Mel C Reportaj

Mel C - Heat Interview - October 2003

Instead of promoting her new single, Mel C is laid up at home with an injured knee. Emma Messenger popped round with a bunch of grapes to see how she was feeling.

You could be forgiven for mistaking Mel C’s mum’s house in Liverpool for a florist. Everywhere you look there are flowers. And there, in the middle of all the bouquets and hundreds of get-well cards, sitting on a sofa with her leg up, is Mel C herself. Only she shouldn’t really be here at all. She should be speeding round the country on a whirlwind tour of interviews and appearances to promote her new single.

Alas, Mel C won’t be going anywhere far a while, not since she was floored by Miss World, Azra Akin, in a judo bout while taking part in The Games, Channel 4’s celebrity sporting competition. Mel suffered a serious injury to her knee and was whisked away to hospital screaming in agony. She couldn’t continue in The Games, has had to put all her work plans on hold and will barely be able to move for next few weeks.

Which is why it is remarkable that, less than a week after it all happened, heat finds her on such incredibly cheerful form. But then Mel C is a survivor. For years she has fought battles against depression and an eating disorder; battles she has finally won thanks to a combination of therapy, acupuncture and Prozac. Not to mention the love of a good man, 35-year-old construction firm director, Thomas Starr who has brought great happiness to Mel’s life for the last year and a half.

And, as heat found out, Mel is not about to let a damaged knee get in the way of that happiness. In fact, as she sets the record straight to us about her injury, her career and her relationships with the other Spice Girls, it is clear it would take a whole lot more than that to bring her down.

First things first, how is the knee doing?

It’s OK. I had surgery on Friday...it was quite a major operation. It’s going to be a long recovery.

What exactly did you do to it?

I’ve ruptured my cruciate ligament and damaged two other ligaments in my knee. The surgery was amazing…it was keyhole. They’ve taken a part of my hamstring and made a new ligament, plus I’ve got a bit of metal work in there and a couple of staples and a screw.

Was it agony when it happened?

Well, I’ve never had an accident before but I knew the moment I’d done it, it was serious. I forget the pain now because the human body has some kind of mechanism that seems to kick in quite quickly to make you forget it, but the minute it happened I was screaming my head off.

Are you completely laid up?

Yes, I’m on crutches. The only time I’m actually getting up at the moment is to go to the loo or to go to bed at night. It’s a killer. I’m going to be in a leg brace for two weeks. Then I go back to hospital to have another brace on that has hinges at the side, so I should then have a bit of mobility. And I will get back to 100 percent mobility but it’s probably going to take about nine months.


Has anyone been looking after you?

Well, I was in hospital in Sheffield for five days. Then I went straight back to Liverpool to my mum’s, she’s been my nursemaid. Tender, loving care of the best kind! I’ve had lots of my friends visit. Thomas, my boyfriend, stayed with me up in Sheffield while I was in hospital, but he’s got to work during the week so he’ll be coming to see me at the weekends.

Are you going stay at your mum’s for a few weeks?

I’m going to stay here for a month then I’m going back down to London. My mum’s going to come with me and help me at home, make sure I can get washed and feed me!

With a new single due and a tour planned, this is lousy timing, isn’t it?

Yeah, the timing is really unfortunate. I was all excited about my new single. We’re going to put the release date back. Fingers crossed it will be out at the end of October. I’m hoping I will be OK to do some TV stuff in mid-October…that’s the plan at the moment.

So, it isn’t, as reported, the end of your career?

God no! (Laughs) I can’t believe all the stupid things I’ve been reading in the press about that. It’s not my voice that’s injured, it’s only my knee. I’m still able to sing while I’m sitting down! As soon as I’m fit, I’ll be back on my feet and back at work.

Do you have any idea when that might be?

Well, it all depends on what the doctors say. The December gigs that I was going to do are still in my schedule. The only thing is that I might not be able to jump around as madly as I used to. But I should be walking again in six to eight weeks. It’s just the crazy stuff: the jumping, twisting and running around on stage, that’s what’s going to take a while to come back.

Do you regret taking part in The Games now?

No, not at all. It was just one of those things. I really enjoyed the time I had on the show. I was gutted I couldn’t complete it, especially because the last three events were my strongest. I really liked being with all the other competitors…everyone was a good laugh and we had a lot of fun. I am actually very lucky to have got this far in my life without ever having a serious injury before. It’s happened now and I’m glad it did while I am still young and it will heal properly.

It must be really hard for someone as active as you to be restricted.

I’d always thought that if I ever got injured I couldn’t stand it. But when it happens to you, you just have to accept it. At the end of the day, the priority is your health and my knee is the most important thing. I’ve got to do whatever it takes to make it better, though I can’t neglect my singing too much, because that’s what keeps me going in general. But there’s nothing from stopping me singing. So you might yet see me on Top Of The Pops sitting on a stool with my leg elevated. But I’ll still be giving it loads!

Meanwhile, how are you keeping your spirits up?

I’m trying to stay really positive. You know what, all my friends, family and loved ones that I never get to see enough of, who always get a bit neglected…I’m going to use this time to see all those people.

How else are you spending your days?

All the things I never normally have the time to do. I’ve been watching lots of daytime telly. I’ve been reading. I’ve had lots of visitors. The boredom hasn’t had a chance to kick in yet. I’ve been having a nice time..enjoying my time off. There are so many things I always put off doing, and now I can do them. I can pick up my guitar again and get pracitsing, do some writing, start thinking about my next album. I’m not going to waste this time.

What about your social life?

Well, I was supposed to be celebrating my friend’s birthday at the end of this month. We were going to go out in Liverpool for dinner and dancing. But I’m not up to that. So now we’re just going to go round to somebody’s house and get a takeaway and stay in to catch up. It’ll be quality rather than party time.

But there must be things you are missing out on.

Of course, Like Donna Air had a baby shower the other week but obviously I couldn’t make it. Whenever she has parties she gives her guests little pressies. She’s put mine in the post. I don’t know what it is yet, but it’s on its way. She’s very thoughtful.

Have any of the Spice Girls been in touch with you?

I spoke to Geri a few days ago. She gave me a call when she heard about my knee. In fact, I was actually planning on going to LA to see Melanie B before Christmas but I don’t know if I’m going to make it now, which is a shame. I think it would be really sad if we didn’t all keep in touch as we do because we’ve been through so much together.

And you and Emma still living in the same block of flats, so she can pop in to visit you when you get home?

Yes, we do. We’re really good mates. We live in Hampstead which is always full of paparazzi. We live in a complex and the funniest thing is when I look outside the big gates and see photographers hanging around, I always text Emma immediately and ask her what on Earth she’s been up to.

There’s yet another Spice Girls reunion rumour doing the rounds – is it true?

No (sighs wearily), it’s completely untrue. I’d love to get to the bottom of it. There must be somebody somewhere that just loves irritating us because the question is raised again and again and doesn’t seen to go away. I’ve no clue where it comes from. I’m very happy with my solo career. It’s just weird, I think it’s usually the Daily Mail actually, which is the crappest paper in the world. It’s as if they don’t have anything better to write about.

But you have fond memories of your Spice Girls days?

Of course I do. Actually, up there on my mum’s shelf there’s a photo of us all in a frame that Emma got and it says “Tarts On Tour”. It’s a good picture because it was taken in the studio at Abbey Road while we were making our last album, so it has really good memories for me.

Plus, without the Spice Girls you might not be where you are today.

Or have the fans I do. Having that love and support from your fans is priceless. During all my difficult times they’ve been there. I got a lot of stick in the press, but people would come up to me in the street and tell me to ignore it and that they think I’m great and I look great. I have to say my fans have really helped me through.

Now you need them again!

(Laughs) I know. I just manage to get over all my personal problems and then I break my bloody knee. But that’s life.