Category Entertainment News

Scary Spice indeed! Mel B’s daughter Phoenix reveals what her mum said to encourage her to find her own success

Melanie Brown MBE’s daughter Phoenix Brown has revealed how her mum once encouraged her to find her own success and step out of her “shadow”. The Spice Girl told her daughter: “I’m the famous one and you’re not!”

The 26-year-old daughter of Scary Spice, a DJ and artist, addressed nepo baby claims in an interview and said she quickly realised she couldn’t coast on her mother’s coattails.

“My mum kind of let me know that ‘I’m the famous one and you’re not’. That quickly made me realise that I got to find who I am and not be a shadow. So, I’ve just had a journey with that.”

Phoenix has known all her life that her mother was famous and is well-aware that she is often labelled as a nepo baby because of Mel’s stardom. She’s never shied away from the term and even addressed it in a Channel 4 documentary, Born in the Limelight – Nep Babies: Untold.

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Speaking about the show, she told the Daily Mail: “I was so nervous to do it just because it was such a taboo subject. I was like, well, it can go in one or two ways, people can absolutely hate it, mug me off, or they can actually listen and question themselves on it not just being about celebrities, it’s everywhere and it’s all-around life.”

Phoenix, who is about to make her London Fashion debut, added that she doesn’t “shy away” from the label, but would rather people call her by her name when talking about her.

“It is what it is. I’m not going to shy away from the fact that I am a nepo baby, so go ahead, call me that. But my name is Phoenix.” Phoenix also explained that she encouraged her mother to have a second wedding to Rory McPhee, which was held in Marrakesh.

Phoenix explained that following their nuptials at St Paul’s Cathedral, they may as well have had a second ceremony, as the Brown family tends to go all out.

Melanie had also invited Phoenix to DJ at the reception. And while she declined the offer, a DJ did play some of their favourite songs throughout the night – including Spice Girls anthems.

This was a no-brainer for Phoenix, who says she is the biggest Spice Girls fan. She insists that at any event, people ought to pay homage to her mother’s band, who are the biggest-selling girl band of all time.

She admits that, like her mother, she wants the band to head back on the road again following the success of their 2019 UK stadium tour, which Victoria Beckham did not take part in.

Instead, Posh Spice had prior commitments with her fashion business. Speaking previously to the Mirror, Melanie struggled to contain her happiness over Phoenix, admitting that, like her, she’s a force to be reckoned with.

The Mirror, the Feels So Good singer praised her daughter and their tight bond. Speaking from her home, Melanie laughed when asked if she and Pheonix are more like sisters than mother and daughter, before adding: “Phoenix is always my daughter. We get on really well and we can have fun together, have a laugh together, and discuss anything we want to discuss with full openness but she is always my daughter.

“No one can make me laugh like Phoenix can, I did have her young so she’s been with me every step of my life. I’m incredibly proud of her.”

Melanie added: “She’s been incredibly supportive of my work as Patron of Women’s Aid and works with Women’s Aid herself going into schools, and talking to kids about the effect living in an abusive situation can have on them. She’s an amazing young woman,” she gushed.

A major documentary on The X Factor is reportedly in development but bosses are hoping to get Simon Cowell on board to explore the ‘highs and lows’ of the talent show

A major documentary on The X Factor is reportedly in development. The now-defunct ITV competition series initially aired from 2004 until 2018 and discovered stars such as One Direction, Leona Lewis, and Olly Murs, among scores of others.

Over the course of 14 years, wannabe singers attended open auditions for the show and were mentored by superstar judges like Cheryl, Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh and Gary Barlow for the chance to land a £1 million recording contract and launch a single in time for Christmas. The whole format was headed up by music mogul Simon Cowell, and winners such as Alexandra Burke, former Coronation Street star Shayne Ward and Joe McElderry were signed to his Syco record label.

But in the years since the programme’s demise, contestants such as Janet Devlin and Katie Waissel have spoken out about the negative impact the show had on their mental health. In October last year, One Direction star Liam Payne died after falling from a balcony at the age of 31, more than a decade after he took part in the show and found global superstardom as part of the world’s first billion-dollar boyband.

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According to insiders, the programme, which has yet to be ‘fully greenlit,’ will speak to those ‘closest’ to the show’s production, but bosses are hoping to get Simon himself to agree to take part.

A source said: “This will be a definitive, ­premium series about a true entertainment TV ­jugg­ernaut. Those closest to the story will be approached to be in the show, both in front of and behind the camera, and discussions are ongoing.

“It follows on from Sky Docs’ history of authentic and unfiltered documentaries, notably the recent ­Boyzone biopic. The doc has yet to be fully greenlit, despite now being at an advanced stage of development, but ­persuading Simon to take part could be the final piece of the jigsaw.”

The insider added that the documentary will not shy away from asking ‘difficult questions’ that have stemmed from accusations made regarding bullying, manipulation and overall practices that were carried out during filming.

Speaking to The Sun, the source claimed: “The documentary is likely to lift the lid on both the highs and lows of the show and won’t flinch from asking difficult questions of the biggest players.”

At its peak, The X Factor pulled in record figures of 17.7 million viewers when Matt Cardle was crowned winner in 2010, whilst 12.8 million tuned in in late 2008 to watch US megastar Britney Spears lip-sync to her track Womaniser. Other A-Listers like Whitney Houston, Beyoncé and Rihanna also turned up for guest performances during the show’s lengthy run.

Even though the show has not been on air for several years now, clips continue to receive millions of views online. Clips of unsuccessful auditionees such as Rachel Lester, Ariel Burdett, and the memorable punch-up with girl duo Ablisa regularly go viral and, therefore, generate revenue for the programme’s production company.

Just days ago, celebrity PR specialist Kayley Cornelius spoke to The Mirror about a potential comeback for the programme and weighed in on the idea of how it would all play out with regards to mental health care. Speaking on behalf of OLBG, she explained: “It would be tricky to replicate X Factor in its original form today. Audiences have become much more aware of the pressures reality contestants face, and social media has played a huge role in that, allowing former contestants and insiders to share what really went on behind the scenes.

“That’s opened people’s eyes to the more staged aspects of talent shows, and it’s unlikely we’d see the same kind of ‘bad auditions’ that became such a big part of the early years.

“Among the generation old enough to remember it, there’s still so much nostalgia and goodwill attached to X Factor, and that could be a powerful pull if it was ever to return. But to make it work, the show would need to reinvent itself – not just rely on the formula that worked fifteen years ago.

“It would have to address the way people now discover music, build careers and connect with fans. Done right, it could have a second life, but it would need to feel relevant rather than just a re-run of the past.

“One way to do that would be to adapt the format into an online series rather than sticking solely to primetime TV. If done cleverly, it could actually reach a much bigger audience online than it might ever achieve on live TV, particularly given the way music and talent discovery happen across digital platforms today.”

Emmerdale star Rosie Bentham has opened up about her secret boyfriend of three years for the first time, as she admits she would love to get married one day

Emmerdale’s Gabby Thomas, played by Rosie Bentham, may be unlucky in love on-screen, but off-screen it’s a different story. The actress is smitten with her secret boyfriend of three years and has finally decided to share details about their romance and potential wedding plans.

Rosie, 24, admitted she began dating her current beau a few years ago, but until now, they’ve managed to keep their blossoming relationship out of the public eye.

She revealed that they were introduced by a mutual friend and amusingly, her boyfriend hadn’t even watched Emmerdale before their first date. “We were introduced by a mutual friend and he knew what I did for a job but hadn’t seen the programme! His mum and grandparents watch Emmerdale, though.”

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Rosie went on to tell The Sun: “I am happy, and I am glad my life is a lot more peaceful than Gabby’s! We’ve been together for nearly three years. He is a quantity surveyor and lives in Yorkshire. We are both really into our health and fitness.”

Her mystery man prefers to stay anonymous and, unlike Rosie, is content to avoid the limelight. When asked about how they’ve managed to keep their romance private for so long, she confirmed that he accompanied her to the recent Soap Awards – but went unnoticed.

She went on to say that her boyfriend isn’t interested in the fame aspect of Rosie’s life, which she completely respects. However, she does enjoy him attending glitzy events with her.

The pair went to the Soap Awards together, which Rosie says he “loved” after getting a behind-the-scenes look into her everyday work life. But when they’re at home, there’s no talk about Emmerdale, or indeed her career.

But while she’s known to millions as Gabby, her boyfriend finds it highly amusing when fans approach Rosie in the street and address her by her on-screen name.

Despite being together for three years, they haven’t moved in together yet, but she admits that she hopes they will tie the knot in the future, as she’s “certainly” fussed about getting married.

And unlike her screen life, it won’t be a grand affair; it will be a more casual wedding ceremony held in the UK. Rosie, however, has already tried on her fair share of wedding dresses – purely for work, though.

She told the publication that she had to try on a string of dresses for her character, Gabby, when she was due to marry Nicky on the ITV soap opera. One dress was a huge Hollywood-esque gown, with huge curls in her hair and caked with make-up.

But the wedding shop had a bit of a surprise when Rosie had to tell them she was there to try dresses on for her character, rather than for herself.

Viewers can see the wedding play out this week on Emmerdale, with more to be revealed about the couple’s drama.

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays.

Little Mix star Perrie Edwards is set to join the upcoming documentary Girlbands Forever on the BBC, while a string of very famous faces are believed to have rejected an offer

Former Little Mix star Perrie Edwards is set to make an appearance in the bombshell new documentary, Girlbands Forever, on the BBC. This has come as a shock to many as stars from other girl groups, including Girls Aloud and Spice Girls, have declined to be in the show. It is speculated that this is because last year’s documentary Boybands Forever did not paint the boy band phenomenon in the best light.

The previous documentary did not include One Direction either, who, like Little Mix, initially found fame through the ITV show X Factor. At the time, viewers thought this was because the band were from the 2010s, while the documentary focused on the height of the boy band craze in the 1990s and 2000s.

Given that the BBC has said the documentary will also focus on this period, Little Mix were expected to be excluded. Louis Theroux, who is producing the new documentary, said: “Going back and rediscovering all that music and those videos and the interviews they did has been an absolute pleasure.

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“There was pain behind the music, too, and as is so often the case, there was a price to be paid for that level of young fame. But mainly we wanted this to be a celebration of a time of very special music and talent.”

Perrie is not the only name to sign on to the show. Heidi Range from the Sugababes, Kéllé Bryan of Eternal and Kerry Katona of Atomic Kitten are all set to be involved, as are All Saints’ Melanie Blatt, Misteeq’s Su-Elise Nash and NDubz Tulisa, who was Little Mix’s judge on X Factor.

According to The Sun, Tulisa appears in the documentary despite being the only girl in her band, which means N-Dubz is not part of the phenomenon discussed in the show.

The outlet also claims that Pete Tong, Pete Waterman and BBC Radio DJ Scott Mills will also appear in the documentary, having worked in the music industry for decades/

The Mirror has reached out to Perrie’s team for a comment about her involvement but has not had a response. Earlier this month, Perrie also revealed she was pregnant with her second child. Her Little Mix bandmates were among the first to congratulate her on the news when she announced it on Instagram.

Taking to social media in view of her 18.8million followers, the If He Wanted to He Would hitmaker shared an adorable video of the news, showing off her bump and featuring a rare glimpse of her son Axel and partner Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Perrie, 32 said in the caption: “Guess what hunnies…” followed by a heart emoji.

The caption is in reference to a lyric in her song If He Wanted To He Would. The black and white video sees Perrie walking away from the camera with her back to the lens. She is sporting a T-shirt with the words: “If He Wanted To He Would…” emblazoned on the back.

Jade Thirwall, who is currently celebrating the release of her debut album, said: “Love you and so happy for you all.” Leigh-Anne Pinnock added: “Just the best news! Love you all.”

Girlbands Forever will air later this year on BBC Two and iPlayer.

Love Island star Yasmin Pettet shut down the rumours claiming she cheated on Jamie Rhodes at the National Television Awards and revealed the two had split up before the event

Love Island’s Yasmin Pettet slammed the “laughable” rumours she cheated on Jamie Rhodes with The Traitors star Freddie Fraser as she confirmed their split. After the National Television Awards last week, reports claimed Jamie supposedly told friends Yasmin ‘f***ed off’ by the end of the night.

It was also reported Yasmin had been seen holding hands with The Traitors star Freddie at the same event. And now, Yasmin took to social media to set the record straight and revealed she and Jamie went their separate ways before the NTAs but didn’t “formally announce it yet”.

“We’re still really good friends, and I’ll always have so much love and care for him for making my Love Island experience what it was,” she explained.

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“I find it laughable that everyone thinks I cheated on Jamie with Freddie from Traitors, which is not true, and anyone who knows me knows my type is late 20s, 30s plus. @__jamierhodes___ is literally the most amazing man ever, and I’m forever grateful for the memories we made and time we spent together.”

Jamie also took to his Instagram page to reveal what actually went down last night as he defended Yasmin.

He said: “There has been a lot of speculation over the past few days about what happened at the NTA’s covered by a lot of different news outlets that really don’t seem to have a straight story. A lot of the stories coming out don’t make any sense as the sources have heard short snippets of conversations that they weren’t apart of, and are subsequently playing a guessing game about the context and facts of each scenario.

“I wasn’t desperately trying to find Yas after the NTA’S I was trying to hitch a ride back to my hotel with Cach and Toni, and when asked where Yas was and I said she f***ed off. This is what I say every time I’m with company and they leave, it’s strong set in my vocabulary.

“It was also said that I was fuming at the a party the following day after the NTA’s when it was the complete opposite actually, it was a great night!”

He continued: “One part that the press have gotten correct is that Yas and I have decided to move away from getting to know each other romantically to just being friends. However unlike the news has said, it was in a very amicable manner and before the NTA’S.

“Yasmin did not cheat on me nor was we in a relationship, we both have big love for one another and want the best for each of us. I hope this clears up any press speculation and puts any rumours to bed. And thank you once again to everyone who supported me and Yasmin inside and outside the villa.”

The apparent split comes weeks after Yasmin explained the pair were yet to be intimate outside the villa. She admitted she had been grieving the loss of her pet cat, Miaow Miaow.

And she praised Jamie for providing her with emotional support during the tough times. She also said the couple weren’t in a rush to progress with the romance.

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Sue Cleaver has admitted she faces “constant worry” as she opened up in a rare admission about her son, who is celebrating a huge birthday this week

Sue Cleaver has reflected on life as a mother and addressed her “constant worry” with rare comments on her son after he turns 30 years old. “30 years ago, I thought I was just having a baby,” the Loose Women star started. “But I didn’t realise that would be 30 years of love, excruciatingly deep love and constant worry.”

The former Coronation Street actress took to Instagram to share a picture of her son and a video where she marvelled at how quickly the time had passed. She added that all the worry has “been worth it” and that she feels “blessed” to have spent a lifetime with her child, despite his annoying tendencies.

“But it’s all been worth it because my boy is 30 today. And I’ve been blessed to have a lifetime of ‘What’s for dinner, mum?’. I’ve been blessed to have a lifetime of him leaving every single cupboard door open and every single light on in the house.

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“So, it’s been an honour.” She finished her video by addressing any mums watching: “So, to all mums out there: How the hell did we keep these humans alive when I don’t even feel like a grown-up myself?”

In the caption of her video, she also asked mums what their children did that “drives you mad” but that “secretly makes you smile”.

Sue herself was raised by adoptive parents. The actress revealed on Good Morning Britain last year that she reconnected with her birth mother in her twenties, when fellow actor, Michael C. Harbour, told her she was the “double of his wife”. As it turned out, Michael was married to Sue’s birth mother, Lesley.

After Lesley, who was a 17-year-old single mother, gave birth to Sue in 1963, she placed her daughter up for adoption. Sue was then adopted by Fred and John Cleaver, who also had a son called Paul.

Speaking about when she first met Lesley, Sue said: “It was almost like a love story. The first two weeks were very heady; we had to be around each other, we had to call each other.

“She never ever felt like my mum. My Mum who brought me up is [my] mum. But there was a definite attachment.”

Sue added: “I’ve got two lovely half-sisters. I’m close to them and I see Kate, the youngest one, quite a bit. My Mum and Dad were so welcoming; Lesley came to my father’s funeral. It’s very much like [we’re] part of a bigger family; it’s been lovely.”