Mixed Up: Mel B reveals how she showed the other Spice Girls what it was like to walk in her shoes

The one where we meet an actual Spice Girl
Emma and Nicole are joined by Mel B to discuss her deeply open and vulnerable memoir, Brutally Honest. She shares how emotional abuse is something that we all have close proximity to as women. She speaks candidly on motherhood, surviving abuse and PTSD, and recovery through to finding joy.
Mel B's Instagram: / officialmelb
Pre-order our book The Half Of It: lnkfi.re/nf0upC
Instagram: / mixedup.podcast
Website: www.mixedup.co.uk/
Substack: mixeduppod.substack.com
Thank you to art'otel London Battersea Power Station for hosting us!
artotellondonbattersea.com/

[@Justonevideoplease]

Growing up I never knew she was half white. She looked fully black to me as we are the same colour. It’s so interesting that the world saw her as black and she had to fight to be seen as mixed. Must have been hard

[@siddaye]

@Justonevideoplease the world didnt view her as black i know I didnt they saw her for what she was someone who is non white ie in her case mixed and its evident she's mixed no black person looks like that people are just lazy and self hating and want to make her something she isn't and never will be due to their own self hate and self loathing

[@nopeceun]

Same. I only realised she was biracial when the Spice Girls' mama video came out and they were showing all their moms and I saw that her mom was white.

[@kaleenajean]

Saying it’s hard to be seen as blk when she is part blk is the most ignorant thing I’ve heard in awhile. The average healthy minded mixed person isn’t walking around trying to prove they are half Yt lol we will never be Yt and will always be seen as Blk as Blk is dominate. Thats just facts. Fight to been seen as mixed as if that’s some difference in treatment. Blk people are mixed lol. They the original mixed people 😂

[@kaleenajean]

So you think being mixed is based of complexion? Ewww ignorant

[@ncamara670]

Great interview! I too grew up watching Spice Girls and Mel B has always struck me as someone very confident and strong. She still has that vibe and it is great she is using it to highlight issues like abuse that so many women are shy to talk about. I feel like the misogynist voices got stronger in the past few years so they need an equally strong opposition

[@ChloePierre]

Monumental! The spice girls was gamechanging

[@LuzDoSol-yr5bv]

Mix race here, too. We still have to continue this conversation, mixed hair or Afro still taboo, especially wigs and man and woman to embrace their identity. Go girls! Love Mel B.

[@loydwilliams6693]

Great interview! I’ve seen a few interviews of hers but this is the first to talk about her ethnicity etc.

[@namanparvaiz]

Can't believe you got such an amazing guest with such little followers and viewers! Well done I hope your podcast is successful

[@nowuknow7364]

This is a beautiful conversation.

[@ChokoladkaOfficial]

What a great interview!

[@nanaobben5166]

Enjoyed this excellent conversation with Mel B 🖤🤍🖤🤍🖤🤍

[@ChloePierre]

Go ladies!!!!!

[@youngtoday7651]

They could never make me hate Mel B

[@faithBlondon]

A lot of black families have members of varying shades, including light, who are not mixed. I found they can also face some similar issues to mixed race people. What you identify as and what your perceived as dont allways match.

[@siddaye]

@faithBlondon what you are describing is shadeism amongst relatives . And what you identify as and what are in this case are two different things mixed people are mixed and black people are black. a mixed person is not black no matter how hard they cape and no matter black people may want them to identify as and want them to be. A black is a black person no matter how hard they hope and prey they want to be something else its not going to work . But blacks and mixed people don't share the same things mixed people have something blacks dont

[@faithBlondon]

@@siddaye I think I was trying to say that for non black, they can't allways differenriate tell if your mixed or light skined black so they'll maybe lazily view you as black rightly or wrongly. But a person will self identify for themselves. Your comment about a mixed person is not black is as silly as saying they're white, or not white. Black people "hope and prey" to be something else was a bit off lol, we don't all hold that trauma. Perhaps not so well, my point is that race , identify it's not allways soo clear cut and what you lable yourself isn't allways what your ethnicity is, eg if your mixed and you don't identify with your other side, you might not want to claim it or include it when you tell people

[@siddaye]

@@faithBlondon But they arent black they are mixed cause if you say oh im black then you too have to include the other side you cant just say you're one with out the other or one and not the other mixed people like to think we're stupid and won't be able to tell seriously ive seen it like its crazy basically calling them out into admitting things its really sad but it has to be done . They think we ll go along with whatever they choose and its like no we won't at least I won't hell to the no

[@puffymuffin9064]

This is true my sister is light skin she's not mix her dad was light skin but she have issues with people because of her colour kind of jealousy thing

[@sydneycolquitt2189]

She was absolutely my hair inspo. I had my mom put my hair in mini bantu knots because I saw her wear them in the Spice Girls movie!

[@BillCosbyTouchedMyDoodle]

Mel B always struck me as a caramel version of Jane Leeves (Daphne Moon on "Frasier").

[@kengui7253]

I would love to meet her and have a good talk. Just reminiscing on time…. She is so smart and outspoken

[@lovelymix8056]

As a biracial woman I Love what you two are doing with this podcast and giving us this representation we deserve.

[@Tawadeb]

Love MelB

[@F4TiMA.]

🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞🙏🏿

[@Tawadeb]

Nicole i love your top

[@siddaye]

Excuse me but melanie's hair doesnt look like that so what is the host talking about

[@user-fm8zv8if9k]

I love Mel but she really doesn’t understand her hair privilege. The host in the white never would of been able to tell anyone . No im going to wear it bigger and messier. They have completely different textures and completely different facial features regardless of being darker . She has pretty privilege. I have pretty privilege I have Afro hair and wear wigs ( because I’m crap at hair) and I clearly understand my pretty privilege. I’m often asked which of parents are white I’m darker then Mel . But have soft features .

[@realSimoneCherie]

Very fair. I recall how differently me and mixed cousins were treated because people will explicitly tell you, “oh too bad you got lighter skin and EXTRA happy hair” - some even said “what was the point then?”

[@siddaye]

Like mel come on whatdo you mean black mixed and brown eddy is black, stefan is mixed and jimmy is what ? Brown is not a category like seriously come on now

[@Tawadeb]

Jimmy is mixed and Stefan is pretty pale really

[@siddaye]

@@Tawadeb she clearly stated that stefan is mixed and that eddy is black so with that being said why couldnt and didn't say what Jimmy is she had no problems stating what the other two are but can't say what the first one is? Despite the fact that she is so adamant that saying she herself is mixed along with the baby daddies but doesn't want to reveal what one of them are like stop with th bs when convenient its annoying and irritating which is why people are annoyed with biracials when asking them of their make up and that of others they associate with they then want to change what they say to confuse people like smh 😒 🙄 😤 😑 and what the hell does pale mean it doesnt mean anything she already stated he's mixed if Jimmy is mixed then why doesn't she just say that she did so for her other baby daddy why not she do it for this other one too?