Thank you very much. I only wish I could be there in person.

So do I - it's summer over here, you'd be loving it.

I know. The weather is awful in England.

Is it really cold?

No it's not too cold it's just very wet.

OK. Hey listen what have u been up to? What's happening with winter in the UK? What are you doing with yourself?

Well I was away for New Year. I had a nice holiday in Barbados. And then I've just come home and I've started rehearsals and I'm going out on the road and doing a bit of touring.

Fantastic.

Yeah!

Now doing all the stuff from Northern Star?

Yeah that's right. This is just you know one of the last parts of the tour. I'm also gonna be going to America and Canada. And I've got some British gigs to play as well, but I should be finished touring in June and then I'm gonna start work on my second album.

Fantastic. Have you written any songs yet?

Erm.. I've got lots of ideas and things written down here and there but I've got no songs recorded yet.

Now listen are you happy now after the success of Northern Star because it took a while didn't it, and you copped a bit of a caning form the critics early on?

Yeah, I had a lot of faith in the album and I just kept working hard because I knew I had to prove to people that it was something worth listening to. So eventually it has become very successful and I'm very happy with it. But erm, you know we like a challenge. It's nice to get criticised - you wouldn't just want everyone to think you were great all the time cos you would never feel like you were working for it.

Exactly. You gotta have thick skin though sometimes to deal with it don't you?

You certainly do, but people can be very cruel.

How do you deal with that? What do you do to shove that off?

Well I think I'm very lucky. I've got very supportive family and friends. I think the thing is here in England, especially the tabloid press, no-one takes them that seriously because everyone kinda knows the way they exploit things and they tell a lot of lies, and so really the general public are on your side, even if the media aren't.

It must have been hurtful at some stage though with some of the stuff that gets written about you?

Yeah it's been very very difficult for me, especially last year there was lots of very personal things that they wrote about me. You know, I think the thing to remember is it's only one person's opinion, and they don't know you. Do you know what I mean? It's just somebody out there just doing their job, their editor wants them to dish dirt and if there's no dirt to dish they'll just make it up. So it's quite good to have people supportive and strong around you, and just to believe in you more than they believe in the journalist.

There might be only one person digging it but there's millions of people reading it, that's the problem.

Yeah and also once something is written it's too late really because it goes all over the world and all rumours start and then they just get expanded, and it's just all over the place. And I can be on the other side of the earth and get asked a question about something that never involved me or something I've never heard about. So it's quite sad really for my fans cos you get a lot of false information so that's why I like to do lots of interviews where they can hear things from horses mouth and you know get out and do shows and write music cos that's what it's all about. At the end of the day my private life has nothing to do with my music. If you like my music then that's cool, but it's not anybody's business what I do at home.

--Commercial Break--

Now, Mel the song that really kicked Northern Star over the top and became a massive hit all over the world for you well after the album was released, was the duet with Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes, Never Be The Same Again. I have to say I still love that song.

Yeah. I think I've been quite lucky with that one cos it's one of those songs that you don't get sick of. Which has been a good thing cos it has been played an awful lot and I was really pleased that that was a hit.

What was Lisa Lopes like?

She's lovely actually we had a good time. I was a little bit star-struck at first cos I've always been a really big fan of TLC and Lisa was always my favourite. And erm but we got together and you know she's very professional and she's a very sweet girl. We just had fun - we made the video together, we've done promotion together, and we had a good time.

That's funny saying you're star-struck. You're one of the biggest stars in the world, how can you be star-struck?

Well I think it's something you don't think about personally. It's like anybody - if I meet someone from a soap opera I'm a bit like "ooh ooh look, there's thingy". So you know you don't think of yourself as a star, a personality or celebrity whatever. I'm just a young girl and I get excited when I meet famous people too.

Who have you met recently that's interesting?

Erm, oh gosh, I've met lots of people. Before Christmas I met Michael Jackson, which was very interesting, yeah. I didn't really get to speak to him but we were on the same show so he introduced himself to everyone. So that was pretty amazing. Of course I met Madonna a few times which was fantastic cos you know, she's my idol.

Did you get an invite to the wedding?

I didn't I'm afraid. But I was busy that day anyway.

Yeah me too.

(Both laugh)

--'Never Be The Same Again' played--

Now you've got a pretty broad spectrum of taste when it comes to music, don't you? I know you love everything - a bit of kick-butt rock, a bit of hip-hop the whole works. What are you listening to at the moment?

At the moment. Well I went to see Eminem in concert on Saturday, so I've been listening to a lot of Eminem. I love Pink's record. I am forever listening to the Beatles and Stevie Wonder. I love Fiona Apple. And Dido - I've got dido's record and I really like that too.

That's a great record it's only just been released here.

Yeah, yeah.

Eminem's an interesting one. What do you think, because he cops so much flack in America for his lyrics?

Well he's been getting an awful lot of stick here which I think is, you know, it's a very good point his lyrics are very disturbing. But the way I see it he's expressing a feeling and all I can do. Oh God, it's such a difficult one cos you know I don't believe in what he raps about but I think he's a lyrical and musical genius. You know he's very clever with what he does. I do find his lyrics very questionable but I do admire his realism and his guts really.

Now we're going to talk about the Kids Helpline for a minute here. Now with your new single If That Were me, which almost could have been written for this weekend here for kids in help. You're giving your royalties and so is Virgin to the Kids Helpline appeal over the weekend which is very generous of you. Thank you very much for that.

Well it's a pleasure to be able to give something back. When I originally wrote this song, it was from homeless people I was actually inspired. I've witnessed a lot of that growing up in England in Liverpool where I'm from and then moving to London. Then travelling all over the world with the Spice Girls its such a huge problem in most places in the world. I always wanted to release this single for it to be a charity record. It feels good to be able to do that and I just hope it's a big seller, especially for the cause.

Yeah it's a great cause, it's basically for kids who really need someone to turn to and they don't have anyone to turn to. Which brings me to, I know you're very close with your Mum, Joan aren't you?

Yeah. (Giggling) It sounds funny someone saying my mum's name.

(Both laugh)

Who do you talk to? Do you go to her when you have those moments when you're just not dealing with things?

Yeah, I've got quite a few people I speak to. I've got very good friends. Yeah my mum and my brother, so whoever I feel is appropriate for whatever the problem is.

Now the lyrics of If That Were Me, well the film clip rather than the lyrics. The film clip is so bleak isn't it? Because it kinda ekes of that desperation of what the song is all about. Was that a bit of a tricky step for you because it's very far from anything remotely resembling glam and pop isn't it?

Well that's exactly what I wanted to achieve. I didn't want to be singing about something that was very sad and a lot of people are suffering, and look all fantastic and glamorous and spend loads of money on the video. I was very lucky, a lot of people donated their services for free like my director, and people involved with styling and hair and make-up and everyone really, really pitched in on this one, and I think we created exactly the feel we wanted on the video. It was very cheap to make but it still had the right effect that we wanted to I think I achieved what I set out to.

Yeah you certainly did. It's a wonderful song and we're playing it right across the weekend because it lent itself so well to this Kids Helpline Radiothon.

--'If That Were Me' played--

Mel just listening to the lyrics of that song and thinking about your life, do you ever think if it weren't for a lot of circumstances, that could be you?

Absolutely. I think that's something we should all remember, and it's not as if I'm safe for the rest of my life. You never know what's around the corner and I just like to treat people the way I like to be treated. If anything like that did happen to me I'd hope people could help me out too.

Do you ever wonder what you would have done if the Spice Girls hadn't come along, if this career hadn't presented itself to you? What do you think you'd be doing now?

I have nooo idea. I don't think about it too much I just think I'm very lucky. I count my lucky stars that it did come along and I really don't know how things would have worked out without the Spice Girls.

Did u have jobs while you were in school?

I used to work in a chip shop. But really I was always studying. I was studying to be a dancer, so my mum and I used to save my money so I could go down there. So I was a very busy girl but I didn't get much opportunity to work. I used to babysit my little brother.

And you got paid for that?

Yeah, but not very well!

(Both laugh)

What was the first record you ever bought?

The first album I ever bought was the Kids from Fame. Unfortunately. Ah but that was cool though. I've never bought singles. My mum's a musician as well and she was always saying to me "wait for the album. Wait for the album". You know value for money, but of course now everybody has so many remixes, I think if you buy the album it's worth buying the singles too cos there's so many different mixes of the song.

What did your Mum sing?

About what?

What sort of singer was she?

Oh, what does she sing? My mum sings a lot of rock and soul. She's been working with a band since she was fourteen so she's been doing it a long time. She sounds a little like Tina Turner.

Do you ever sing together?

We have sung together in the past.

What was the first gig you went to?

Probably one of my mum's gigs actually. When I was quite young I used to enjoy going to watch her when she used to play clubs and stuff. But the first big concert I went to was Madonna's Girlie Show in 1990, at Wembley Stadium so I hadn't really been to many gigs until I moved down to London.

How are things in Spiceland? How are the other girls? Are you seeing much of the others at the moment?

Everybody's great. I've not seen Victoria for a while but I saw Emma a couple of weeks ago, it was her birthday and I saw Melanie last week. Everybody's great, everybody looks great. Having a great time, all working on solo stuff. So things are good in Spiceworld.

A couple of them are nesting - you haven't got the vibe for that? I heard you just had a break-up I heard?

Oh did you?

Yes I did.

Yeah, I split up with my boyfriend at Christmas.

Oh, that's a pity.

Oh no it's not, there's plenty more fish in the sea!

(Both laugh)

--'I Turn To You' played--

We're talking about you and your holidays. You obviously love a good holiday destination. Where have you been recently that you really love?

Well I'm quite in love with Barbados at the moment cos it was my most recent holiday and I did have a great time there. I went up there with a few friends from school and my parents and my brother. So that was a good holiday. But I don't know. I'm holidayed out at the moment. I wanna get back to work so I'm very much looking forward to getting back on the road and singing live.

That's a nice way to be. How long are these gigs gonna go for? There's just a few before you start recording again I gather?

Yeah I'm doing about 10. I'm going to Eastern Europe, the Middle East and South Africa. Some places I don't often get big shows so that's gonna be fun. Then America and Canada for a few weeks, then the UK. So I'll be touring off and on until June.

You're gonna be busy aren't you?

Mmmm.

I saw that you'd love at some stage to maybe work in movies. Is that still a big desire for you?

I wouldn't say I'm very interested in acting, cos I don't feel like I'm a very good actress. Maybe musically I'd love to write a song for a movie or something like that, but I don't think I'd really enjoy having a role in a movie.

Do you see a lot of movies?

Yeah on-and-off I usually watch a lot of movies on planes.

Now listen any plans to get back to Australia in the near future?

Oh gosh, I can't wait. Unfortunately this tour isn't bringing us over to Australia which I'm really unhappy about. But fingers crossed I'll be there soon cos it's been a long, long time so I need to get back there and see my fans.

Maybe when you get a new album?

Yeah, that's a very good idea.

Probably the end of the year, are you hoping to do something then?

I think it's gonna be earlier next year now. I wanna take my time and make a really good album.

Well, good luck with that. Mel thanks for talking to us, it's been great. And thanks also for your contribution to the Kids Helpline Radiothon.

Good luck! I hope it's a successful weekend.

And we look forward to hearing something new from you in the near future.

Yeah, can't wait! I'll see you soon.

Take care.

Thank you! Bye bye!

--This interview was transcribed by 'limey_10'--