Mel B is set to tie the knot today in a very lavish ceremony attended by her nearest and dearest. The Spice Girl, 50, has pulled out all the stops to ensure her big day is picture perfect as she weds fiancé Rory McPhee.
They will finally say their ‘I dos’ at St Paul’s Cathedral after their three-year engagement. Mel and family friend Rory, 37, have known each other for years, and he has worked as her hairstylist.
Things are thought to have turned romantic between the pair in 2018 and Rory proposed to Mel back in 2022. It won’t be the pop star’s first time walking down the aisle as she has been married twice before.
However, it hasn’t stopped Mel from planning the ultimate wedding as it has been said Scary Spice and her new husband will enjoy a meal, drinks and dancing after their nuptials at the luxury Shangri-La at The Shard in London. An insider said the wedding will be “huge” and the “most memorable event” but two of her Spice Girl bandmates are “too busy” to attend.
Mia O’Hare
Who is Mel B’s husband-to-be?
Mel and Rory McPhee have known each other for years and it is thought things turned romantic between them back in 2018. Hairstylist Rory has worked in his industry for more than a decade and is described as a curly hair specialist.
He’s co-founded salons such as Rory James, which is located in Horsforth, close to Mel’s own home city of Leeds. Rory is listed as an artist for Lee Stafford, with him credited as training others in the industry and acting as an ambassador in the educational role.
Mel’s fiance also said to be an artist for the brand Redken, which is part of the L’Oréal Group. His celebrity clients have included actor Christian Cooke, who is Mel’s cousin.
Rory and Mel are said to have even met through Christian, who has reportedly been close pals with her soon-to-be husband since they were in school.
Mia O’Hare
Victoria Beckham sends sweet message as she misses out
Victoria Beckham has proved there is no bad blood between the former bandmates as she shared a touching message to Mel. She took to her Instagram Stories where she shared a gushing post and settled rumours of a fallout between the pair.
Posting a photograph of her and Melanie together at a recent event, Victoria sent her well-wishes. In the caption she gushed: “Sending love to you @officialmelb! @rorymcphee is a very lucky man! xx”
Victoria and Geri won’t be attending Mel’s wedding (Getty Images)
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Extremely lavish reception sets Mel back £28,000
Mel B hasn’t held back on treating her guests as she is set to splurge out thousands to make her day perfect. After saying ‘I do’ at St Paul’s Cathedral, the guests will head to the Shangri-La at The Shard in London.
KEY EVENT
Two Spice Girls miss out
Mel B will be walking down the aisle without all of her former bandmates present as Victoria Beckham and Geri Halliwell will not be attending the wedding.
There’s also said to be speculation ahead of the wedding that either Emma Bunton or Melanie Chisholm may skip the occasion too.
Amid the rumours about her wedding, a source told the Mirror that there is “no snub” over the upcoming nuptials. They said that the group are “all on friendly terms,” adding that Geri and Victoria are both just “busy”.
The source said: “There’s no snub, the girls are all on friendly terms with one another, but it’s no secret that Geri is busy with Christian at Formula One and Victoria is extremely busy with her fashion brand. “
Diogo Jota was “a dream to work with and a pleasure to call a friend”, says Conor Coady, who was Wolves captain during the Portuguese forward’s three seasons at the club.
Before joining Liverpool, Jota was part of a Wolves side that won the Championship in 2017-18 and then went on to qualify for the Europa League with a seventh-placed finished during their first season back in the Premier League.
Jota, aged 28, died in a car crash on Thursday along with his brother Andre Silva, who was 25.
Their funerals will take place at 10:00 on Saturday in their hometown of Gondomar in Portugal.
Coady, who began his career at Liverpool and currently plays for Leicester City, heard about his friend’s death while at pre-season training with the Foxes.
“I think we’ll all remember where we were, but it goes bigger than football, what we’re all feeling now,” Coady told BBC Sport.
“This has hit everybody hard. And it will hit everybody hard for a long, long time because Diogo was a fantastic human being, an amazing friend, an amazing husband, an amazing father and an absolute incredible footballer for all the clubs he has played for.
‘He was born to play in the Premier League’
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Jota joined Wolves from Spanish side Atletico Madrid at the age of 20, initially on loan when they were still in the second tier of English football.
The Portuguese forward proved to be a revelation at the club, scoring 17 goals and providing six assists to help Wolves finish at the top of the table during his debut campaign.
“You could see it in his first session, that tenacity and the will to win was like no other,” said 32-year-old Coady.
“He was the heart and soul of the dressing room. He had a quiet way of going about himself. But you knew you could go to him about anything. For me as a captain, it was an honour and a dream to play with him. “
Before moving to England, Jota had already played under Wolves head coach Nuno Espirito Santo while on loan at Porto, and he also reunited with his former Porto and Portugal Under-21 team-mate Ruben Neves at the club.
“He was born to play in the Premier League but Wolves were in the Championship. I used to always tell young people they need to learn from players like Diogo and Ruben, who were brave enough to step into the Championship to help a club who were struggling at that time,” said Coady.
“He was brave enough to bring his childhood sweetheart to Wolverhampton and really buy into the culture of England. He was such an example for everybody.
‘He took the Premier League by storm’
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During a three-year stay at Wolves, Jota made 131 appearances for the club, scoring 44 goals, including consecutive hat-tricks in the 2019-20 Europa League victories over Besiktas and Espanyol.
In September 2020, he joined Premier League champions Liverpool in a £41m deal, with Wolves boss Nuno saying Jota is leaving “knowing that it will never be forgotten, especially by our fans, all the memorable moments that Diogo provided”.
“We were gutted we were losing him because he was that good,” said Coady.
“But at the same time, you gave him a big hug and you went, you know what mate, you deserve it more than anyone. Go and enjoy yourself. Go and make a name for yourself at one of the biggest clubs because you can certainly do that. And he has done for that a number of years. “
Coady posted a moving tribute to his former team-mate on his social media account after hearing the news, which he said he did while he “cried my eyes out”.
In the post, he describes how he felt grateful hearing his kids say “dad, you played with Jota” when the Liverpool player came up on the television screens – a feeling he reiterated again.
“People look at football and think it’s all about rivalry. But watching him win the Premier League with Liverpool, it filled me with immense pride – to say I played with him and he has gone on to do incredible things,” said Coady.
“He took it by storm, like he took us by storm. Like he then took the Premier league by storm. Like he then took Europa League by storm with Wolves.
Coady recalls Jota’s best Wolves moments
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Coady picked Jota’s hat-tricks in successive Europa Leagues games during the 2019-20 season as one of the standout moments of his Wolves career.
“It was like nothing to him. It was like it was dead easy. That’s how good he was. It was like he was meant to do it,” said Coady.
He also rates highly Jota’s goal against Manchester United at Molineux which sent Wolves into the 2018-19 FA Cup semi-finals.
“He scored a goal against Aston Villa in the Championship that was unbelievable but his goal against United summed him up as a footballer – his pace, his power, his technique to finish it with his left foot at near post,” Coady recalled.
“The infectious personality within a dressing room and how he helped me as a captain, how he helped us as a team, just being able to share a dressing room with a mate – it will live with me forever.
“The whole three years will live me forever and I’ll make sure that my family and my kids will always know the stories about me being able to share the pitch with him because he was an incredible fellow. “
Scotland held off a Maori All Blacks fightback to hang on to a slender lead and win a nail-biting first game of their summer tour to New Zealand.
Adam Hastings’ first-half penalty proved to be crucial, with both sides scoring four tries and three conversions in Whangarei.
The Scots have not toured New Zealand in 25 years and, although this was a non-capped international, both sides played with typical Southern Hemisphere flair throughout.
The hosts enjoyed more possession, made more metres and re-arranged more ribs than their visitors, but Gregor Townsend’s side were a little more clinical in attack and produced a huge defensive set at the last to clinch victory.
Although the next two games of Scotland’s travels have taken on more importance due to world ranking points, the tourists might not face a sterner test than the one they had in northern New Zealand.
The pace was set early and tries were traded quickly. Maori scrum-half Sam Nock scored in the opening minute before Harry Paterson dotted down an Ollie Smith grubber-kick that unlocked the hosts’ blitz defence.
George Horne scored after his box-kick caused chaos, but then Isaia Walker-Leawere hit back while the Scots were under pressure and replacement Alex Masibaka was sent to the bin.
Despite going down to 14 men, it was the visitors who went in ahead at the break. Stafford McDowall’s superb 50-22 kick got Scotland up the pitch and another Smith kick-through sent Arron Reed over the line.
The Maoris started the second-half in harum-scarum fashion, going down to 13 men when TK Howden and Bailyn Sullivan both committed yellow-card offences, but Scotland could only score five points in that 10-minute spell.
It might have been the try of the day, though. Striking from deep, Rory Hutchinson released Reed with a cat-flap offload and the speedy winger found Horne in support for the scrum-half to score his second.
As soon as the Maoris were back to their full compliment, they went to wiping out the advantage the Scots had built.
Captain Kurt Eklund scored from the back of a driving maul and then Gideon Wrampling went over in the corner after a superb Daniel Rona 50-22 put the hosts into a great position.
It was a three-point game and Scotland had the ball in their mitts in the 79th minute as they looked to see it out. It is never so simple with this team, though.
The Maoris won the turnover and launched phase after phase of attack. The Scots creaked, Cam Henderson was sent to the bin, the clock was deep in the red at the 85-minute mark.
Line-ups
Maori All Blacks: Z Sullivan, Forbes, B Sullivan, Wrampling, Rona; Reihana, Nock; Proffit, Eklund (c), Sykes-Martin, Shalfoon, Walker-Leaware, Howden, Brown, Grace.
Spice Girl star, Melanie Brown, is getting married today to hairstylist, Rory McPhee, at St Paul’s Cathedral in London following their three-year engagement
Scary Spice star, Mel B, is tying the knot today – despite swearing she’d never get married again(Image: GC Images)
Scary Spice star, Mel B, is tying the knot today – despite swearing she’d never get married again. Since shooting to stratospheric fame with the Spice Girls, Mel, 49, has had a chequered love life, including two failed marriages and a bitter break-up with Hollywood A-lister, Eddie Murphy, who the singer shares daughter Angel Iris, 18, with.
Today, the mum-of-three is walking down the aisle at St Paul’s cathedral in London with hairstylist, Rory McPhee, and celebrate at The Shard afterwards in a bash said to have cost £28,000. A whole host of stars will be in attendance – apart from apart from Victoria Beckham and Geri Horner-Halliwel and Geri Horner-Halliwell – as Mel’s pals wish the couple the best for the future.
The Spice Up Your Life star, who not so long go insisted “I’m fine by myself”, is certainly due some luck in love as we look back at her rocky romances, starting with Dutch dancer, Jimmy Gulzar…
READ MORE: Inside Mel B and Victoria Beckham feud as Posh Spice swerves Scary’s wedding
Mel B first tied the knot with Dutch dancer Jimmy Gulzar in 1998(Image: Press Association)
Jimmy Gulzar
Mel first tied the knot with Dutch dancer Jimmy Gulzar in 1998, donning a flamboyant Vegas showgirl feathered headdress and a white-and-gold frock.
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The couple met when Jimmy was strutting around on stage as a back-up dancer for the Spice Girls during the Spiceworld tour in 1998. They married a short time later and welcomed daughter Phoenix, now 26, together. However, their relationship wasn’t to last and they split in 2000, citing irreconcilable differences in the divorce courts.
Speaking to the Mirror after the breakup, Mel said: “My friends did try and warn me not to take things so fast, and in hindsight it’s easy to see I made a mistake.
“Marrying someone I’d only just met on tour was not the smartest thing I’ve ever done. When the relationship broke down it was a complete nightmare. We both really wanted to be a proper happy family but it seemed destined not to work.“There was a lot of pain and even with my friends and family around me I often felt isolated and alone. But you have to find the inner strength to carry on. Somehow I did it but it nearly killed me.”She added: “What I’m basically saying is that he didn’t love me and to be honest I now don’t give a s*** any more. It’s a sad situation but that’s the reality.”
However, talking to The Sun, Jimmy said: “I always think about Goliath facing David – that story is pretty much how I have always felt. “
Mel B later won custody over Phoenix Chi, however Jimmy followed them to the US to be close to his daughter.
Scary Spice and Eddie Murphy shocked the world when they began dating in 2006
Eddie Murphy
Mel B and Eddie Murphy shocked the world when they began dating in 2006, but after a whirlwind nine-month relationship, the pair parted ways.
They then ended up in a bitter paternity battle after the Hollywood actor refused to believe daughter, Angel Iris, now 18, was his child. Following DNA testing, it was confirmed that Angel was his daughter and since then, the former lovers have remained amicable as they co-parent their child.
Mel revealed it was her who chose to end the relationship and walk away from the actor. Writing in her memoir, Brutally Honest, she said: “You know, he’s Eddie Murphy. And I’m like, ‘Well, I’m Mel B!
“If something doesn’t feel right, if it isn’t equal, then what’s the point? Yes, Eddie Murphy’s a massive star. In my eyes — Spice Girls — so am I. I have my own house, my own car, my own credit card. I don’t need to fall in line and be Pretty Woman, because I have my own life.
“He almost wanted to just go like that. But I have a career. I’m not just going to give that up for love… to be a housewife. “
She continued: “But that wasn’t my path. It probably didn’t make sense to anybody at that time — why I would leave a relationship so full of love and giving, and almost nurturing.
“But I’m a strong independent woman, and it wasn’t coming together as equal as I wanted. “
In 2007, Mel married US film producer, Stephen Belafonte(Image: WireImage)
Stephen Belafonte
In 2007, Mel married US film producer, Stephen Belafonte, in a Las Vegas ceremony and renewed their vows in Egypt a year later.
The former America’s Got Talent judge met her husband on the set of film Talk, and they were friends for years before embarking on a romantic relationship.
The pair tied the knot after just four months of dating, and Stephen – who also has a daughter, Giselle, from a previous relationship – insisted that he had “never connected” with someone the way that he did with Mel, and that knowing her as a friend beforehand had made the dating process easier.
However, after welcoming their daughter Madison into the world, the couple separated in 2016 amid accusations of emotional and physical abuse from Mel, which Stephen denies. Last year, he announced he was suing Mel for defamation over claims she made about him being abusive and controlling during their time together, which she detailed in interviews and her autobiography, Brutally Honest.
On his £3. 9m libel suit in Florida, he said: “I am ready to prove Melanie’s statements about me are false. ” Stephen added that authorities investigated the claims and no charges were brought.
Mel’s legal team asked for the case to be thrown out last year.
In their filing to have the case dismissed, Mel’s lawyers said: “Brown should have never been dragged through the courts because of an exercise of [her] constitutional rights. ” But this was denied in October.
After years of heartache, Mel says she has finally found her happily ever after with fiancé Rory McPhee(Image: GC Images)
Rory McPhee
After years of heartache, Mel says she has finally found her happily ever after with fiancé Rory McPhee, who she has known for years and who is the best friend of her cousin.
As she gets set to wed today, she conceded she’d ever walk down the aisle again, insisting she was ‘fine by herself’.
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Speaking to People magazine, she said: “I was like, ‘I’m never going to get married again. Never, never, never. I’m never having a relationship. I’m fine by myself. I want to raise my kids, put my head down and work, and that’s it. And then… never can say never, can you?”
Affirming she still believed in love, Mel continued: “I believe in love, and clearly the other two marriages turned out to be not love, from their angle. So I feel like I’ve really missed out, and now I’ve got this opportunity to be properly in love with a really good guy who I know loves me for me. “
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When Meghan Markle married Prince Harry in 2018 and became part of the Firm, it is claimed the late Queen appointed one key royal to show her the ropes – but it seems the union did not go to plan
Meghan Markle with the Duchess of Edinburgh(Image: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)
When Meghan Markle married Prince Harry in 2018 and became part of the Firm, she opened herself up to learning all about royal life. And it was the late Queen who took Meghan on her first solo royal engagement after her wedding, with the pair taking a trip to Cheshire.
While much of the royal outing became a masterclass from the late Queen for Meghan Markle on how to carry oneself when on such official occasions, one book claimed that Her Majesty soon decided Meghan would be better suited to be mentored by another senior royal family member as she found her footing in the demands on royal life.
The late Queen Elizabeth reportedly hoped that Duchess Sophie would be a mentor to Meghan Markle when she married into the Firm(Image: SplashNews.com)
It was reported that it was decided that Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, would be the perfect person to take on the role of mentor to Meghan. And royal expert Gyles Brandreth told the Daily Mail: “The Queen wanted Meghan to make a success of the marriage and of her new role, and indeed did everything that she could to encourage that.
“I think she suggested to her that Sophie Wessex, who certainly was a favourite with her, and had been through it because she had married into the Royal Family, and married Prince Edward, might help her, be a sort of mentor. “
Sophie and Meghan seemed to be a perfect match, with both women marrying into the Firm from upper-middle class families, and their husbands both being third in line to the throne when they were born.
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Meghan is said to have insisted she didn’t need a royal mentor, and would instead rely on Prince Harry for support(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
However, despite the late Queen being eager to see their mentorship flourish, Meghan “”made it clear” she didn’t need Sophie’s help when it came to learning the rules of royal life and would instead rely on her new husband Harry, as Mr Brandreth wrote in his book, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait.
Mr Brandreth, who is a friend of the royals, wrote: “The Queen (who, of course, had seen it all before) understood that Harry’s girl might find adjusting to Royal life ‘challenging to begin with’ (as she put it). ‘It is very jolty, but you soon get used to it’. That was Her Majesty’s experience going back many years.
Duchess Sophie admitted it “took a while to find her feet” after marrying into the royal family in 1999(Image: SIPA USA/PA Images)
“To help Meghan, the Queen suggested that her daughter-in-law, Sophie Wessex, would be an ideal mentor. ‘Sophie can help show you the ropes,’ said the Queen. ” Meghan made it clear that she did not feel she needed Sophie’s help. She had Harry. “
Sophie has long acted as a mentor for new members of the royal family, as she is also said to have stepped in to help Princess Kate find her royal footing after her 2011 wedding to Prince William, with the pair becoming great friends and confidants at the same time.
Sophie has previously been honest about how it “took a while to find her feet” when she married Prince Edward in 1999, becoming a full-time working member of the monarchy and leaving behind a successful career in PR.
Sophie is believed to have tried to maintain a close relationship with Harry and Meghan, as according to The Times, Sophie was the first member of the royal family to visit the Sussexes following the birth of Archie in 2019, going to the couple’s Frogmore Cottage in Windsor.
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Speaking about the Sussexes’ exit from the firm, Sophie candidly said: “I just hope they will be happy. ” But possibly more pointedly, she said that the royal family does all they can to assist new members in adjusting to royal life, adding: “We all try to help any new members of the family. “
Wave goodbye to irritating midges and mosquitoes this summer with a ‘beautiful’ eucalyptus tree that no only promises to keep insects away but is also on sale for 30% less right now
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Keep pesky insects at bay with ‘beautiful’ eucalyptus tree that’s 30% off(Image: Getty)
Not only promising to elevate your outdoor space but also ensuring pesky flies, midges and mosquitoes will be kept away from your home, this eucalyptus is a beautiful and practical addition to any garden or patio this summer – and right now, you can save a whopping 30% thanks to this Gardening Express deal.
The evergreen lollipop Eucalyptus Gunnii tree is praised for its extremely decorative silver-blue oval-shaped leaves and its flaking bark in shades of grey, cream and brown. It’ll give a superb display throughout the year but is at its best in spring and summer as fresh new leaves emerge, deepening from grey green to a bluer shade as the waxy patina develops. Plus, this tree is touted for its insect-repelling properties.
READ MORE: ‘Elegant and fast-growing’ flamingo tree that adds colour to your patio is 50% off
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This Anti-mosquito Eucalyptus Gum Tree was £29.99 and is now £19.99(Image: Gardening Express)
Well known for the mosquito-repelling qualities, thanks to a pleasant menthol aroma, particularly when trained and regularly clipped into the standard form, this eucalyptus is perfect for planting in your garden or in a planter on the patio to keep away gnats and mosquitoes while remaining decorative all year round.
A hardy tree that will withstand the worst of weather, making it at home in the UK’s turbulent climate, this eucalyptus will make a beautiful feature in your garden, or on your patio, decking or balcony. Prune in early spring, as this will encourage the attractive young foliage to develop and assist in keeping flies and mosquitoes away from your home.
Supplied in approx 2-3 litre containers at around 80cms tall, this eucalyptus tree is now available for £19.99 at Gardening Express, down from £29.99. If you prefer to shop elsewhere, a similar tree is available for £30.59 at B&Q, for £24.99 at Very or for £33.98 from Gardeners Dream.
One shopper who picked up this gem beams in a 5-star review: “These trees arrived very quickly after my daughter ordered them all the way from Sydney, Australia for my birthday, they were packaged brilliantly and I love them, they are lovely to put on my new decking and will keep those pesky little Scottish midges at bay … hopefully”
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Another satisfied customer raves: “Such a sweet little standard eucalyptus, so pleased with it. Planted with one lavender and 5 dianthus. Beautiful, thanks for taking care with packing these lovelies. Ready to pop outside on my tiny patio, perfect. “
