It's back on! Spice Girls (including a reluctant Victoria Beckham) are confirmed to perform at Olympics closing ceremony
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First they were rumoured to be doing it, then Victoria Beckham put a spanner in the works by reportedly refusing to take part.
But now all five Spice Girls have signed up to be performing together at the Olympics closing ceremony.
A source confirmed the news to the MailOnline this afternoon.
Going ahead! The Mail revealed last month Victoria Beckham was reluctant to perform with the Spice Girls at the Olympics closing ceremony but they are now '95 per cent' confirmed to take the stage
Last month the MailOnline exclusively revealed that the girls, including Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell and Melanie Chisholm, were keen for it to go ahead but Beckham refused to appear.
But now it has been revealed that they have signed on the dotted line.
The group hasn't sung together for four years since 2008 but if they do go ahead with the coveted gig they look set to join the likes of Take That, George Michael and The Who on stage.
It has emerged today that they are confirmed to be taking the stage, with all five bandmembers appearing.
Signing? Victoria Beckham was reluctant to appear but is thought to now be agreeing to it
And they have reportedly agreed to sing their breakout hit 1996 track Wannabe as one of the two songs they'll be performing.
Beckham fuelled rumours she'd be happy to reunite for a one-off show on RTE radio's John Murray Show yesterday: 'I’m so respectful of my past and I love the other girls. We have some fantastic fans.
'Who knows, maybe some day we’ll do something else with the Spice Girls. I would love nothing more.
'I don’t know about a comeback tour but I loved being back with the girls. There was a lot of fun, we did so much together and we’ll see. If they’re up for something then I certainly am.'
She added: 'We are so proud to be English and we are very excited about the Olympics.'
A few weeks ago the Mail Online revealed that the rest of the Spice Girls were in negotiations to appear at the Olympics closing ceremony - despite previously turning down an offer - after they reunited together for the launch of their musical, Viva Forever.
The former bandmates were ‘gutted’ to miss the Jubilee and were desperately trying to get Victoria Beckham to appear at the concert on August 12.
But a source told the Mail: 'They would have a few weeks to rehearse. This is a serious proposition, Mel B has been bombarding Victoria with calls - she’s the sticking point. All the other girls want to do it. Victoria is extremely reluctant.'
And now they have got their wish.
A source told the Mirror: 'The girls were approached for the Games two years ago. It’s always been on the cards.
'Victoria is in London until the end of the Games and David’s exclusion from the football team means she has time to reunite with the Spice Girls.
'Talks are back in full swing and the balance of power rests with Mel C. Everyone is hopeful she will agree to perform.'
On the edge: Posh looked slightly separated from the rest of the girls as they launched the Viva Forever! musical a few weeks ago but now the girls have convinced her to join them
It is thought Geri will wear a Union Jack dress, like her iconic look at the 1997 Brit Awards.
Their last reunion ended in tears - and an abrupt end to a world tour.
The band turned down Gary Barlow’s offer to appear at the star-studded Diamond Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace - with Melanie Chisholm and Melanie Brown tweeting their disappointment.
Earlier this year, when Olympic organisers released a playlist for the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Games, there was one notable omission.
As they were: The girls reunited for a tour back in 2007
Some of Britain’s greatest chart-toppers appeared in the pick of 86 tracks, including David Bowie, Oasis, Sugababes, Arctic Monkeys, Duran Duran, Blur and Coldplay - but there was no room for the Spice Girls.
And Miss Chisholm, 38, said she would consider it a snub, saying: 'I don’t know exactly where this list has come from, and obviously sometimes things come out that aren’t quite right.
'But I’d be really upset if the Spice Girls weren’t included in the Olympics, whether it be the opening or closing ceremonies or any other playlists, because I think we absolutely represented Britain in the 90s.
'We literally flew the flag - and Geri even wore it - around the globe.'
The singer added: 'We were proud to be British and to be successful internationally, and we were the last band probably to do that.
Together again: Geri and Emma met up with Mel B and her husband Stephen Belafonte following the Viva Forever! launch
Pleading: Mel B is thought to be the one to have bombarded Posh asking her to give in and let them reunite on stage for the event, alongside the likes of Take That, George Michael and The Who
'So I think it would be a real shame if we weren’t acknowledged in some way at the Olympics.'
With the band all in one room together at the launch of musical Viva Forever a few weeks ago, their fiery characters were quick to explode as they admitted their friendship had been tested and trialled over the past 18 years.
Geri Halliwell confessed the group had all had their ‘ups and downs’, but had all been drawn together again by becoming mothers.
The 39-year-old said: 'It feels very natural to be back together again, every good friendship has its ups and downs.'
Miss Brown, 37, said: 'We like each other at the end of the day - whatever is said,' as Miss Chisholm added: 'The thing is, us girls we have a long standing friendship and we’re in touch and we see each other as often as we can. We don’t get to do things like this very often.'
Miss Halliwell said: 'We have children now and that is something else that can unite us.
'Our musical Viva is really about being a mum, children, family, joy and fun - and that’s what we have in common now, being mums.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2176379/Spice-Girls-including-reluctant-Victoria-Beckham-confirmed-perform-Olympics-closing-ceremony.html#ixzz21BQih9sF
