Former Spice Girls star Melanie Chisholm is relieved she won't be part of a planned 2017 reunion, but insists she'll keep in touch with her old bandmates.
Mel C, aka Sporty Spice, admits it was a hard decision to say no when Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton and Geri Horner attempted to regroup the Wannabe hitmakers to mark the band's 20th anniversary earlier this year (16), but she's now glad she turned her back on the get together.
As a result, Mel B, Geri and Emma have formed the trio GEM, and they hope to hit the road next year (17), although there have been no dates or firm plans announced.
And Mel C has no problem not being part of the group, telling the Sunday Post, "Once it (the decision) was made, I felt very relieved and that proved to me that my instinct was right."
But she's playing down rumours of a rift between her and the GEM bandmates, insisting, "There's always an ebb and flow to how much we stay in touch. We have spells of seeing each other and then not speaking for months. Family life and career takes over.
"I'd love to see the girls more and when we do have periods of being in each other's lives, it's lovely."
The 42-year-old singer isn't the only former Spice Girl who has opted out of the reunion - designer Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice, has also declined to be part of the 2017 get together, which appears to have hit a snag following news of Horner's pregnancy.
Mel B, aka Scary Spice, who previously led the charge for a reunion now, says she's sick of talking about it.
The frustrated singer-turned-TV personality recently told Australia's Daily Telegraph, "I wish there was something to say. I'm fed up with talking about it because until it is absolutely set in stone and everybody gets their a**e in gear, there is nothing to say. If the girls said to me in January, 'We've booked five shows in the U.K.', I'd drop everything and be there."
