She also acted in the TV series Burn It and appeared in the musical Rent.
In 2005, she released her second album, L.A. State of Mind. In 2007, the Spice Girls reunited for a tour called The Return of the Spice Girls and released a Greatest Hits album. The tour was a massive success, with each member earning around £10 million.
2009–Present: Television Star
After the Spice Girls reunion, Mel B became a popular figure on television. She hosted the show Dance Your... Off and had her own reality series, Mel B: It's a Scary World.
She became a judge on The X Factor in Australia in 2011 and later on the UK version of the show. She was known for her honest and direct feedback to contestants.
In 2012, the Spice Girls performed together again at the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Their performance was one of the most talked-about moments of the Olympics.
From 2013 to 2018, Mel B was a judge on the popular TV show America's Got Talent. She also judged on The Voice Kids Australia and co-hosted Lip Sync Battle UK.
In 2019, the Spice Girls went on another reunion tour, the Spice World tour, across the UK and Ireland. It was another huge success. Since then, Mel B has appeared on many other TV shows, including The Masked Singer in the UK and Spain, and Queen of the Universe. She returned to America's Got Talent in 2024 for the special series America's Got Talent: Fantasy League and again in 2025 for the main show.
Personal Life
Mel B has three daughters. Her first daughter, Phoenix Chi, was born in 1999. Her father is the dancer Jimmy Gulzar, whom Mel B was married to from 1998 to 2000.
Her second daughter, Angel Iris, was born in 2007. Her father is the actor Eddie Murphy.
From 2007 to 2017, Mel B was married to film producer Stephen Belafonte. They have one daughter together, Madison, who was born in 2011.
In October 2022, Mel B announced she was engaged to Rory McPhee. The couple married on July 5, 2025, at St Paul's Cathedral in London. Her friend and former bandmate, Victoria Beckham, designed her wedding dress.
In July 2024, Mel B received an Honorary Doctorate from Leeds Beckett University for her amazing career and her work with charities.
Discography
- Hot (2000)
- L.A. State of Mind (2005)
Images for kids
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Mel B at the Australian Commercial Radio Awards in October 2012.
