1 00:00:04,536 --> 00:00:08,044 -Hi! We're the Spice Girls! 2 00:00:08,077 --> 00:00:10,349 -In the late '90s, five wannabes 3 00:00:10,381 --> 00:00:13,688 become the best-selling girl group of all time. 4 00:00:13,721 --> 00:00:15,692 -That level of fame was a juggernaut. 5 00:00:15,726 --> 00:00:18,530 -Girl power coming at ya! -[ Shouts ] 6 00:00:18,565 --> 00:00:22,239 -But a brazen attitude about their own success... 7 00:00:22,271 --> 00:00:24,510 -Phil Spector called them the Antichrist. 8 00:00:24,542 --> 00:00:28,050 -...has critics saying it's too much... 9 00:00:28,083 --> 00:00:32,393 -People don't want to take their kind of arrogance anymore. 10 00:00:32,426 --> 00:00:35,298 -...moralists telling them to stop... 11 00:00:35,332 --> 00:00:37,101 -They were very open about it. 12 00:00:37,136 --> 00:00:40,375 -...and even some fans wondering, 13 00:00:40,408 --> 00:00:44,082 who do you think you are? 14 00:00:44,115 --> 00:00:46,487 -Fame definitely comes with a price. 15 00:00:46,521 --> 00:00:48,223 [ Indistinct shouting ] 16 00:00:48,258 --> 00:00:50,094 -But their biggest test will come 17 00:00:50,128 --> 00:00:53,667 when one of them says goodbye. 18 00:00:53,701 --> 00:00:56,774 -"I would like to confirm that I have left the Spice Girls." 19 00:00:56,807 --> 00:00:58,511 - Geri left. Oh, why? What happened? 20 00:00:58,545 --> 00:00:59,780 -No way! 21 00:00:59,814 --> 00:01:01,384 -Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 22 00:01:01,417 --> 00:01:04,222 -Where do you go from there? 23 00:01:04,256 --> 00:01:07,262 ♪ 24 00:01:07,296 --> 00:01:09,332 -Oh, no! 25 00:01:09,365 --> 00:01:13,040 ♪ 26 00:01:13,073 --> 00:01:14,742 [ Dial-up modem screeching ] 27 00:01:14,778 --> 00:01:24,697 ♪ 28 00:01:24,730 --> 00:01:28,203 [ Crowd cheering ] 29 00:01:28,237 --> 00:01:30,441 -The London Olympics coming to an end 30 00:01:30,474 --> 00:01:33,147 with a rocking closing ceremony. -Oh, yeah. 31 00:01:33,180 --> 00:01:35,618 -The five Spice Girls last take the stage together 32 00:01:35,652 --> 00:01:38,224 at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. 33 00:01:38,257 --> 00:01:40,094 [ Camera shutter clicks ] 34 00:01:40,128 --> 00:01:44,602 -Their appearance was like the last Spice Girls music video. 35 00:01:44,637 --> 00:01:48,578 It was capital "G" capital "P" Girl Power. 36 00:01:48,611 --> 00:01:51,683 -But as they take their closing ceremony victory lab... 37 00:01:51,716 --> 00:01:54,423 [ Crowd cheering, fireworks exploding ] 38 00:01:54,456 --> 00:01:56,326 -...they're also closing out a career 39 00:01:56,359 --> 00:01:59,667 that began with a sprint to stardom in the late 1990s. 40 00:01:59,700 --> 00:02:04,242 ♪ 41 00:02:04,275 --> 00:02:06,513 Earlier in the decade, America's grunge scene 42 00:02:06,546 --> 00:02:09,719 is threatening to take over the global music market. 43 00:02:09,752 --> 00:02:12,192 [ Crowd cheering ] 44 00:02:12,225 --> 00:02:15,564 But in England, music magazines are heralding 45 00:02:15,598 --> 00:02:18,538 an anti-grunge movement called Brit-pop, 46 00:02:18,570 --> 00:02:21,776 which is about to launch a new British invasion. 47 00:02:21,811 --> 00:02:24,782 Led by bands like The Stone Roses and Blur, 48 00:02:24,818 --> 00:02:27,256 the groups provide the soundtrack for the birth 49 00:02:27,288 --> 00:02:29,425 of Cool Britannia, 50 00:02:29,460 --> 00:02:31,796 marked by an increased pride in U.K. culture 51 00:02:31,830 --> 00:02:34,502 and especially by Britain's young artists. 52 00:02:34,536 --> 00:02:37,609 ♪ 53 00:02:37,643 --> 00:02:40,147 -Brit-pop was a very male-dominated thing. 54 00:02:40,181 --> 00:02:41,283 -They are the band of the people. 55 00:02:41,317 --> 00:02:42,887 They are Oasis. 56 00:02:42,920 --> 00:02:44,223 [ Cheers and applause ] 57 00:02:44,256 --> 00:02:47,496 -Oasis were the biggest. 58 00:02:47,528 --> 00:02:48,799 I'm David Sinclair. 59 00:02:48,831 --> 00:02:51,304 I'm the author of "The Spice Girls: 60 00:02:51,336 --> 00:02:54,944 How the Spice Girls Reinvented Pop Fame." 61 00:02:54,978 --> 00:02:57,849 In Britain, there was no girl group around. 62 00:02:57,883 --> 00:02:59,485 It was all boy groups. 63 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,893 East 17 and Take That were very successful. 64 00:03:02,926 --> 00:03:05,664 -We want Take That! We want Take That! 65 00:03:05,699 --> 00:03:09,439 We want Take That! We want Take That! 66 00:03:09,473 --> 00:03:12,378 -It was the start of a real pop scene in London 67 00:03:12,412 --> 00:03:15,784 dominated by manufactured boy bands, really. 68 00:03:15,818 --> 00:03:18,657 -Boyzone, Gemini, Backstreet Boys, Upside Down, 69 00:03:18,691 --> 00:03:21,764 the list of boy bands around these days is endless. 70 00:03:21,796 --> 00:03:24,736 -In the early '90s, I was really looking for an act 71 00:03:24,770 --> 00:03:26,741 that would get me some recognition. 72 00:03:26,774 --> 00:03:28,745 My name is Chris Herbert. 73 00:03:28,777 --> 00:03:31,317 I'm a music manager by trade, 74 00:03:31,349 --> 00:03:35,258 and I'm responsible for putting the Spice Girls together. 75 00:03:35,290 --> 00:03:38,764 Boy bands really only appealed to a female and a gay audience. 76 00:03:38,798 --> 00:03:41,270 I thought if you could put a girl band together 77 00:03:41,302 --> 00:03:45,677 that was both aspirational to girls, appealing to boys, 78 00:03:45,711 --> 00:03:49,586 I think -- and also a bit camp, you could double that audience. 79 00:03:49,620 --> 00:03:51,657 -21-year-old Chris successfully pitches 80 00:03:51,689 --> 00:03:53,493 the idea to his partners, 81 00:03:53,527 --> 00:03:57,602 his father, Bob, and financial backer Chic Murphy. 82 00:03:57,635 --> 00:04:00,341 He then begins scouting London for female talent 83 00:04:00,375 --> 00:04:02,878 with a distinct type of girl in mind. 84 00:04:02,913 --> 00:04:07,923 -There's a different work ethic with working-class girls. 85 00:04:07,955 --> 00:04:11,597 We wanted girls that were hungry for it. 86 00:04:11,629 --> 00:04:15,405 I just put an advert in the Stage newspaper. 87 00:04:15,437 --> 00:04:19,745 It was kind of an Uncle Sam recruitment poster, basic, 88 00:04:19,779 --> 00:04:21,449 but they did the job. 89 00:04:21,483 --> 00:04:24,790 ♪ 90 00:04:24,822 --> 00:04:28,497 I probably saw a few hundred girls. 91 00:04:30,502 --> 00:04:33,608 I managed to certainly tick off a few. 92 00:04:33,641 --> 00:04:37,581 I got it down to 10 or 12 girls. 93 00:04:37,615 --> 00:04:41,557 -Well, I'm Melanie Brown. I'm 19 years old. 94 00:04:41,589 --> 00:04:44,730 -Chris eventually spots a couple of girls he wants. 95 00:04:44,762 --> 00:04:48,403 -Mel B actually turned up to audition for a cruise, 96 00:04:48,437 --> 00:04:49,773 and I plucked her out, 97 00:04:49,805 --> 00:04:51,677 and we pulled her in and put her upstairs. 98 00:04:51,709 --> 00:04:54,783 And I knew the minute I saw her that she was hot property. 99 00:04:54,815 --> 00:04:56,653 -[ Vocalizing ] 100 00:04:56,687 --> 00:04:59,725 -Mel C was great. She had that northern soul. 101 00:04:59,759 --> 00:05:02,399 She was good. She just snapped into it. 102 00:05:02,432 --> 00:05:06,372 -Everyone wanted the audition, and luckily I got it. 103 00:05:06,406 --> 00:05:08,577 -Another girl, Victoria Adams, 104 00:05:08,610 --> 00:05:11,350 doesn't fit Chris's working-class ideal. 105 00:05:11,382 --> 00:05:12,954 -She was different to the others. 106 00:05:12,987 --> 00:05:14,822 Sophisticated. 107 00:05:14,855 --> 00:05:16,660 -She is the foxy lady of the group. 108 00:05:16,694 --> 00:05:19,031 -I'm not. -But he makes an exception. 109 00:05:19,065 --> 00:05:21,403 -[ Singing indistinctly ] 110 00:05:21,437 --> 00:05:24,009 -Michelle Stephenson is Chris's fourth pick. 111 00:05:24,041 --> 00:05:26,747 But the girl he desperately wants to fill out the group 112 00:05:26,779 --> 00:05:28,451 is playing hard to get. 113 00:05:28,483 --> 00:05:30,887 -My name's Geri, like Tom and Jerry. 114 00:05:30,922 --> 00:05:34,028 -Geri wasn't at the original audition. 115 00:05:34,062 --> 00:05:37,502 Every time I asked her to come, there was always an excuse. 116 00:05:37,535 --> 00:05:39,805 -Basically, I don't think I would have got the audition 117 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:42,911 because my vocal technique was not exactly very good then. 118 00:05:42,946 --> 00:05:47,788 -Now, I now know that what her tactic was, which was to try 119 00:05:47,822 --> 00:05:52,598 and bounce her way through those preliminary auditions, 120 00:05:52,632 --> 00:05:54,536 fast-tracking everything else 121 00:05:54,569 --> 00:05:57,108 and getting into the -- into the main event. 122 00:05:57,141 --> 00:05:59,879 -I want to be a pop star. 123 00:05:59,913 --> 00:06:01,716 -And to help them make that happen, 124 00:06:01,750 --> 00:06:04,322 Chris moves his ragtag group of girls into a house 125 00:06:04,355 --> 00:06:07,661 to begin their transformation. 126 00:06:07,696 --> 00:06:12,372 -It was a boot camp to get these girls really singing 127 00:06:12,404 --> 00:06:16,512 and performing like a fully formed unit. 128 00:06:16,547 --> 00:06:18,483 -Their drill sergeant is a vocal coach 129 00:06:18,516 --> 00:06:21,689 and former backup singer who has performed alongside The Beatles, 130 00:06:21,723 --> 00:06:24,495 The Rolling Stones, and Tina Turner. 131 00:06:26,100 --> 00:06:29,572 -So I had a call one day, would I come up 132 00:06:29,605 --> 00:06:33,747 and have a listen to them to see what I thought. 133 00:06:33,781 --> 00:06:35,785 I'm Pepi Lemer. 134 00:06:35,817 --> 00:06:39,425 And I trained the Spice Girls. 135 00:06:39,459 --> 00:06:40,762 Oh, gosh. 136 00:06:40,795 --> 00:06:43,500 Each of them needed a lot of work. 137 00:06:43,533 --> 00:06:45,471 -[ Vocalizing ] 138 00:06:45,504 --> 00:06:47,442 -Right away, there's a problem. 139 00:06:47,475 --> 00:06:50,548 Michelle Stephenson is out of harmony with the other girls. 140 00:06:50,581 --> 00:06:52,418 [ Laughter ] 141 00:06:52,451 --> 00:06:56,091 ♪ 142 00:06:56,125 --> 00:06:57,728 -She just wasn't fitting in. 143 00:06:57,762 --> 00:06:59,632 She would never gel with it. 144 00:06:59,665 --> 00:07:02,004 And we had to tell her to go. 145 00:07:02,036 --> 00:07:03,641 [ Indistinct conversations ] 146 00:07:03,673 --> 00:07:07,781 -But Pepi has a replacement in mind... 147 00:07:07,815 --> 00:07:11,723 -Hi. -...18-year-old Emma Bunton. 148 00:07:11,757 --> 00:07:16,065 -I had taught Emma a couple of years before, 149 00:07:16,098 --> 00:07:18,370 and I always remembered her 150 00:07:18,403 --> 00:07:21,610 because she's so pretty, a pretty voice. 151 00:07:21,642 --> 00:07:24,449 -I just had to sing a song. I sang SWV. 152 00:07:24,482 --> 00:07:27,855 -She was cute, really likable. You know, they loved her. 153 00:07:27,889 --> 00:07:29,124 -Yeah. -Chris's blonde. 154 00:07:29,158 --> 00:07:31,062 -She's the only blonde in the group. 155 00:07:31,095 --> 00:07:33,500 -I've got a strip of it. -And I've got a streak. 156 00:07:33,533 --> 00:07:36,473 -I'm a little bit ditzy. So is she. 157 00:07:36,507 --> 00:07:37,774 -♪ Time is now ♪ 158 00:07:37,809 --> 00:07:39,713 -When you saw them lined up, 159 00:07:39,745 --> 00:07:43,586 the whole thing just kind of fell into place. 160 00:07:43,620 --> 00:07:45,992 -Chris names his new girl group Touch 161 00:07:46,024 --> 00:07:49,899 and hands them off to Pepi to begin grueling rehearsals. 162 00:07:49,932 --> 00:07:53,574 -We got off to a bit of a rocky start. 163 00:07:53,607 --> 00:07:56,713 -Hey. -[ Vocalizing scale ] 164 00:07:56,747 --> 00:08:02,992 -Geri was more hesitant because her voice wasn't strong. 165 00:08:03,026 --> 00:08:05,463 Neither was Victoria's. 166 00:08:05,497 --> 00:08:08,170 -♪ Yeah ♪ 167 00:08:08,202 --> 00:08:11,776 ♪ But why did you come in my life ♪ 168 00:08:11,810 --> 00:08:15,083 -And at the end of the day, 169 00:08:15,115 --> 00:08:17,956 Geri got hold of my notes, 170 00:08:17,988 --> 00:08:21,762 and she was very upset because I had said, 171 00:08:21,797 --> 00:08:25,170 "You're going out of tune." 172 00:08:25,204 --> 00:08:28,711 I would privately say to her, "Learn from it. 173 00:08:28,744 --> 00:08:30,447 Don't cry about it. 174 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:34,089 You're just at the beginning, beginning of learning." 175 00:08:34,120 --> 00:08:35,825 -None of them were the best singers. 176 00:08:35,857 --> 00:08:37,861 -♪ Deeper ♪ 177 00:08:37,894 --> 00:08:39,966 ♪ Than ♪ 178 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:41,235 -A little bit flat. 179 00:08:41,269 --> 00:08:43,239 -None of them were the best dancers. 180 00:08:43,273 --> 00:08:46,647 -Yeah. -Alright. Whoo! Let's go. 181 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:49,686 -We were looking for great characters, 182 00:08:49,719 --> 00:08:52,557 and we felt that we could do the rest ourselves. 183 00:08:52,591 --> 00:08:55,630 -♪ Away, you know ♪ 184 00:08:55,664 --> 00:08:57,735 -We were doing eight-hour days in the studio, 185 00:08:57,769 --> 00:09:00,841 and it was rehearse, rehearse, rehearse again, again, again. 186 00:09:00,875 --> 00:09:02,110 -What keeps the girls going 187 00:09:02,144 --> 00:09:04,114 is their dreams of fame and fortune. 188 00:09:04,148 --> 00:09:06,452 -♪ Oh, oh ♪ 189 00:09:06,485 --> 00:09:10,660 -Hopefully, when we get where we -- where we want to be, 190 00:09:10,693 --> 00:09:13,000 we'll be able to lay back in the limousines 191 00:09:13,032 --> 00:09:16,539 and all that, but it's just been a lot of hard work now. 192 00:09:19,979 --> 00:09:22,652 -I thought I'd show you some my outfits. 193 00:09:22,684 --> 00:09:25,857 'Cause I am the original pop queen, everyone says. 194 00:09:25,890 --> 00:09:28,797 [ Indistinct conversations ] 195 00:09:28,831 --> 00:09:31,836 -They didn't have very much. 196 00:09:31,870 --> 00:09:35,977 I remember I brought a big bag of clothes. 197 00:09:36,010 --> 00:09:40,988 They took the clothes because, you know, they were struggling. 198 00:09:41,020 --> 00:09:45,096 -Oh, my God! Oh, no! 199 00:09:45,129 --> 00:09:48,034 -Struggling and working-class but not stupid, 200 00:09:48,068 --> 00:09:49,572 the girls keep being told 201 00:09:49,605 --> 00:09:51,543 they're going to be hugely successful. 202 00:09:51,576 --> 00:09:52,979 -...I wouldn't want. 203 00:09:53,011 --> 00:09:54,982 -Convince yourself it's gonna happen so that -- 204 00:09:55,015 --> 00:09:56,787 -So it does. -So it does happen. 205 00:09:56,820 --> 00:09:58,690 -Yeah. 206 00:09:58,724 --> 00:10:00,193 -So they tell their management team 207 00:10:00,225 --> 00:10:03,799 they want something in writing for when that day comes. 208 00:10:03,833 --> 00:10:07,642 -Obviously, I would have put a management contract in place. 209 00:10:07,674 --> 00:10:13,085 But my father and the financial backer at the time 210 00:10:13,119 --> 00:10:16,692 were much more old school in their way of thinking. 211 00:10:16,725 --> 00:10:19,731 -What I would do is work 'em. 212 00:10:19,765 --> 00:10:21,000 [ Indistinct shouting ] 213 00:10:21,034 --> 00:10:22,705 -You know, you kind of keep everyone 214 00:10:22,738 --> 00:10:24,375 fighting for their position, 215 00:10:24,408 --> 00:10:26,779 feeling slightly insecure 216 00:10:26,812 --> 00:10:30,754 that they could actually be replaced at any time. 217 00:10:30,788 --> 00:10:33,894 That way, you get people fighting for it. 218 00:10:33,927 --> 00:10:36,332 ♪ 219 00:10:36,365 --> 00:10:38,703 I didn't think that that was the right way, 220 00:10:38,736 --> 00:10:40,673 so, you know, I was all for them -- 221 00:10:40,707 --> 00:10:42,210 us getting a contract together. 222 00:10:42,244 --> 00:10:44,414 -[ Vocalizing ] 223 00:10:47,187 --> 00:10:48,956 -Alright, it was a mistake, a mistake. 224 00:10:48,990 --> 00:10:50,326 But you made a big -- 225 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:52,163 [ Indistinct arguing ] 226 00:10:52,197 --> 00:10:54,769 -Chris's partners' plan to keep the girls anxious 227 00:10:54,802 --> 00:10:57,942 and fighting works to drive them apart 228 00:10:57,975 --> 00:11:01,248 until a leader emerges to pull them back together. 229 00:11:01,282 --> 00:11:03,921 -Millions of kids out there want to be pop stars. 230 00:11:03,953 --> 00:11:06,024 Do you know what I mean? And we're actually taking steps 231 00:11:06,057 --> 00:11:07,394 getting closer and closer to a dream. 232 00:11:07,427 --> 00:11:08,897 Do you know what I mean? 233 00:11:08,931 --> 00:11:10,900 -Without a doubt, Geri was the leader. 234 00:11:10,933 --> 00:11:12,772 -I'm the brains behind it all. 235 00:11:12,804 --> 00:11:14,908 -She was a little bit older. 236 00:11:14,942 --> 00:11:17,013 She knew that she had the least talent 237 00:11:17,047 --> 00:11:19,083 in terms of singing and dancing, 238 00:11:19,116 --> 00:11:23,427 but Geri brought an energy and a camaraderie 239 00:11:23,458 --> 00:11:27,167 that was the nucleus of what that band became. 240 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:30,874 So she steps up immediately, and her sidekick was Mel B. 241 00:11:30,908 --> 00:11:32,745 -♪ I need you ♪ 242 00:11:34,414 --> 00:11:38,089 -Like five unique ingredients that create a savory dish, 243 00:11:38,121 --> 00:11:39,692 the girls blend together in a way 244 00:11:39,725 --> 00:11:41,296 that gives rise to a new name. 245 00:11:41,327 --> 00:11:43,299 -We wrote a song called "Sugar and Spice." 246 00:11:43,331 --> 00:11:45,035 -We're just very individual. -We're just very spicy. 247 00:11:45,068 --> 00:11:47,741 -And very spicy, and we all like to get up 248 00:11:47,774 --> 00:11:49,378 and have a good old laugh. 249 00:11:49,412 --> 00:11:52,384 -Along with their new name Spice comes a two-word slogan 250 00:11:52,418 --> 00:11:54,889 that one day will become a rallying call 251 00:11:54,922 --> 00:11:56,458 for girls across the globe. 252 00:11:56,491 --> 00:11:58,730 -Girl power coming at ya! -[ Shouts ] 253 00:11:58,764 --> 00:12:02,302 -Whoo! -Girl power. 254 00:12:02,337 --> 00:12:05,943 -Their slogan is borrowed from American punk band Bikini Kill, 255 00:12:05,977 --> 00:12:08,249 who pioneer an underground feminist movement 256 00:12:08,283 --> 00:12:10,854 called Riot Grrrl in the early '90s. 257 00:12:10,888 --> 00:12:14,293 -♪ I think I want to be your best friend, yeah ♪ 258 00:12:14,327 --> 00:12:16,264 -♪ No stopping, delaying ♪ 259 00:12:16,298 --> 00:12:17,934 ♪ You know exactly what I'm saying ♪ 260 00:12:17,967 --> 00:12:21,942 -Geri had borrowed that whole attitude, 261 00:12:21,975 --> 00:12:25,951 but she -- quite cleverly, she sort of repackaged it 262 00:12:25,984 --> 00:12:30,192 but in a much more pop palatable way. 263 00:12:32,498 --> 00:12:36,071 -In 1994, in a tiny London rehearsal studio, 264 00:12:36,104 --> 00:12:38,442 Pepi's efforts to energize girl power 265 00:12:38,476 --> 00:12:41,448 seemed to happen in a flash. 266 00:12:41,482 --> 00:12:43,384 -I had them in a singing circle 267 00:12:43,419 --> 00:12:45,890 going, "One, two, three, four," 268 00:12:45,923 --> 00:12:50,265 and then they started to sing with a four-part harmony. 269 00:12:50,298 --> 00:12:52,336 I remember tingles. 270 00:12:52,370 --> 00:12:56,245 -[ Harmonizing ] 271 00:12:56,278 --> 00:12:58,850 -♪ Take me away ♪ 272 00:12:58,884 --> 00:13:01,120 -I only thought, "Oh." 273 00:13:01,154 --> 00:13:03,826 That was magical. 274 00:13:03,860 --> 00:13:10,774 The music world was waiting for something like this to happen. 275 00:13:10,807 --> 00:13:13,044 -Soon, these five girls from London -- 276 00:13:13,077 --> 00:13:16,051 Ginger, Posh, Sporty, Baby, and Scary -- 277 00:13:16,083 --> 00:13:19,024 will take over the BRIT Awards... 278 00:13:19,057 --> 00:13:24,335 -The all-conquering Spice Girls! 279 00:13:24,366 --> 00:13:26,270 -...and then the world. 280 00:13:30,211 --> 00:13:32,784 -♪ Take me away ♪ 281 00:13:32,817 --> 00:13:34,922 -In December 1994, 282 00:13:34,956 --> 00:13:37,394 Spice, the girl group Chris Herbert put together 283 00:13:37,427 --> 00:13:40,801 and Pepi Lemer spent months meticulously training, 284 00:13:40,833 --> 00:13:43,371 is ready for their first industry showcase. 285 00:13:47,179 --> 00:13:50,253 -[ Speaks indistinctly ] 286 00:13:50,285 --> 00:13:54,961 -I had invited along the best writers, producers, 287 00:13:54,995 --> 00:13:58,201 managers of writers, and publishers. 288 00:13:58,235 --> 00:14:00,239 [ Dramatic music plays ] 289 00:14:00,273 --> 00:14:03,177 -We were all on edge. 290 00:14:03,211 --> 00:14:05,917 It was a huge deal for them. 291 00:14:05,951 --> 00:14:10,158 They have worked so hard. 292 00:14:10,192 --> 00:14:13,966 -♪ We're gonna make it happen ♪ -♪ You know that ♪ 293 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:15,470 -Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. 294 00:14:15,503 --> 00:14:18,142 Oh, it was fantastic. 295 00:14:18,174 --> 00:14:21,114 -♪ Ooh-hoo ♪ 296 00:14:21,148 --> 00:14:23,552 -They were just not fazed by it at all, 297 00:14:23,586 --> 00:14:26,158 and, in fact, they took control of the room. 298 00:14:26,191 --> 00:14:29,197 -We think that there's a massive gap, definitely, yeah, 299 00:14:29,230 --> 00:14:30,933 for a girl group. 300 00:14:30,966 --> 00:14:33,572 -They were sitting there interviewing the writers, 301 00:14:33,605 --> 00:14:36,077 saying, "Look, you know, well, he's written for Take That. 302 00:14:36,110 --> 00:14:37,514 Who have you written for?" 303 00:14:37,547 --> 00:14:41,087 -You know, we're not as poppy as Take That. 304 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:42,524 -People wanted to work with them. 305 00:14:42,557 --> 00:14:44,126 So I was rubbing my hands together. 306 00:14:44,159 --> 00:14:46,999 It was everything I wanted. 307 00:14:47,033 --> 00:14:49,938 -But like they're saying "Be careful what you wish for," 308 00:14:49,971 --> 00:14:51,975 Chris soon discovers that the girls' confidence 309 00:14:52,009 --> 00:14:53,645 in front of those music executives 310 00:14:53,679 --> 00:14:55,482 foreshadows a problem 311 00:14:55,515 --> 00:15:00,592 when he and his partners finally offer Spice a contract. 312 00:15:00,626 --> 00:15:03,899 -By the time we had presented it to the girls, 313 00:15:03,932 --> 00:15:06,605 I think there was a slight, you know, 314 00:15:06,638 --> 00:15:09,043 change of thought on their part 315 00:15:09,076 --> 00:15:11,313 where they weren't coming to us cap in hand and saying, 316 00:15:11,347 --> 00:15:13,051 "When are you going to sign us?" 317 00:15:13,085 --> 00:15:15,022 It was more like, 318 00:15:15,054 --> 00:15:18,195 "We don't necessarily think that we need your contract now." 319 00:15:20,499 --> 00:15:22,671 -Chris still believes the girls will sign with him. 320 00:15:25,442 --> 00:15:29,049 So he sets up a recording session at Sheffield Studio 321 00:15:29,082 --> 00:15:32,523 for them to work with songwriter Eliot Kennedy. 322 00:15:32,557 --> 00:15:34,528 [ Line ringing ] 323 00:15:37,432 --> 00:15:40,405 But on the day, the girls stop answering Chris's calls. 324 00:15:40,438 --> 00:15:42,977 [ Ringing continues ] -[ Sighs ] 325 00:15:43,010 --> 00:15:44,547 Hmm. 326 00:15:44,581 --> 00:15:46,350 -I didn't really know what was going on. 327 00:15:46,384 --> 00:15:49,157 So I run to Eliot and I said, 328 00:15:49,190 --> 00:15:52,464 "Look, the girls won't be making the session. 329 00:15:52,495 --> 00:15:55,201 We'll reschedule." 330 00:15:55,235 --> 00:15:56,639 He said, "Look, Chris, I've got to tell you." 331 00:15:56,671 --> 00:15:58,609 He said, "The girls are already here." 332 00:15:58,643 --> 00:16:00,078 I was like, "Oh." 333 00:16:00,111 --> 00:16:01,413 [ Indistinct conversation ] 334 00:16:01,447 --> 00:16:04,955 They had gone up to Sheffield. 335 00:16:04,989 --> 00:16:09,129 Eventually got to Eliot, said, "Hi. We're Spice. 336 00:16:09,163 --> 00:16:10,667 We've kind of fallen out with management. 337 00:16:10,700 --> 00:16:13,437 Would you have the session anyway?" 338 00:16:13,471 --> 00:16:16,043 He said, "Look, the girls don't want to speak to you." 339 00:16:16,076 --> 00:16:17,413 And that was it. 340 00:16:17,446 --> 00:16:20,519 [ Beeping ] -[ Sighs ] 341 00:16:20,552 --> 00:16:22,456 [ Cheering, laughing ] 342 00:16:22,490 --> 00:16:26,697 -That just superpowered them and gave them the belief 343 00:16:26,731 --> 00:16:29,636 that they can do this themselves and take -- take -- 344 00:16:29,672 --> 00:16:33,010 you know, be in control of their own destiny. 345 00:16:33,044 --> 00:16:37,086 I didn't see the girls for dust after they had left. 346 00:16:37,119 --> 00:16:38,956 You know, I was a young manager. 347 00:16:38,990 --> 00:16:44,735 You know, I was kind of their older brother and friend. 348 00:16:44,768 --> 00:16:46,037 -[ Vocalizing ] 349 00:16:46,071 --> 00:16:49,243 -So I was more hurt personally 350 00:16:49,277 --> 00:16:50,647 because we -- we hung out 351 00:16:50,678 --> 00:16:52,682 and we were friends and everything else. 352 00:16:52,717 --> 00:16:55,688 And we'd spent so much time together. 353 00:16:55,724 --> 00:16:59,530 I was more hurt about that than I was at the prospect of, 354 00:16:59,563 --> 00:17:02,035 "Oh, God, we've lost this band." 355 00:17:02,068 --> 00:17:06,277 I mourned the loss of our friendship. 356 00:17:06,310 --> 00:17:09,217 And the fact that they felt that they could do that to me. 357 00:17:09,250 --> 00:17:11,954 [ Glass shatters ] 358 00:17:11,989 --> 00:17:13,458 -There was one particular guy, and he was, 359 00:17:13,491 --> 00:17:15,963 like -- he was auditioning for a girl band. 360 00:17:15,997 --> 00:17:17,665 And we went with him for a little while. 361 00:17:17,701 --> 00:17:20,471 But then what did we do, girls? We did the off. 362 00:17:20,506 --> 00:17:22,576 We did the off and did our own thing 363 00:17:22,609 --> 00:17:25,715 and started our own spicy movement. 364 00:17:25,750 --> 00:17:28,087 -But in the '90s for women to launch a movement 365 00:17:28,121 --> 00:17:31,493 in the music industry, spicy or otherwise, 366 00:17:31,528 --> 00:17:34,400 it still requires getting past the gatekeepers. 367 00:17:34,433 --> 00:17:36,505 And that means men. 368 00:17:36,538 --> 00:17:38,307 -You know, we're doing it for the girls. 369 00:17:38,340 --> 00:17:40,179 We want the girlies out there to join our gang. 370 00:17:40,211 --> 00:17:44,353 -It was always manipulated, the industry, by men. 371 00:17:44,386 --> 00:17:48,394 Very, very few women. Very few managers were women. 372 00:17:48,428 --> 00:17:50,666 -I think girls like to see some of the girls 373 00:17:50,699 --> 00:17:53,538 doing it for a change. 374 00:17:53,571 --> 00:17:57,078 -Their personalities were on par with their music. 375 00:17:57,113 --> 00:18:00,653 You know, that independent feminist spirit 376 00:18:00,685 --> 00:18:05,061 of young girls saying, "Up yours." 377 00:18:05,095 --> 00:18:07,701 -Understanding they need men to help guide their career. 378 00:18:07,732 --> 00:18:10,338 Spice decides to go after the most powerful men 379 00:18:10,372 --> 00:18:12,777 in London's music scene. 380 00:18:12,810 --> 00:18:15,414 -They would find someone that they wanted to influence, 381 00:18:15,449 --> 00:18:19,356 be it a record company executive or a manager, 382 00:18:19,390 --> 00:18:22,061 and they'd march into these offices. 383 00:18:22,096 --> 00:18:23,766 [ Laughter ] 384 00:18:23,799 --> 00:18:28,375 And they'd start doing an impromptu performance. 385 00:18:28,407 --> 00:18:30,378 They'd flirt with these executives 386 00:18:30,412 --> 00:18:32,650 or they'd pinch their bottoms. 387 00:18:32,683 --> 00:18:34,755 [ Laughter ] 388 00:18:37,526 --> 00:18:39,631 Geri once was told that the executive 389 00:18:39,663 --> 00:18:41,768 she wanted to see wasn't in the office. 390 00:18:41,801 --> 00:18:44,272 So she went over to the photocopier 391 00:18:44,307 --> 00:18:48,114 and just pulled up her top and ran off a copy of her boobs. 392 00:18:51,119 --> 00:18:52,522 Put the photocopy on his desk, said, 393 00:18:52,556 --> 00:18:54,460 "Well, tell him that's what he missed." 394 00:18:56,898 --> 00:18:59,470 -Fosse gets foxy! 395 00:18:59,502 --> 00:19:03,178 -What they did was they reversed the casting couch role. 396 00:19:03,211 --> 00:19:07,086 They kind of seduced the male people in charge. 397 00:19:07,118 --> 00:19:08,454 -Including Simon Fuller, 398 00:19:08,488 --> 00:19:10,358 one of London's top music managers, 399 00:19:10,392 --> 00:19:12,496 who represents Annie Lennox. 400 00:19:12,528 --> 00:19:14,532 He later creates the shows "Pop Idol" 401 00:19:14,567 --> 00:19:18,674 and the wildly successful "American Idol" in the States. 402 00:19:18,708 --> 00:19:21,814 -Simon Fuller was the one that was the winner, 403 00:19:21,848 --> 00:19:26,124 and a few people were left in the dust, including me. 404 00:19:26,156 --> 00:19:29,596 -After making one manager disappear and hiring Fuller, 405 00:19:29,630 --> 00:19:32,803 the magical young women rebrand themselves Spice Girls 406 00:19:32,836 --> 00:19:35,308 and soon secure a lucrative recording contract 407 00:19:35,342 --> 00:19:37,346 from Virgin Records. 408 00:19:37,378 --> 00:19:39,717 But on the day of the contract signing, 409 00:19:39,750 --> 00:19:42,623 they once again perform a disappearing act. 410 00:19:42,655 --> 00:19:46,130 -The Virgin executives are waiting at their HQ, 411 00:19:46,163 --> 00:19:49,502 and they sent a limo off to pick up the Spice Girls. 412 00:19:49,537 --> 00:19:52,608 Well, the limo arrives. 413 00:19:52,643 --> 00:19:55,715 It's got five blow-up dolls in it, 414 00:19:55,750 --> 00:19:58,855 sex dolls corresponding to the five girls. 415 00:19:58,887 --> 00:20:01,394 And the Spice Girls are nowhere to be seen. 416 00:20:01,426 --> 00:20:03,498 They were out doing who knows what. 417 00:20:03,530 --> 00:20:05,469 [ Laughter ] 418 00:20:05,501 --> 00:20:08,307 Finally, the girls arrive. 419 00:20:08,340 --> 00:20:11,682 They had a few drinks, I think. 420 00:20:11,713 --> 00:20:14,686 They sign the contract, chuck the dolls in the canal. 421 00:20:14,720 --> 00:20:17,659 [ Horn blaring, laughter ] 422 00:20:17,692 --> 00:20:20,198 Apparently, Victoria's knickers had been removed 423 00:20:20,231 --> 00:20:23,438 before they got to wherever they were going 424 00:20:23,471 --> 00:20:25,409 and chucked out the window. 425 00:20:25,442 --> 00:20:28,647 And it was an uproarious drunken night out that they had. 426 00:20:28,681 --> 00:20:31,253 [ Laughter ] -Hey! 427 00:20:31,287 --> 00:20:32,789 -Aah! 428 00:20:32,823 --> 00:20:35,694 -Hi! We're the Spice Girls! 429 00:20:35,729 --> 00:20:37,699 [ Crowd cheering ] 430 00:20:37,732 --> 00:20:39,470 -A year later on the BBC... 431 00:20:39,502 --> 00:20:42,876 -Spice Girls are Top of the Pops! 432 00:20:42,910 --> 00:20:47,519 -...the Spice Girls perform their first single, "Wannabe." 433 00:20:47,553 --> 00:20:50,258 It's a bittersweet moment for their one-time manager 434 00:20:50,291 --> 00:20:51,661 who helped get them there. 435 00:20:51,693 --> 00:20:55,268 ♪ 436 00:20:55,301 --> 00:20:57,638 -I was blown away by it. 437 00:20:57,673 --> 00:20:59,375 The whole thing had come together, 438 00:20:59,410 --> 00:21:03,518 and I'm watching it on TV as a punter, 439 00:21:03,550 --> 00:21:05,622 which was a kind of strange thing, so... 440 00:21:05,654 --> 00:21:11,801 ♪ 441 00:21:11,834 --> 00:21:13,904 -"Wannabe" quickly climbs to number one 442 00:21:13,939 --> 00:21:17,945 on the U.K. singles charts, selling 7 million copies. 443 00:21:17,980 --> 00:21:21,721 It will soon reach number one in 37 countries worldwide. 444 00:21:21,753 --> 00:21:23,557 -It's Spice Girl mania. 445 00:21:23,590 --> 00:21:25,962 Young wannabes all over the place. 446 00:21:25,997 --> 00:21:27,901 -♪ If you wanna be my lover ♪ 447 00:21:27,933 --> 00:21:29,470 ♪ You got to get with my friends ♪ 448 00:21:29,502 --> 00:21:32,676 -We love you, Spice Girls! 449 00:21:32,709 --> 00:21:33,979 -Kids just went nuts. 450 00:21:34,012 --> 00:21:37,352 -Girl power. [ Girls cheering ] 451 00:21:37,385 --> 00:21:40,525 -It turned that whole generation onto music virtually overnight. 452 00:21:40,558 --> 00:21:41,794 I thought to myself, "Yeah, 453 00:21:41,826 --> 00:21:45,535 that's certainly gonna stir things up." 454 00:21:45,568 --> 00:21:48,907 -But when the Spice Girls stir things up in the media, 455 00:21:48,942 --> 00:21:52,915 it's often the people around them whose lives get shaken. 456 00:21:52,951 --> 00:21:55,387 -They fired the whole Spice Girls machine 457 00:21:55,422 --> 00:21:56,656 that surrounds them. 458 00:21:56,691 --> 00:21:58,828 [ Camera shutters clicking ] 459 00:22:04,539 --> 00:22:06,009 -The Spice Girls song "Wannabe" 460 00:22:06,042 --> 00:22:09,048 is making "girl power" a catchphrase of the '90s... 461 00:22:09,082 --> 00:22:11,586 -Girl power. -[ Cheering ] 462 00:22:11,621 --> 00:22:13,758 -...and launching a wave of Spice mania... 463 00:22:13,790 --> 00:22:16,999 -♪ ...is too easy, but that's the way it is ♪ 464 00:22:17,030 --> 00:22:19,068 -It's the best group in the world. 465 00:22:19,103 --> 00:22:21,406 -...that sweeps across Europe and Asia 466 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:22,943 before invading America. 467 00:22:22,977 --> 00:22:26,450 -Alright, America, here they come the Spice Girls. 468 00:22:26,483 --> 00:22:27,987 [ Cheers and applause ] 469 00:22:28,019 --> 00:22:29,923 -Girl power! -Girl power. 470 00:22:29,957 --> 00:22:32,429 -I want to do this. Mwah! 471 00:22:32,461 --> 00:22:34,532 [ Audience cheering ] 472 00:22:34,566 --> 00:22:36,936 -The fab five thrill U.S. television audiences 473 00:22:36,971 --> 00:22:39,476 on shows like "Live with Regis and Kathie Lee" 474 00:22:39,509 --> 00:22:41,346 and "Saturday Night Live," 475 00:22:41,380 --> 00:22:44,420 where they perform "Wannabe" and their next number-one hit, 476 00:22:44,452 --> 00:22:45,888 "Say You'll Be There." 477 00:22:45,923 --> 00:22:47,425 -Girl power. 478 00:22:47,459 --> 00:22:49,462 -The girls are the hottest group around. 479 00:22:49,496 --> 00:22:51,666 They even have mom's stamp of approval. 480 00:22:51,701 --> 00:22:53,371 -Spice Mom! -Whoo! 481 00:22:53,403 --> 00:22:55,575 -As for the man who invented the Internet, 482 00:22:55,607 --> 00:22:57,778 U.S. Vice President Al Gore, 483 00:22:57,813 --> 00:22:59,650 he can't escape the Spice Girls, either. 484 00:23:01,519 --> 00:23:02,989 -I don't know. [ Laughter ] 485 00:23:03,023 --> 00:23:05,795 [ Camera shutters clicking, indistinct shouting ] 486 00:23:05,828 --> 00:23:11,673 ♪ 487 00:23:11,707 --> 00:23:13,810 [ Crowd cheering ] 488 00:23:13,846 --> 00:23:18,954 -I couldn't believe the enormity of it all. 489 00:23:18,988 --> 00:23:24,398 To be plucked from where we were in a little house, 490 00:23:24,432 --> 00:23:26,604 could this happen? 491 00:23:26,636 --> 00:23:27,672 Yeah. 492 00:23:27,705 --> 00:23:30,845 [ Crowd cheering, shouting ] 493 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:32,915 [ Horn honks ] 494 00:23:32,950 --> 00:23:35,154 -With the Spice Girls, 495 00:23:35,188 --> 00:23:37,023 that level of fame was a juggernaut. 496 00:23:37,057 --> 00:23:39,163 [ Crowd screaming ] 497 00:23:39,194 --> 00:23:41,767 Probably not seen since The Beatles. 498 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:43,135 [ Chuckles ] 499 00:23:43,171 --> 00:23:44,807 I'm Shinan Govani. 500 00:23:44,839 --> 00:23:48,078 I'm a longtime social and pop culture columnist. 501 00:23:48,114 --> 00:23:49,682 -She's brilliant. -She's brilliant. 502 00:23:49,715 --> 00:23:52,888 -Here we had the only girl band up until then 503 00:23:52,923 --> 00:23:55,961 who had really sort of played into the idea 504 00:23:55,994 --> 00:23:59,067 of their own brashness and their own femininity. 505 00:23:59,102 --> 00:24:01,406 [ Crowd shouting, horn blares ] 506 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:03,009 -In March of 1997, 507 00:24:03,044 --> 00:24:07,952 the British press prints 141 Spice Girls stories in one week. 508 00:24:07,986 --> 00:24:10,157 That summer, the group rides girl power 509 00:24:10,191 --> 00:24:12,963 to the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. 510 00:24:12,996 --> 00:24:16,001 ♪ 511 00:24:16,035 --> 00:24:19,076 Now Britain's biggest pop-culture phenomenon, 512 00:24:19,107 --> 00:24:21,579 these once-working-class girls get invited 513 00:24:21,614 --> 00:24:23,884 to the most privileged of U.K. events. 514 00:24:25,688 --> 00:24:26,856 A royal gala. 515 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:29,930 -Oh, no! 516 00:24:29,962 --> 00:24:31,799 -You are. 517 00:24:31,835 --> 00:24:35,008 -There's the famous sequence meeting Prince Charles 518 00:24:35,039 --> 00:24:37,645 where Geri Halliwell gives a pat on the butt 519 00:24:37,679 --> 00:24:39,615 of the future King. 520 00:24:40,785 --> 00:24:43,857 ♪ 521 00:24:43,891 --> 00:24:48,000 Charles post-Diana was seen as somewhat of a fuddy-duddy. 522 00:24:48,032 --> 00:24:51,105 By putting their pixie dust on him, 523 00:24:51,138 --> 00:24:53,678 they made him instantly cooler. 524 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:57,885 [ Camera shutter clicks ] 525 00:24:57,919 --> 00:24:59,221 -We're just having a laugh. 526 00:24:59,255 --> 00:25:02,027 We're just a girl gang here doing music, 527 00:25:02,060 --> 00:25:04,165 enjoy it to the max. 528 00:25:04,198 --> 00:25:06,436 -Just 10 months after the release of "Wannabe," 529 00:25:06,470 --> 00:25:09,209 the Spice Girls achieved Mel B's goal... 530 00:25:09,241 --> 00:25:13,116 -Hopefully, when we get where we -- where we want to be, 531 00:25:13,150 --> 00:25:16,522 we'll be able to lay back in the limousine. 532 00:25:16,557 --> 00:25:17,992 -...helped along by a movie deal 533 00:25:18,027 --> 00:25:21,200 and endorsement contracts for over 100 products. 534 00:25:21,231 --> 00:25:27,578 -They could have sold anything anywhere to anyone. 535 00:25:27,612 --> 00:25:29,148 -Sporty Spice. -I have Baby Spice. 536 00:25:29,181 --> 00:25:31,086 -And I have Posh Spice. [ Crowd screaming ] 537 00:25:31,118 --> 00:25:33,824 -They were leveraging their fame... 538 00:25:33,857 --> 00:25:35,160 -Girl power! 539 00:25:35,193 --> 00:25:36,730 -...their moment. 540 00:25:36,763 --> 00:25:38,567 -Girls, we got to go and press the button. 541 00:25:38,601 --> 00:25:40,738 [ Cheering ] 542 00:25:40,771 --> 00:25:43,778 -Is there such a thing as too much spice? 543 00:25:43,810 --> 00:25:47,719 The Spice Girls may be suffering from overexposure. 544 00:25:47,751 --> 00:25:52,161 -I don't think that the Spice Girls were doing anything 545 00:25:52,194 --> 00:25:57,739 that legions of male pop stars had not done for decades. 546 00:25:57,771 --> 00:26:01,279 -♪ You're the Pepsi generation ♪ 547 00:26:01,313 --> 00:26:03,683 -Michael Jackson was in Pepsi commercials. 548 00:26:03,718 --> 00:26:05,520 -♪ Hold it down, feel the noise ♪ 549 00:26:05,555 --> 00:26:08,093 -English band the Spice Girls has made a commercial 550 00:26:08,126 --> 00:26:10,029 for the soft drink giant. 551 00:26:10,064 --> 00:26:15,140 -The Spice Girls were a brand unto themselves. 552 00:26:15,173 --> 00:26:17,778 -But when the press announced in 1997 553 00:26:17,811 --> 00:26:20,718 that the Spice Girls would earn an estimated $500 million 554 00:26:20,750 --> 00:26:24,558 from sponsorships, the backlash is swift and stinging. 555 00:26:24,593 --> 00:26:27,765 -There's just too much marketing, not enough music. 556 00:26:27,798 --> 00:26:29,568 -Hey, who needs Victoria's autograph? 557 00:26:29,603 --> 00:26:31,740 -And the money comes, of course, from the fans. 558 00:26:31,773 --> 00:26:34,311 Spice girls Limited operate a mail-order business, 559 00:26:34,346 --> 00:26:37,585 selling everything from jackets to mugs and T-shirts. 560 00:26:37,618 --> 00:26:39,321 -Oh, God, there was nothing 561 00:26:39,355 --> 00:26:41,727 that the Spice Girls would not endorse. 562 00:26:41,759 --> 00:26:43,931 -Spice Girls merchandising's big business. 563 00:26:43,963 --> 00:26:45,934 -People didn't like that very much. 564 00:26:45,969 --> 00:26:48,272 They felt that music should exist for a higher purpose. 565 00:26:48,307 --> 00:26:50,278 And art should be taken more seriously 566 00:26:50,310 --> 00:26:52,648 than the Spice Girls were taking it. 567 00:26:52,682 --> 00:26:53,851 -Here's the book. 568 00:26:53,884 --> 00:26:55,954 -This is it. This is the book. 569 00:26:55,988 --> 00:26:58,894 -The Spice Girls' commercialism is so over the top 570 00:26:58,928 --> 00:27:02,902 that Liam Gallagher of the band Oasis sparks a media feud 571 00:27:02,935 --> 00:27:08,012 by announcing he's refusing to attend the 1997 BRIT Awards 572 00:27:08,046 --> 00:27:10,785 because he fears he will smack them. 573 00:27:10,817 --> 00:27:13,155 [ Crowd cheering ] 574 00:27:13,190 --> 00:27:16,762 On awards night, Geri tries to win back British favor 575 00:27:16,797 --> 00:27:19,067 by performing in a dress she and her sister craft 576 00:27:19,101 --> 00:27:23,142 from a single Union Jack tea towel. 577 00:27:23,176 --> 00:27:26,616 -♪ Oh, yeah ♪ 578 00:27:26,650 --> 00:27:28,787 -And the winner... 579 00:27:28,820 --> 00:27:32,059 the little Spice Girls! 580 00:27:32,094 --> 00:27:33,797 When the Spice Girls song "Wannabe" 581 00:27:33,830 --> 00:27:35,233 beats out the Oasis song, 582 00:27:35,268 --> 00:27:37,739 ironically called "Don't Look Back in Anger," 583 00:27:37,771 --> 00:27:42,247 Sporty Spice can't resist challenging Liam Gallagher. 584 00:27:42,281 --> 00:27:45,788 -I just want to say, Liam, come and have a go 585 00:27:45,820 --> 00:27:47,791 if you think you're hard enough. 586 00:27:47,825 --> 00:27:50,063 [ Cheers and applause ] 587 00:27:50,096 --> 00:27:52,902 -That was girl power personified, 588 00:27:52,934 --> 00:27:58,011 calling out, you know, this rock hard man at an industry event. 589 00:27:58,046 --> 00:28:00,282 -It's got fuck all to do with you. 590 00:28:00,317 --> 00:28:02,354 -A month later at the Capital Awards, 591 00:28:02,387 --> 00:28:04,759 Liam's brother and bandmate Noel Gallagher 592 00:28:04,792 --> 00:28:06,363 takes his shot at the Spice Girls 593 00:28:06,395 --> 00:28:08,800 for doing marketing, not music. 594 00:28:11,306 --> 00:28:13,376 [ Cheers and applause ] True to their brand, 595 00:28:13,410 --> 00:28:16,682 the fab five aren't going to let Gallagher have the last word. 596 00:28:16,717 --> 00:28:18,721 -Did anybody notice how Noel Gallagher 597 00:28:18,753 --> 00:28:20,155 ran out after he said that? 598 00:28:20,191 --> 00:28:22,996 -He ran. [ Cheers and applause ] 599 00:28:23,028 --> 00:28:24,330 -Later that year, the Spice Girls 600 00:28:24,365 --> 00:28:26,167 do get back to the music, 601 00:28:26,201 --> 00:28:30,143 performing two sold-out shows to ecstatic fans in Istanbul 602 00:28:30,176 --> 00:28:33,750 that are recorded and sold on VHS 603 00:28:33,784 --> 00:28:37,023 and releasing a second hit album, "Spice World," 604 00:28:37,057 --> 00:28:42,134 along with an autobiographical movie of the same name. 605 00:28:42,167 --> 00:28:45,140 But behind the scenes, the girls are beginning to rebel 606 00:28:45,173 --> 00:28:47,076 against their manager Simon Fuller's 607 00:28:47,111 --> 00:28:48,881 grueling schedule. 608 00:28:48,913 --> 00:28:52,019 ♪ 609 00:28:52,053 --> 00:28:54,090 -They were getting called at 5:00 in the morning 610 00:28:54,124 --> 00:28:56,328 to go and do the filming, 611 00:28:56,362 --> 00:28:59,701 and they were ending up in the recording studio until, 612 00:28:59,736 --> 00:29:03,076 you know, 11:00 or 12:00 the same night. 613 00:29:03,108 --> 00:29:04,913 There were hardly any time to even go to bed, 614 00:29:04,945 --> 00:29:07,017 let alone have a life. 615 00:29:07,049 --> 00:29:09,421 -Once willing to pay any price for fame, 616 00:29:09,455 --> 00:29:13,061 the Spice Girls now seem tired of the cost, 617 00:29:13,096 --> 00:29:16,000 something they dramatize in their movie. 618 00:29:16,035 --> 00:29:18,440 -We're old enough to take responsibility for our own lives. 619 00:29:18,472 --> 00:29:20,109 Do you know what I mean? -You don't have a life. 620 00:29:20,143 --> 00:29:21,913 You have a schedule. 621 00:29:21,946 --> 00:29:24,818 You are part of a well-oiled global machine. 622 00:29:24,853 --> 00:29:27,356 -In the movie, they were just pleading for some time off, 623 00:29:27,391 --> 00:29:30,329 and Richard E. Grant wouldn't give it to them. 624 00:29:30,364 --> 00:29:31,932 And in real life, 625 00:29:31,967 --> 00:29:34,403 Simon Fuller was more or less doing the same. 626 00:29:34,439 --> 00:29:36,275 You know, he was saying, "No, we've got to keep going. 627 00:29:36,308 --> 00:29:38,179 We can't stop." 628 00:29:38,211 --> 00:29:41,451 It all came to a head, really, when they went to Johannesburg 629 00:29:41,486 --> 00:29:44,726 and did a charity show for Nelson Mandela. 630 00:29:44,759 --> 00:29:47,263 And Prince Charles was there at the same time, 631 00:29:47,298 --> 00:29:49,067 and they spent a weekend there. 632 00:29:49,101 --> 00:29:51,505 They were allowed a little bit of time off. 633 00:29:53,509 --> 00:29:56,482 -It is one of the greatest moments in my life. 634 00:29:56,516 --> 00:29:57,852 -Aye! 635 00:29:57,884 --> 00:30:01,459 -It's the second greatest moment. 636 00:30:01,491 --> 00:30:05,800 -During that South African trip, 637 00:30:05,834 --> 00:30:08,005 I think they got a bit fed up with hearing 638 00:30:08,038 --> 00:30:11,244 how much they owed to Simon Fuller. 639 00:30:11,278 --> 00:30:14,284 -And so, like they did at the dawn of their careers... 640 00:30:14,317 --> 00:30:17,525 [ Glass shatters ] 641 00:30:17,557 --> 00:30:19,193 ...the five girls huddled together 642 00:30:19,228 --> 00:30:21,333 to make a fateful decision. 643 00:30:21,365 --> 00:30:23,936 -That was the time at which they cooked up 644 00:30:23,971 --> 00:30:26,240 getting rid of Simon Fuller as their manager. 645 00:30:26,276 --> 00:30:30,517 ♪ 646 00:30:30,550 --> 00:30:33,390 It was a complete bombshell. 647 00:30:33,422 --> 00:30:36,228 And it was a gift to the tabloids. 648 00:30:36,262 --> 00:30:37,565 -Wild fans screamed 649 00:30:37,597 --> 00:30:39,434 as the British sensation Spice Girls 650 00:30:39,468 --> 00:30:41,873 made a grand entrance at the long-awaited premiere 651 00:30:41,905 --> 00:30:44,076 of their new movie. 652 00:30:44,111 --> 00:30:45,847 -Charles is our new manager. 653 00:30:45,881 --> 00:30:47,917 [ Laughter ] 654 00:30:47,951 --> 00:30:50,522 -But with no Simon Fuller to protect them, 655 00:30:50,557 --> 00:30:53,229 the Spice Girls are more vulnerable. 656 00:30:53,261 --> 00:30:55,333 -Suddenly, it was open season. 657 00:30:55,366 --> 00:30:56,869 -The girls have hit back, 658 00:30:56,903 --> 00:30:59,173 saying it was all a misunderstanding. 659 00:30:59,207 --> 00:31:01,211 [ Crowd booing ] 660 00:31:01,246 --> 00:31:03,316 [ Camera shutters clicking ] 661 00:31:07,490 --> 00:31:09,060 -The Spice Girls have been booed 662 00:31:09,094 --> 00:31:11,131 for delaying an award ceremony in Barcelona. 663 00:31:11,164 --> 00:31:12,867 [ Crowd booing, camera shutters clicking ] 664 00:31:12,902 --> 00:31:15,173 [ Indistinct shouting ] 665 00:31:15,205 --> 00:31:17,042 -A week after firing their manager, 666 00:31:17,076 --> 00:31:19,247 the Spice Girls refused to take the stage 667 00:31:19,280 --> 00:31:21,853 at a Spanish awards show 668 00:31:21,885 --> 00:31:25,294 until the photographers are removed. 669 00:31:25,326 --> 00:31:27,430 -The girls insisted they had the copyright 670 00:31:27,464 --> 00:31:29,935 on any pictures of them. 671 00:31:29,969 --> 00:31:33,409 When they finally came onstage, the reaction was mixed. 672 00:31:33,442 --> 00:31:35,980 After they'd sung... [ Crowd booing ] 673 00:31:36,013 --> 00:31:38,219 ...the floor manager desperately tried 674 00:31:38,251 --> 00:31:40,624 to whip up applause, but to no avail. 675 00:31:42,359 --> 00:31:46,067 -Headlines and news reports tell the story. 676 00:31:46,101 --> 00:31:48,338 The girls' spicy prima donna routine 677 00:31:48,372 --> 00:31:52,346 is beginning to leave a bad taste in people's mouths. 678 00:31:52,381 --> 00:31:54,284 -What happened last night is basically 679 00:31:54,317 --> 00:31:57,390 the Spice girls displayed quite a bit of arrogance. 680 00:31:57,423 --> 00:31:59,561 I think they did themselves no favors at all 681 00:31:59,595 --> 00:32:02,200 by getting rid of their manager, Simon Fuller, 682 00:32:02,232 --> 00:32:05,071 who actually, you know, was responsible for their success, 683 00:32:05,105 --> 00:32:06,910 no matter what they might think. 684 00:32:06,942 --> 00:32:10,951 -There was always going to come a point where enough was enough. 685 00:32:10,983 --> 00:32:14,089 Historically, pop groups have a very limited time frame. 686 00:32:14,124 --> 00:32:16,228 You know, they come and they go, and that's it, 687 00:32:16,260 --> 00:32:17,932 in the press, in the media. 688 00:32:17,964 --> 00:32:19,401 And I think it was just felt that it was time 689 00:32:19,433 --> 00:32:21,471 to take them down a peg or two. 690 00:32:21,505 --> 00:32:24,076 I mean, Phil Spector called them the Antichrist. 691 00:32:27,282 --> 00:32:30,623 -The 1997 Christmas season delivers a sobering blow 692 00:32:30,656 --> 00:32:32,661 to the five Spice Girls 693 00:32:32,694 --> 00:32:34,932 when they're beaten on the U.K. singles chart 694 00:32:34,965 --> 00:32:38,305 by the four Teletubbies, 695 00:32:38,338 --> 00:32:40,609 whose big hit "Teletubbies say 'Eh-oh!'" 696 00:32:40,644 --> 00:32:43,147 wins over the hearts and minds of children 697 00:32:43,182 --> 00:32:44,351 during the holiday rush. 698 00:32:44,384 --> 00:32:46,153 -Eh-oh! 699 00:32:46,188 --> 00:32:48,392 -You think this is the beginning of the end. 700 00:32:48,424 --> 00:32:49,561 -Yeah. 701 00:32:49,595 --> 00:32:51,064 -But while critics are quick 702 00:32:51,097 --> 00:32:52,667 to write the Spice Girls' obituary... 703 00:32:52,701 --> 00:32:54,638 -Girl power! 704 00:32:54,672 --> 00:32:57,376 -...news of their demise proves premature 705 00:32:57,410 --> 00:33:01,317 when their announced 102-date world tour sells out in minutes. 706 00:33:01,351 --> 00:33:04,257 -How long do you think the Spice Girls are gonna last? 707 00:33:04,290 --> 00:33:06,996 -Forever. 708 00:33:07,029 --> 00:33:09,467 -As they perform before screaming fans, 709 00:33:09,501 --> 00:33:13,075 it appears Spice mania can't be stopped. 710 00:33:13,107 --> 00:33:14,510 -It's like a marriage. -It is. 711 00:33:14,545 --> 00:33:16,013 -Yeah. -Totally, and I don't think 712 00:33:16,048 --> 00:33:17,550 we'll ever lose that. I think we -- 713 00:33:17,584 --> 00:33:21,157 We always say we're gonna be like the Golden Girls. 714 00:33:21,191 --> 00:33:23,228 -All of these girls are strong individuals. 715 00:33:23,261 --> 00:33:26,401 They just ignore the tabloids, went on on their business 716 00:33:26,434 --> 00:33:30,209 and what they had to achieve and what they had to do. 717 00:33:30,241 --> 00:33:32,046 Eszteca Noya. 718 00:33:32,079 --> 00:33:33,749 My name is Eszteca Noya, 719 00:33:33,782 --> 00:33:36,253 and I was one of the main dancers 720 00:33:36,288 --> 00:33:39,227 on the Spice Girls world tour 1998. 721 00:33:39,259 --> 00:33:42,200 Just wanted to make sure, you know. 722 00:33:42,232 --> 00:33:47,577 I'm a street dancer, and I was lucky to end up as a Spice Boy. 723 00:33:47,609 --> 00:33:50,215 To be onstage with the Spice Girls, 724 00:33:50,249 --> 00:33:51,419 that was incredible. 725 00:33:51,451 --> 00:33:53,255 [ Crowd cheering ] 726 00:33:53,288 --> 00:33:55,159 -As Baby Spice's dance partner, 727 00:33:55,192 --> 00:33:58,164 Eszteca basks in the glow of the spotlight. 728 00:33:58,198 --> 00:34:01,238 [ Cheers and applause ] 729 00:34:01,270 --> 00:34:02,974 -The view here is nice. 730 00:34:03,008 --> 00:34:04,611 -And offstage... 731 00:34:04,644 --> 00:34:06,314 -Geri. 732 00:34:06,347 --> 00:34:08,519 The bodyguard, all fans here. 733 00:34:08,552 --> 00:34:10,990 -...Eszteca has a front-row seat to what happens 734 00:34:11,023 --> 00:34:13,128 in the shadows of Spiceworld. 735 00:34:13,161 --> 00:34:15,432 -Eszteca, you're a lazy bitch. 736 00:34:15,465 --> 00:34:17,436 -Spice Girls. 737 00:34:17,469 --> 00:34:20,175 The daily routine just exhausts you. 738 00:34:20,208 --> 00:34:21,612 -Oi, come like this. Do it. 739 00:34:21,644 --> 00:34:24,349 Stage it like it is, do it and get on with it. 740 00:34:24,385 --> 00:34:28,324 -The girls were always getting homesick, as well. 741 00:34:28,358 --> 00:34:30,429 -Aah! 742 00:34:30,463 --> 00:34:32,400 -So the girls try to keep things light 743 00:34:32,432 --> 00:34:34,438 to relieve the tour's daily grind. 744 00:34:38,445 --> 00:34:40,382 -[ Laughs ] 745 00:34:40,416 --> 00:34:42,452 Yeah, there was some specifics 746 00:34:42,487 --> 00:34:44,356 of which I heard about pajama parties, 747 00:34:44,389 --> 00:34:46,094 but I'd rather not tell that. 748 00:34:49,300 --> 00:34:51,338 -But he will confirm that some of the girls 749 00:34:51,371 --> 00:34:53,809 are relieving homesickness in the company 750 00:34:53,842 --> 00:34:55,346 of their male dancers. 751 00:34:55,380 --> 00:34:57,717 -[ Laughs ] 752 00:34:57,750 --> 00:34:59,554 -We've got Spice Boys. 753 00:34:59,588 --> 00:35:01,659 -[ Speaks Spanish ] 754 00:35:01,690 --> 00:35:06,300 -You heard Christian is together with Geri 755 00:35:06,333 --> 00:35:09,641 and Mel B's together with Jim. 756 00:35:09,673 --> 00:35:12,079 It was like, "Okay. 757 00:35:12,112 --> 00:35:13,817 Okay, cool." 758 00:35:13,849 --> 00:35:17,123 They didn't hide it. They were very open about it. 759 00:35:18,425 --> 00:35:21,664 That's how it all went into the media. 760 00:35:21,699 --> 00:35:23,570 -As did a Spice Girl relationship 761 00:35:23,601 --> 00:35:26,141 not involving a member of the crew. 762 00:35:26,173 --> 00:35:28,445 Posh Spice lives in the tabloid headlines 763 00:35:28,478 --> 00:35:30,782 alongside her equally famous fiancé. 764 00:35:30,817 --> 00:35:33,655 -David Beckham, one of the most famous faces in football, 765 00:35:33,690 --> 00:35:36,293 and Victoria Adams, better known as Posh Spice, 766 00:35:36,327 --> 00:35:39,467 posing for pictures after announcing their engagement. 767 00:35:39,500 --> 00:35:41,739 -The paparazzi hound Posh and Becks 768 00:35:41,771 --> 00:35:44,210 on the European leg of the tour. 769 00:35:44,244 --> 00:35:47,650 -They were both just so hot. 770 00:35:47,684 --> 00:35:53,630 We had just come out of the Diana/Charles rise and fall. 771 00:35:53,663 --> 00:35:55,331 -I'm embarrassed now. Stop it. 772 00:35:55,365 --> 00:35:59,440 -If Posh and Becks didn't exist, the British tabloids, 773 00:35:59,474 --> 00:36:01,911 they would have had to make them up. 774 00:36:01,945 --> 00:36:04,150 -And like with Princess Diana, 775 00:36:04,182 --> 00:36:06,121 the tabloid encounters with the Spice Girls 776 00:36:06,153 --> 00:36:09,226 become increasingly ruthless and relentless, 777 00:36:09,260 --> 00:36:13,434 something Mel C speaks frankly about during a 2022 podcast. 778 00:36:13,467 --> 00:36:16,340 -They called me Sumo Spice. 779 00:36:16,373 --> 00:36:19,347 I mean, how disgusting is that? 780 00:36:19,380 --> 00:36:22,753 -There was a lot of focus on their bodies at the time. 781 00:36:22,786 --> 00:36:25,125 -As Geri reveals when interviewed, 782 00:36:25,159 --> 00:36:27,697 the cruelty of the tabloids is hard to bear. 783 00:36:27,730 --> 00:36:30,735 -When somebody calls me a fat old slag, you know, 784 00:36:30,769 --> 00:36:32,440 if I wasn't sure of what I was doing, 785 00:36:32,472 --> 00:36:34,344 I wouldn't be able to continue. 786 00:36:34,376 --> 00:36:36,748 -They were privy to all kinds of headlines 787 00:36:36,780 --> 00:36:42,293 that would certainly not pass muster in our time today. 788 00:36:42,326 --> 00:36:43,829 [ Camera shutters clicking ] 789 00:36:43,862 --> 00:36:46,735 When you become famous at that level, 790 00:36:46,768 --> 00:36:50,608 it is Pandora's box. 791 00:36:50,641 --> 00:36:54,684 It's inevitable that the fame begins to eat you alive. 792 00:36:54,717 --> 00:36:56,387 -No! 793 00:36:56,420 --> 00:36:58,657 -And also devours relationships. 794 00:36:58,692 --> 00:37:00,228 -Have you cut short the tour out there? 795 00:37:00,262 --> 00:37:01,231 -No. -No. 796 00:37:01,264 --> 00:37:02,900 -We're not telling you. 797 00:37:02,932 --> 00:37:05,338 -The pressure and the pace and the amount of work 798 00:37:05,371 --> 00:37:08,445 that they'd done, it all started to take its toll. 799 00:37:08,478 --> 00:37:11,483 [ Indistinct shouting ] 800 00:37:11,518 --> 00:37:13,889 -People start to wear down... 801 00:37:13,922 --> 00:37:15,827 [ Shouting continues ] 802 00:37:15,858 --> 00:37:18,764 ...spit out what they really felt inside. 803 00:37:18,798 --> 00:37:22,306 [ Shouting continues ] 804 00:37:22,338 --> 00:37:23,943 We were asking ourselves like, "Wow, 805 00:37:23,976 --> 00:37:26,313 there's something going on." 806 00:37:26,347 --> 00:37:28,351 [ Indistinct talking ] 807 00:37:28,385 --> 00:37:31,190 -[ Sobbing ] 808 00:37:31,224 --> 00:37:33,561 -But we didn't know what was going on. 809 00:37:33,596 --> 00:37:36,367 ♪ 810 00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:38,438 -[ Sobbing ] 811 00:37:38,472 --> 00:37:41,478 -Something snapped at that point. 812 00:37:41,510 --> 00:37:43,315 -In May 1998, 813 00:37:43,347 --> 00:37:46,989 the Spice Girls perform together in Helsinki, Finland. 814 00:37:47,021 --> 00:37:50,262 And everything seems normal. 815 00:37:50,295 --> 00:37:53,635 -It's the midweek National Lottery draw. 816 00:37:53,668 --> 00:37:57,476 -But when the group returns to London for a TV appearance, 817 00:37:57,510 --> 00:37:59,981 not all of them make it to the studio. 818 00:38:00,014 --> 00:38:02,353 -Are we not missing somebody? -We are. 819 00:38:02,385 --> 00:38:04,356 -Unfortunately, Geri's not very well tonight, 820 00:38:04,389 --> 00:38:06,494 so get well soon, Geri. 821 00:38:06,527 --> 00:38:09,467 [ Cheers and applause ] 822 00:38:09,500 --> 00:38:11,804 -When Geri just didn't show up, 823 00:38:11,838 --> 00:38:15,980 it was a pop-culture earthquake. 824 00:38:16,014 --> 00:38:18,251 -Girl power may not be enough 825 00:38:18,284 --> 00:38:21,590 to hold the most popular girl group of the '90s together. 826 00:38:21,623 --> 00:38:24,329 Ginger Spice missed a concert last night. 827 00:38:24,362 --> 00:38:26,034 -Ginger Spice is missing. 828 00:38:28,338 --> 00:38:29,507 -No way! 829 00:38:29,539 --> 00:38:31,543 -Yeah. -Where's Geri gone? 830 00:38:31,577 --> 00:38:33,481 -♪ Where has Geri gone? ♪ 831 00:38:33,514 --> 00:38:35,018 -♪ Where has Geri gone? ♪ 832 00:38:35,052 --> 00:38:36,420 -What happens now? 833 00:38:40,596 --> 00:38:42,565 -After four days of wild speculation 834 00:38:42,599 --> 00:38:45,005 over Ginger Spice's whereabouts, 835 00:38:45,036 --> 00:38:48,644 Geri Halliwell's lawyer reads her statement to the world. 836 00:38:48,677 --> 00:38:51,952 -"I wish to apologize to all the fans. 837 00:38:51,985 --> 00:38:55,893 I would like to confirm that I have left the Spice Girls. 838 00:38:55,927 --> 00:38:58,764 This is because of differences between us." 839 00:38:58,797 --> 00:39:00,735 -Geri hasn't revealed her future plans, 840 00:39:00,769 --> 00:39:02,539 but the remaining four Spice Girls say 841 00:39:02,572 --> 00:39:06,380 they'll be pressing on with their American tour. 842 00:39:06,414 --> 00:39:08,818 -When Geri leaves the band, 843 00:39:08,851 --> 00:39:13,527 for those who were invested in these five women, 844 00:39:13,561 --> 00:39:18,304 it represented an abrupt break, death, end. 845 00:39:18,338 --> 00:39:20,942 -[ Screams ] 846 00:39:20,976 --> 00:39:23,882 -And it invited so much speculation 847 00:39:23,916 --> 00:39:28,056 about who was to blame, what led up to it, you know, 848 00:39:28,090 --> 00:39:31,496 where do the Spice Girls go now? 849 00:39:31,530 --> 00:39:32,900 -What did she say that day? 850 00:39:32,932 --> 00:39:35,539 -Funny enough, she didn't. 851 00:39:35,572 --> 00:39:37,543 -Geri is asked the same question 852 00:39:37,576 --> 00:39:39,346 since leaving the Spice Girls. 853 00:39:39,380 --> 00:39:41,016 -Why? Why did you leave? 854 00:39:41,048 --> 00:39:44,056 -You know, I have my reasons why I left the Spice Girls. 855 00:39:44,090 --> 00:39:45,425 But it's like a marriage. 856 00:39:45,458 --> 00:39:47,628 I think, you know, 857 00:39:47,663 --> 00:39:50,768 you should keep those kind of things private to a degree. 858 00:39:50,802 --> 00:39:53,875 -But time will do what Barbara Walters couldn't -- 859 00:39:53,909 --> 00:39:57,349 get Geri to reveal how her struggles as a Spice Girl 860 00:39:57,382 --> 00:39:59,519 helped contribute to her leaving. 861 00:39:59,552 --> 00:40:02,960 -"They called her old, fat, and ugly, as they often did." 862 00:40:02,994 --> 00:40:05,364 Isn't that horrible? 863 00:40:05,398 --> 00:40:06,900 -And in 2016, 864 00:40:06,934 --> 00:40:08,538 Geri reveals to Oprah Winfrey 865 00:40:08,570 --> 00:40:11,677 just how serious her problems became. 866 00:40:11,711 --> 00:40:15,117 -We all use different tools to get by. 867 00:40:15,152 --> 00:40:17,054 You know, coping mechanisms. 868 00:40:17,088 --> 00:40:18,992 Mine was controlling my body weight. 869 00:40:19,025 --> 00:40:21,764 I started being bulimic. 870 00:40:21,797 --> 00:40:25,773 -If you're under that kind of spotlight, 871 00:40:25,806 --> 00:40:33,521 all kind of scrutiny can affect one's imbalances. 872 00:40:33,554 --> 00:40:36,561 -Victoria and Mel C have both revealed their own struggles 873 00:40:36,594 --> 00:40:38,130 with eating disorders and depression... 874 00:40:38,164 --> 00:40:39,967 -Victoria Adams. 875 00:40:40,001 --> 00:40:42,873 -...made worse by the media's obsession with their weight, 876 00:40:42,905 --> 00:40:45,110 which includes live humiliation on TV 877 00:40:45,144 --> 00:40:47,215 two months after Posh has a baby. 878 00:40:47,248 --> 00:40:48,853 -Is your weight back to normal? -Yeah, it is. 879 00:40:48,885 --> 00:40:50,454 -Can I check? Do you mind? 880 00:40:50,489 --> 00:40:52,927 -Oh, no. You did this to Geri, didn't you? 881 00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:54,931 No, but Geri was, like, really small. 882 00:40:54,965 --> 00:40:56,800 -But it's alright. 883 00:40:56,833 --> 00:40:59,172 -The media's quick and constant reactions 884 00:40:59,206 --> 00:41:01,476 to the Spice Girls' weight fluctuations 885 00:41:01,510 --> 00:41:02,981 may have led to their instability 886 00:41:03,014 --> 00:41:05,585 and mental health issues, 887 00:41:05,619 --> 00:41:09,025 something Mel C has been honest about in recent interviews. 888 00:41:09,057 --> 00:41:11,931 -I'd spent years trying to make myself smaller. 889 00:41:11,965 --> 00:41:15,070 And it was killing me. I had depression. 890 00:41:15,103 --> 00:41:18,978 I just knew I'd lost control over my eating. 891 00:41:19,012 --> 00:41:22,485 -Fame definitely comes with a price. 892 00:41:22,518 --> 00:41:25,759 For the girls, it probably got too much for them 893 00:41:25,791 --> 00:41:27,829 through those pressures. 894 00:41:27,862 --> 00:41:30,635 When you're trying to kind of keep a steady ship, 895 00:41:30,668 --> 00:41:35,978 that becomes, you know, quite damaging. 896 00:41:36,012 --> 00:41:37,815 -No, no. 897 00:41:37,849 --> 00:41:41,088 -In a documentary film shortly after she leaves the group, 898 00:41:41,123 --> 00:41:45,164 Geri drops hints that another Spice Girl prompted her exit. 899 00:41:45,197 --> 00:41:47,936 -I had no choice. I had no choice. 900 00:41:47,969 --> 00:41:49,172 Absolutely no choice. 901 00:41:49,206 --> 00:41:50,708 -Do you think they wanted you out? 902 00:41:50,742 --> 00:41:53,047 -Yes. One particular member did. 903 00:41:53,079 --> 00:41:54,650 -[ Vocalizing ] 904 00:41:54,682 --> 00:41:55,684 -♪ Everything... ♪ 905 00:41:55,719 --> 00:41:57,021 -Rumors involving Mel B, 906 00:41:57,054 --> 00:41:58,757 who helps Geri pull the group together 907 00:41:58,791 --> 00:42:00,961 back during their boot camp days, 908 00:42:00,996 --> 00:42:04,036 have never gone away. 909 00:42:04,068 --> 00:42:05,806 In a recent interview, 910 00:42:05,838 --> 00:42:09,079 Mel B speaks candidly about their relationship. 911 00:42:09,112 --> 00:42:11,048 -There were rumors that you and Geri 912 00:42:11,083 --> 00:42:13,820 were, you know, more than just good friends. 913 00:42:13,856 --> 00:42:15,224 You'd had a little dabble. 914 00:42:15,257 --> 00:42:17,528 -Oh. 915 00:42:17,561 --> 00:42:19,032 She had great boobs. 916 00:42:19,065 --> 00:42:20,635 [ Laughter ] 917 00:42:20,668 --> 00:42:22,706 -So you did? 918 00:42:22,739 --> 00:42:24,876 Yes, really? 919 00:42:24,911 --> 00:42:28,016 -Even Mel C seemed shocked by the admission. 920 00:42:28,050 --> 00:42:32,759 -This was like an earthquake revelation. 921 00:42:32,793 --> 00:42:34,797 Geri has denied this, 922 00:42:34,829 --> 00:42:37,802 so I guess the truth lies somewhere. 923 00:42:37,836 --> 00:42:40,608 [ Camera shutters clicking, indistinct shouting ] 924 00:42:40,641 --> 00:42:43,313 [ Crowd cheering ] 925 00:42:43,347 --> 00:42:45,217 -After Geri's departure, 926 00:42:45,251 --> 00:42:47,222 the four remaining Spice Girls finish 927 00:42:47,255 --> 00:42:48,990 the world tour in America. 928 00:42:49,025 --> 00:42:50,929 -Spice Girls rule! 929 00:42:50,963 --> 00:42:56,139 -Then they record a third album called "Forever." 930 00:42:56,172 --> 00:42:58,677 Aside from their reunion tour in 2007, 931 00:42:58,710 --> 00:43:01,583 the Spice Girls haven't performed as a full group 932 00:43:01,617 --> 00:43:04,121 since the 2012 London Olympics. 933 00:43:04,155 --> 00:43:08,664 -The Spice Girls effectively only existed for a few years. 934 00:43:08,697 --> 00:43:13,106 Of course, their legacy lives on in a whole new generation 935 00:43:13,139 --> 00:43:16,847 of female pop stars inspired by them. 936 00:43:16,880 --> 00:43:20,221 -What it did for me was springboard me 937 00:43:20,255 --> 00:43:21,757 into the music industry. 938 00:43:21,791 --> 00:43:25,632 -♪ Oh, oh ♪ 939 00:43:25,664 --> 00:43:27,202 -When I look at the Spice Girls, 940 00:43:27,233 --> 00:43:30,675 I don't feel any bitterness, remorse, 941 00:43:30,708 --> 00:43:32,110 because I still look at that band, 942 00:43:32,144 --> 00:43:36,085 and it's still part of my legacy. 943 00:43:36,119 --> 00:43:37,956 They still hold the crown. 944 00:43:37,989 --> 00:43:40,728 They're still the biggest girl band. 945 00:43:40,762 --> 00:43:42,298 -They've all come through it. 946 00:43:42,331 --> 00:43:46,338 They all have children who seem to be reasonably adjusted. 947 00:43:46,373 --> 00:43:51,083 They've all found their own place in the scheme of things 948 00:43:51,114 --> 00:43:52,751 at the end of it all. 949 00:43:52,786 --> 00:43:55,123 And that was what girl power was all about, you know?