With her iconic leopard-print outfits, larger than life laugh and infectious energy, Mel B, aka Scary Spice, was an inspiration to a generation. Along with the rest of the Spice Girls, championing women via “girl power” was at the core of what they represented.

But almost three decades since Wannabe stormed the charts, Mel, 48, has stayed true to that message and isn’t giving self deprecation any attention.

Mel, who is working with Pour Moi on their Own Your Confidence campaign, says, “I’ve always felt confident in my own skin. I was born a working class kid in Leeds in the 1970s. My dad was black – from Nevis – and my mum was a blue-eyed, blonde-haired English rose. I was brown. My skin was different to most of the other kids I went to school with, so I had to learn very fast from a young age to be proud of who I was, to own my heritage, my ’fro, and my body.”

Mel even withstood the pressures of being on TV shows including The X Factor, America’s Got Talent and The Masker Singer Australia – despite a lack of diversity.

She says, “Back in the ’90s there were less women who looked like me in the public eye and now there is a much bigger melting pot. I think, in a lot of ways, we are more open [about body shapes], but on the other hand we are bombarded with so many more images of ‘perfect’ physiques. But women’s relationships with their bodies have always very complicated.

Nothing could have rocked Mel’s confidence more than during her 10-year marriage to film producer Stephen Belafonte. After their split in 2017 Mel accused him of emotional and physical abuse – something he denied. Rather than hiding away, Mel became an ambassador for Women’s Aid, and was awarded an MBE in 2022 for her work helping vulnerable women – the latest example of the enduring ethos of girl power.

Mel met her fiancé Rory McPhee in 2018 and credits him with helping her feel “more confident than ever” – and it shows. She says, “I love my curves, I love the fact that I’m physically strong, I love the fact I have brown skin.”

With the constant bombardment of images of the “perfect body” on social media, Mel is keen to instil the same sense of confidence in her three daughters, Phoenix, 24, from her marriage to Jimmy Gulzar, Angel, 16, whom she shares with Eddie Murphy, and Madison, 12, from her marriage to Stephen.

“I tell them they’re beautiful. I never talk about diets. I talk about health, fitness and strength,” Mel says. “We live in an era where girls – and boys – are constantly comparing themselves to perfect images all the time. There is no such thing as the perfect body. To me it’s about being fit, healthy, confident and loving the skin you’re in!”

Mel also loves all of her outfits from those Spice Girls days and she shares this passion with her eldest daughter. She says, “Phoenix is never happier than when she is rummaging around in my Spice Girl stuff – which she calls my vintage wardrobe – and I still wear catsuits, leopard prints and everything I wore back then.”

Mel has previously admitted exercise was used as escapism during tough times. Now, in her forties, she incorporates weights into her regime and mixes this with regular runs, high-intensity training, 20 minutes on a spin bike as well as ice baths, saunas and walks with her two Rottweilers.

She says, “It’s harder staying in shape, but I feel so much better when I push myself to exercise, to eat right and to just feel like I am totally comfortable in my skin. I’m never going to have the look I did as a teenager, but this body has given me three children, it’s been through a lot of ups and downs so I’m very grateful to it.”

But perhaps what’s most impressive about Mel is her unbreakable attitude, she adds, “I love the fact that I’m still standing after going through so much in my life, including an abusive marriage – I’m a survivor.

• Mel B has teamed up with Pour Moi on the Own Your Confidence campaign
• You can get free and confidential support at Women’s Aid via their instant messaging service at Chat.womensaid.org.uk

MY TYPICAL DAY

“My alarm goes off at 5.30am, I put on my trainers, my Pour Moi Energy Strive Sports bra and the matching leggings in leopard print, which is a bit of me! I’m out the door by 6am for a run. After that I take the plunge and get into an ice bath. This is, quite possibly, my favourite ritual of the day. It helps my muscles relax and supports my mental and physical health.

“For lunch I’ll grab a leafy salad with grilled salmon, check my emails and make calls. If I have an early start the next day, I like to plan my outfit. It’s important to have a wardrobe filled with clothes that make you feel like you can conquer anything. After a long day, the highlight is coming home to the peaceful countryside and winding down. A long hot shower, a home-cooked meal and, best of all, time with my children and dogs!”