Mel C reveals she'd be upset if Spice Girls were snubbed from Olympics

Melanie Chisholm'We flew the flag for Britain': Mel C reveals she'd be upset if Spice Girls were snubbed from Olympics

The girls are not on the list of 86 tracks selected for the opening ceremony and Mel is hoping they won't be ignored altogether

Wave on: Mel C with the official Next Team GB scarf

When Olympic organisers released a playlist for the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Games, there was one notable omission.
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, unbelievably, there was no space for the Spice Girls.
And band member Mel C reveals that she won’t be happy if the girls are snubbed by ceremony director Danny Boyle.
Sporty Spice declares: “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.”
Mel, full name Melanie Chisholm, adds: “We were proud to be British and to be successful internationally, and we were the last band probably to do that.
“So I think it would be a real shame if we weren’t acknowledged in some way at the Olympics.”

Wanna be heard: Mel wants to Spice up the Olympics music

It’s not the only showpiece event this year not to feature the record-breaking group, who formed in 1994 with members Mel C, Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell and Victoria Adams (now Beckham).
Fans had anticipated the five girls could reform earlier this year for the Diamond Jubilee concert, organised by Take That frontman Gary Barlow.
And Mel reveals that the group were invited to play but turned down the opportunity.
When some of the girls voiced their disappointment on Twitter, it sparked rumours that Victoria had been the one to turn down the chance to perform.
Mel, 38, says: “There’s a lot of speculation around the Diamond Jubilee concert.
Gary Barlow did approach us about performing and we were absolutely honoured – we would have loved to do it.
“But there are five of us in the Spice Girls with five different careers.
“It’s not just about turning up on the day, it’s about rehearsing and things, so we had to respect other people’s wishes.
“I would have liked to do it. I was gutted I wasn’t there.”
Even though huge No1s like Wannabe, Spice Up Your Life and 2 Become 1 may not feature at the Games, the band’s most athletic member is throwing herself into a new role supporting Team GB.
Mel C, who competed in last year’s Virgin Active London Triathlon, credits a love of sport with helping her to overcome a battle against depression.

So sporty: Competing in triathlon in London last year

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“Luckily I’ve been well for over 10 years now,” Mel explains. “But at the time the key to my getting better was looking after myself.
“That was basically eating well, not drinking too much alcohol, and being active.
“Sport gave me my confidence back. You get those endorphins, it’s good for your self-esteem, and also just having contact with other people because it can be quite a lonely world.
“There are community gyms, boot camps, something for everyone and I absolutely recommend it over any pharmaceutical help.
“Different things work for different people – the key for me was keeping active and sleeping well, which helped keep my depression at bay.”
Her love of sport meant the opportunity to become involved in the Olympic Games was too good to miss, and Mel says she was honoured to be asked.
She says: “When I was growing up as a kid I had two ambitions, one of them was to be a pop star and the other was to be an Olympic gymnast – so I’ve managed one.
“I went along to the Olympic Ball last year where I met the organisers, who asked me about getting involved with the Olympic Association. I’ve always had a love of sport and have enjoyed watching the Olympics ever since childhood, so I jumped at the chance.
“I’ve been working on some fundraising for different events in the run-up to the Games.
“We had a big show at the Royal Albert Hall with Gary Barlow, Will Young and Alfie Boe performing.
"And, of course, we had William and Kate there which was massive. It was absolutely brilliant and we raised loads of money.
“Then I was invited to be one of the ‘Great Britons’ to promote the Games. I’m hoping we can get the whole nation on board and excited.
"It’s such a great opportunity and we need to grab it with both hands because there has to be a great legacy from hosting the Olympics.”

Jack flash: Mel C's pals Geri in THAT dress and Victoria

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And the mum-of-one hopes that legacy will have an impact on her own daughter, Scarlet, who she welcomed into the world with long-term partner Thomas Starr in 2009.
She smiles: “I was lucky enough to carry the Olympic torch up in Birkenhead.
“My little girl was there to watch, waving her Team GB scarf. It was such a proud moment – she tells everyone that Mummy carried the torch.”
Mel adds: “Life has changed so much since I was growing up. We used to play outside in the park until it was dark.
"But now lots of kids are playing computer games and some parents are scared to let them out in the evenings.
“With Scarlet, I want her to have fresh air. I try to get her outside every day for a run around. She’s got so much energy, as all kids do.
"It’s only natural for children to want to run and get themselves out of breath. We have to keep giving them the opportunity to do that and encourage it.
“Sport in schools is so important because some families don’t have the chance to get their kids involved in those things.
"One of the problems we face as a nation is that we’re not active enough – having the Games here means we’ll have all those fantastic facilities after its all finished.

Sporty: Mel C carries the Olympic Flame on a leg between Birkenhead and Liverpool

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“It’s so important for kids to get into sport, whether it’s badminton, table tennis, swimming or diving.
"The Olympics will bring new opportunities to try out new activities they may not have tried before.
"It’s great for young people to have a hobby – it’s social, it’s good for self-esteem, it’s good for communities.
“And you never know, we could end up finding Olympic medal-winning Team GB champions of the future.”
Mel struck gold with property developer Thomas back in 2002, when they met during a holiday in Barbados.
But she says that the couple have no plans to tie the knot any time soon, adding: “We’re happy the way we are. We’ve been together for 10 years and we have a beautiful daughter.
“We share a home together and that’s good enough for us.”
* TO show your support for Team GB you can purchase the official supporters’ scarf from Next, in store or online at www.next.co.uk. You can also join Our Greatest Team and leave messages of support for the athletes at www.teamgb.com/our-greatest-team.