00:00Now our first guest burst into the spotlight back in 1996 as one-fifth of the iconic girl band the Spice Girls
00:06Since then she's become an accomplished solo artist in her own right selling over 3 million solo albums worldwide
00:13Her new single taken from her fourth album this time is out next week, and it's called Carolina
00:30The future that she craves Carolina, you travel so far Trying to escape the pain to start again where you are
00:44Carolina, you keep following your star Nobody said you're beautiful, you're beautiful the way you are
00:54Please welcome Melanie C
01:17You look really well well
01:19Thank you very much. It's good to be back. It is.
01:22Caroline, tell us a bit about your new single.
01:24Okay, well this one is it's one of the more up-tempo tracks on the album and
01:29Caroline is a fictional character and I was inspired actually by a documentary I saw in America a few years ago
01:35It was about kids. I'd run away from home and living on the streets in Seattle and homelessness is something that it just strikes a chord with me because
01:42Like everybody, you know, it's sacred home a place
01:45You know to rest and and to be safe and secure and some people don't have that luxury
01:50You know, take it for granted a bit don't we?
01:52Yeah, absolutely so, you know, I wanted to do something which was more of a storytelling song because I'm always thinking about woe is me
02:00My problems my me me me so if I know it'd be nice to do something different for a change
02:05And it is our homeless charities anything that you get involved with at all
02:09yeah, actually another song I had on my first album was called if that were me that was also inspired by homelessness and I work with a great charity called can do and
02:18and it's
02:19Rehabilitates people who are on the street or in hostels and with addicts and you know lots of different situations
02:24Through the arts so people act and they make music and it just raises their self-esteem
02:30And it's brilliant to see how people can grow from that and this song as well just listening to that little track there
02:36And I must admit I came in earlier you didn't see me and I was listening to you rehearsing this song to me
02:40Is you getting back to your Melanie C roots?
02:42This is how I think of you performing it's a little bit rocky a little bit of hair flicking
02:46This is the kind of sound that I think people like to hear you make was that a deliberate choice for you and you know
02:52I always just follow my heart, you know, however. I'm feeling I'll just go with it
02:56But I mean that's really nice to hear that I've had some great feedback on this song and you know fingers crossed
03:01You know lots of people seem to like it's very catchy as well, and have you found that since you've been on tour?
03:07Have you just come back from Denmark is that right? I had quite a hectic weekend weekend just gone
03:13I was well, I played London last Wednesday. I played Denmark on the Friday
03:17I was in Germany on the Saturday and then I played the Isle of Wight on the Sunday. Wow
03:22I get your air miles
03:24Well, we had a private jet from Germany
03:27Oh, we did
03:29I felt like Victoria Beckham
03:32Can we get this out of the way?
03:36The Spice Girls are not going to get back together, are they?
03:38They might do
03:39Oh
03:39And is that something you want to do?
03:45Well, I've had a little bit of a change of heart recently
03:48Because there's been there's been so many rumors the last seven years it's constantly been in the press
03:54And it's never been true until Live 8
03:57You know there was some truth in that because so Bob Gales have asked us if we'd do it
04:00And we were like yeah, that'd be fantastic a great thing to be involved with
04:04Unfortunately, it didn't come together
04:06And I think that just got people thinking and you know some of the girls have been up for doing it
04:10At any time and I was always I don't know you were always the one really that was holding back
04:15Yeah, I mean it wasn't just me you know everybody had two different things going on in their lives as we still do
04:20But um, you know, I just felt it's such a magical time and I'm so frightened we can't do it justice
04:26Oh, you know, but they're feeling how those really positive and I just think well, why not?
04:32Well, you were the greatest but girl band ever
04:35Ever, ever, ever, ever
04:37And you know your following is still enormous
04:40I wanted to be great for Christmas to do that
04:42It'd be wonderful
04:43So you know fingers crossed it's you know, it's looking like it could happen
04:47There's a lot to sort out but we've been talking about it
04:49Would you still wear tracksuits though?
04:51Would you try and move away?
04:52I always felt free because I thought all the others you know
04:55They're glamorous
04:55Yeah, and they were few in your tracksuits
04:57But perhaps you didn't mind
04:58They're so comfortable
04:59I suppose so
05:00And you have to think of these things
05:01Yes
05:01So you're all posh spice now, aren't you private jets?
05:05Actually, make Victoria wear the tracksuit
05:07Oh, she's really not liberal
05:09She always wouldn't have that
05:10No, is it very ambitious?
05:12Is it an ambition thing?
05:14Yeah, absolutely
05:15Yeah, it's, um, I think
05:17From my childhood
05:18I mean, I don't know
05:19You kind of analyse yourself, don't you
05:21As you get older
05:21And I think
05:22I've always been quite independent
05:23Because my parents divorced when I was very young
05:26And it made me quite determined to
05:28To be something
05:29What, you know, what I saw as somebody
05:31And something independent
05:33And my own person
05:34And I just always loved performing
05:36And that was just kind of my route
05:37Of, you know, expression
05:39And also, you know, having confidence in myself
05:41Yeah
05:42And because you are so independent
05:44And maybe also because your parents got divorced
05:46We were talking just earlier about
05:47Cohabiting rights for couples
05:49Is that something you believe in?
05:50Rather than getting married?
05:52Or do you think it should sort of stay the way it is at the moment?
05:55I think we shouldn't
05:56It shouldn't be, you know, one rule for everybody
05:59Because everybody's situation's different
06:00You know, financially
06:03And in so many ways, you know
06:05It depends, you know, what's happened
06:06Why has the relationship broken down?
06:09I think if you choose to get married
06:10Then, you know, you're entering into that
06:12But I think if you're living with somebody
06:13We shouldn't all of a sudden have this law
06:15That, you know, everything's equal
06:18Because you've been with your chap now for five years
06:20Is that right?
06:20Yeah, five and a half years
06:21And we have a home together, actually, in Wales
06:24So that's something, obviously, legally, you know
06:26Which is half his and it's half mine
06:27But, you know, I'm loaded
06:29It is difficult, especially as women
06:42Because, you know, it's usually the women will go for the men
06:44But Mel C is loaded
06:46And she's not going to give up her cash for anybody
06:49And she's also
06:50And you're also going to be coming back later
06:52To perform your single, aren't you?
06:54But for now, it's Mel C
06:55Right, time for a break
07:07But when we come back, we'll be invited to come dancing
07:09With cheeky, twinkle-toes Brendan Cole
07:11And, of course, there'll be that fantastic performance from Mel C
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