Melanie C reveals how she ended up giving George Michael a pep talk

In the week following the release of her latest album 'Sweat', Melanie C joined Ken Bruce on Greatest Hits Radio to chat about her new music, her world tour, and her inspirations as a young girl.

The singer, who chose 1985 for her Golden Year, also opened up about loving Wham! growing up, to having a full circle moment as she gave none other than George Michael a pep talk.

Giving George Michael a pep talk

One of the songs Melanie chose for her Golden Year was Wham's 'Everything She Wants'. Growing up, the singer was a big fan of the band admitting: "(It was) my first ever cassette. It was on my Christmas list, top of my Christmas list. Wham! I fell in love with this band immediately, as soon as I heard them, as soon as I saw them. And this song I want to play for you is one of my favourite Wham! tracks."

Melanie then went on to reveal how she had a full circle moment, with George Michael in 2012. She told Ken: "Geri became very good friends with him (George Michael). We met him a few times. My last memory of George was at the Olympics, London 2012.

"Spice Girls were performing at the closing ceremony, as was he, he came into our dressing room because he was nervous and he needed a pep talk. Did I, again... this young girl from the northwest of England, ever think she was going to be giving George Michael a pep talk?

"These memories I cherish, what an incredible man he was. So generous, so talented and yeah, I couldn't come here and not play a Wham! song."

READ MORE: Greatest Hits Radio interview - Ringo Starr opens up about his first duet with Paul McCartney

Who inspired the young Melanie C?

Growing up, music was a huge part of Melanie's life. The singer told Ken how both her mum and her stepdad were in bands in the 70s, but: "They'd never really achieved the things they'd wanted to. They'd had deals, it hadn't worked out. So I knew how hard it was.

"And that was really part of the reason why I went to study Performing Arts, because I was like, well, it's going to be hard to work in the music industry. But, you know, the next best thing, I love to perform, I want to work in theatre. But then the opportunity of the Spice Girls came up. And the rest is history."

Reminiscing about her Golden Year, 1985, Melanie told how it was a very influential year for her musically and in her life.

"I was 11 years old, it was the year of Live Aid and I saw a particular artist perform who I'd just discovered," she explained: "I'd seen her on Top of the Pops, I'd seen her videos, but I'd never seen her perform live with a band. That artist is Madonna.

"And when I saw her performing, I think she was in Philadelphia on Live Aid. I looked at her and I was like, that's it that is what I want to do and that was my inspiration. That always stayed with me in wanting to work in the music industry."

Melanie also opened up about another song she chose as part of her Golden Year, telling Ken why she chose the Eurythmics' ‘There Must Be An Angel Playing With My Heart’.

"So Annie Lennox, (is a) huge inspiration to me, always loved her and yeah, it's so funny, isn't it?" she quipped. "Thinking about that young girl, I grew up in Widnes, up in Cheshire, but very close to Liverpool and Manchester, working class background, I'm sitting there, whether I'm watching Live Aid or watching Top of the Pops, and who knew I would be in the company of these people that became my idols? And Annie Lennox on this track, of course, Stevie Wonder with a harmonica solo."

The singer went on to reveal how Annie went from being an idol to a mentor, telling Ken: "Annie was an amazing mentor to the Spice Girls. We shared the same management back in the 90s and she told us, you know, what to watch out for and the pitfalls. So I'll always be very grateful to her and of course, what a musician, what an artist.

"I adore her. It was one of the albums I discovered in my mum's vinyl collection and have gone on to, you know, love everything she's ever done."

New album 'Sweat' and world tour

It's been five years since Melanie C last released new music, with the singer revealing how 2026 is shaping up to be a very exciting year for her. Not only has she now released her ninth solo album called 'Sweat', but she will be going on her first world tour since 1999.

The singer explained how she's been working on her new music for the last couple of years, telling Ken: "It's a very exciting year. It's been, I think, five years since I released new music. So this is my dream, I love getting it out there, getting it to the people and then I'm going on tour later this year.

"I probably spent a couple of years promoting the last one (album) and then started thinking about what I want to do next and about two and a half years to get this all together."

She continued: "You know, I love performing. It's literally what drives me as an artist and I haven't toured the world, this I can't actually believe... I haven't done a world tour since my first album, 'Northern Star', in 1999."

Will the Spice Girls reunite?

It's the question that has been on many Spice Girls' fans' lips since their most recent tour in 2019, but Melanie did not confirm the reunion that many fans had been hoping for, as it is the 30th anniversary of 'Wannabe'.

She explained: "People often ask, are the Spice Girls going to get back together? Are we going to see another reunion? And I really hope so, you know.

"I remain optimistic that will happen. But we got together in 2007, we got together in 2019, we did stadium shows here in the UK and the stars have to align. It's one of those moments again. It has to be the right time for everyone."

Listen to the full interview with Melanie C below

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