Emma split from Damage singer Jade Jones six months ago and, despite being linked with West Ham star Rio Ferdinand, fears being left on her own because she has been so blessed in other areas of life. She tells me: "Sometimes I feel that because I've been so lucky in other aspects of my life - like my career and health - that I may never find true love. We'll just have to wait and see. I get a bit upset about it and go into one of my deep moods, thinking that some people can't have everything in life. Sometimes I miss having someone close - everyone does, don't they?"
Emma releases her debut solo single What I Am on Monday - the same day that former bandmate Geri Halliwell's song hits record stores. Baby admits she was upset when her pal walked out on the band last year. In the girls' new book Forever Spice she describes just what happened on their gruelling tour of the States. She says: "Geri was the first to come to the group and say she wanted to do her own thing. I remember being absolutely gutted and crying. We said, 'That's cool, we all want to do that, so it's fine.' But I remember feeling upset because I was worried that it might come to the point when she left. The rest of us were quite definite about doing another Spice album, whereas she wasn't. It's strange because the night before she left the band we were laughing and joking around on a flight. Mel B was being a bit loud in the back and Geri and I were laughing about everything and the next day she was gone. I felt so angry - I wouldn't even expect my friend in Finchley to do that to me and that's someone I haven't constantly been with for five years. First I was angry, then I was sad. I often really miss her. It was hard, a kick in the teeth really. Professionally, OK, she wanted to go and we dealt with it but we still haven't dealt with the friendship side. At home, I've got this gorgeous big silver frame with a picture of Geri and me from Elle magazine. I haven't taken it down, like you do with pictures of old boyfriends. It won't ever come down because Geri was part of me and she always will be."
She has few kind words either about Simon Fuller, the Spice Girls Svengali-like ex-manager. She says: "Looking back now, I'm not sure what Simon really wanted to do. I don't know whether he wanted to make as much money out of us as he could, because he didn't think we were going to last, or what. Leaving him when we did was definitely best for the group. Anyway, I tend never to regret anything."
Emma hated gearing up for the tour and she and Mel B found it extremely hard to get in shape. She says: "Before the tour, we rehearsed for three weeks in Ireland. It was really hard work, especially for Mel B. We hated the gym but we had to get fit. We had a trainer and he gave Mel and me special classes because he knew we were lazy. Mel B and I hate mornings. Sometimes we didn't go and then we'd feel really guilty but even without the gym, I'd end up in bed at 10pm, shattered. I don't know where Mel C got her energy from. Sometimes I'd feel so tired after a show the night before and a plane journey and she'd still be leaping around like a nutter. I didn't get too homesick because we were very busy most of the time. But I missed silly things like Blind Date."