She’s achieved a hell of a lot over the years, but if you ask us, Victoria Beckham’s finest hour was her Oscar-deserving performance in the 1997 filmic masterpiece Spice World. Specifically, the moment when she flaps about fully clothed in the Thames after the girls’ boat capsizes, desperately shrieking, “This dress is dry-clean only, Melanie!” Perfection.
So, news that she might be donning her little Gucci dress and coming back for a rumoured sequel is pop music to our ears. According to our insiders, she’s not totally adverse to the idea, especially since husband David and the kids are egging her on. Are you listening, members of the Academy? You’d better start dusting off that award.
“She may have drawn a line under her Spice Girls past, but she could be persuaded to do the movie, even if it’s just a cameo,” says an insider close to Victoria, who was largely applauded at the time as the film’s standout star, owed to her massively OTT send-up of the Posh persona.
“Geri [Horner] has been bombarding her with messages and giving her all the various script possibilities, which have really got Vic laughing. She’s not said no, which is a big thing for her. She’s turned down so many things in the past because she’s been worried about the fashion world rejecting her or people laughing at her, but she’s not as concerned these days. She’s trying to be a little more open and not immediately shut things down.”
Last week, it was reported that Geri, Emma Bunton, Mel B and Mel C – who reformed two years ago for their sell-out UK and Dublin reunion tour without Victoria – have been approaching screenwriters ahead of Spice World’s 25th anniversary next year, with the view of getting back together for a long-awaited sequel. And sources say they’re keeping everything crossed that, if the movie’s green-lit, Posh will be up for taking part, especially because, while her singing in the band was never rated, her acting chops were second to none. “It’s still in the early stages, but they are talking to established names in the business, which proves they are taking a big screen comeback seriously.”
And the timing couldn’t be more perfect. While, until now, Victoria’s always prioritised her fashion commitments, she’s had a change of heart, especially since recently spending four months with David and their children, Brooklyn, 21, Romeo, 19, Cruz, 16, and nine-year-old Harper, in Miami, and adopting a more laidback lifestyle. The Beckhams returned to their UK country pile last month and, while Vic’s looking forward to getting back to the day job, she’s also trying hard to maintain her new-found sense of calm.
CHECK OUT 14 shocking Spice Girls facts
14 shocking Spice Girls facts (SLIDER)
1 of 14Victoria's the only member WITHOUT a solo number 1
Out of Your Mind - her collaboration with True Steppers and Dane Bowers - was pipped to the post by Spiller's Groovejet (If This Ain't Love) back in August 2000. Oh, how we miss those big chart battles.
2 of 14They were originally called Touch
When the girls first got together, they were called Touch. It wasn't until Geri thought to change their name to Spice that the band eventually agreed on Spice Girls.
3 of 14They didn't come up with their own nicknames
That was the idea of former Top of the Pops Magazine editor Peter Lorraine back in 1996. It just stuck.
4 of 14The Wannabe video was BANNED in some parts of Asia
This was due to Mel B's erect nipples.
5 of 14Geri MISSED the original audition
After getting sunburnt on a ski trip to Spain, she thought better than to turn up to the auditions with a red face. Thankfully then-manager Robert 'Bob' Herbert gave her a second chance when she called after the original search.
6 of 14Emma wasn't in the original line-up
Baby Spice was last to join the group after original member Michelle Stephenson quit the band in 1994. Victoria went on to claim Michelle 'just couldn't be arsed' to put in the same work as the rest of the girls.
7 of 14They're Simon Cowell's 'biggest regret'
Speaking to Jay Leno in 2013, Simon said: "Spice Girls is probably my biggest mistake," before explaining "I offered them a deal, but they didn't want to sign to me, so that kind of hurt at the time."Victoria doesn't agree with Simon's account, though. Claiming he passed up on their offer on Idol in 2009, she said: "He is the only man in the music industry who turned down the Spice Girls – and said we would never work. I like that fact."
8 of 14Geri's Union Jack dress made a FORTUNE
The infamous dress Ginger wore to perform Wannabe/Who Do You Think You Are? at the 1997 BRIT Awards was sold at auction in 1998 for $68,000 (£41,320) at a Hard Rock Cafe auction. It's since been spotted on display at a casino in the US.
9 of 14Speaking of the Union Jack dress...
It was actually made of a 'boring' black Gucci dress - the outfit Geri was originally supposed to wear - and a Union Jack tea towel.Explaining how the look came about, Ginger's former stylist Emma Poole told The Telegraph: "Two nights before, Geri said, 'You know what, Emma? I'm not really comfortable with the dress I'm wearing, I've got a much better idea. I'm going around to my sister's, she's got these great Union Jack tea-towels. I'm going to make a dress.'"
10 of 14Wannabe almost wasn't their debut single
The girls have explained they had to fight for the pop classic to be their first single, while the record label reportedly wanted Love Thing. IMAGINE.
11 of 14Geri WROTE Goodbye
Sort of. Although the girls' third Christmas number 1 is thought to be written about Geri's departure, she was actually involved in the early stages of the track when it was intended to be included on the Spiceworld album. Mel C explains in the girls' autobiography Forever Spice: "Goodbye was originally about a relationship ending, but now it's about Geri and it's really sad."Ginger isn't credited as a writer for the released version of the track.
12 of 14They were Nelson Mandela's 'heroes'
His words!
13 of 14The Viva Forever video is DEEP
As the girls were too busy touring to film a video for Viva Forever - their last single featuring Geri - they turned to Aardman Animations for the treatment.In an interview with Crack magazine, director Steve Box explained that the video's about loss of youth. He said: "It's like the sadness of the song is leaving your childhood behind. "Pop music is all about sex and love, so becoming interested in that, you suddenly put the toys away, you start to grow up in a different way."
14 of 14And the Spice Up Your Life video's pretty dark
An unreleased alternative ending to the video shows an erotic dancer in front of a 'SEXXXY SPICE GIRLS' sign, somebody seemingly choking and what appears to be a stack of dead bodies. YouTube it. It's SO WEIRD.
Last week, the family celebrated David’s 46th birthday, and in a loved-up pic and accompanying caption, Posh wished “a very special husband and the most incredible daddy” a happy birthday, showing her fans how together they are. Our insider tells us she’s also up for reminding people of her fun side. At the same time, she’s still business-savvy, and with her fashion company recently reporting losses of £16.5m, she knows that taking part in a Spice World sequel will only boost her popularity.
“Living in Miami has given her a new, chilled-out perspective,” we’re told. “And from a business point of view, she knows a PR boost would be the smart move. Her business is a bit of an uphill struggle at the moment, and she knows this could be a great benefit. David agrees – he and the kids are very enthusiastic about it. The Beckham children are only just realising now how big the Spice Girls were back in the day, and they keep telling her what a big opportunity this is.”
Look! More news!
Victoria Beckham tells Brooklyn: ‘What if this doesn’t work?’
When the Spice Girls first disbanded in 2000, Brooklyn was just a baby – and while the other three Beckham juniors have always been aware of their mum’s Posh credentials, they’ve only once seen her in full-on Spice mode, when she joined the other girls for their first reunion tour in 2007, before Harper was born. Speaking on the Breaking Beauty podcast last week, Vic talked about their reaction to her popstar heyday. “It seems like such a long time ago,” she said. “My God, my kids look at old paparazzi pictures and they’re like, ‘Mum, you were so cool!’” She added, “I met Beyoncé a few years ago, and she actually said to me, ‘It was the Spice Girls that inspired me and made me want to do what I do.’”
Clearly, Vic’s feeling nostalgic about the past, and with David, the kids and her former bandmates urging her on – plus Beyoncé’s implicit seal of approval – it seems that there’s every possibility she’ll say yes to the sequel. But the big question is, how will they ever top the first film, which among its many highlights, had aliens, male dancers with cut-out bum holes and Roger Moore stroking a piglet? To quote one of VB’s lines from the original script, “Hold on to your knickers, girls!” We are, Posh, we are.
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