104 Fun Facts About Spice Girls

Which nickname did the British press give Emma Bunton?

Baby Spice suited the youngest member, who wore her hair in pigtails and was sucking a lollipop when the magazine staff met the group.

Mel B, famous for her leopard print and Leeds accent, was known by which nickname?

Scary Spice came from staff writer Jennifer Cawthron, who said she chose it simply because Mel B was so shouty.

Which brand's chunky platform shoes did the Spice Girls turn into a fashion craze?

Buffalo sponsored the group, and its 10-centimetre platform model 1310-2 became famous on the Spice Girls.

The Spice Girls' 1998 video game Spice World was released on which console?

PlayStation was the game's only platform, and Sony developed and published it in 1998 as one of the group's many tie-ins.

The staff of which magazine coined the five 'Spice' nicknames after a lunch with the group in 1996?

Top of the Pops magazine's editor Peter Loraine said the names were never meant to go global, but other outlets soon rang asking permission to use them.

In 1994, Heart Management placed the audition advert that created the Spice Girls in which trade paper?

The Stage advert drew roughly 400 women to audition at Danceworks studios in London on 4 March 1994.

What was the Spice Girls' original name, before they became Spice?

Touch became Spice after the group wrote a song called 'Sugar and Spice' with Tim Hawes during songwriting lessons.

Which original member left the line-up in 1994, opening the spot later filled by Emma Bunton?

Michelle Stephenson's exit is disputed: management said she was fired, but she said she left after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.

The father-and-son team behind Heart Management, who first assembled the Spice Girls, shared which surname?

Herbert was the surname of Bob and his son Chris, who wanted a girl group to rival the boy bands; the singers later walked out, allegedly taking their master tapes.

In which Berkshire town did the future Spice Girls share a three-bedroom house while rehearsing in 1994?

Maidenhead was home while they spent most of 1994 rehearsing songs written for them by John Thirkell and Erwin Keiles.

Who managed the Spice Girls from 1995 until they sacked him in November 1997?

Simon Fuller went on to create Pop Idol and American Idol, and later persuaded ABBA to reunite for the ABBA Voyage project.

After a bidding war, which label signed the Spice Girls to a five-album deal in July 1995?

Virgin Records won the bidding war, and around then the group added 'Girls' to their name because a rapper was already using Spice.

Which Toni Braxton hit did Wannabe replace at number one on the US Hot 100 in 1997?

Un-Break My Heart had led the chart for eleven weeks when Wannabe took over on 22 February 1997; the Spice Girls' debut eventually topped charts in 37 countries.

In which desert did the Spice Girls film their 'Say You'll Be There' video?

Mojave Desert locations in California framed the shoot, and the group's martial-arts heroines drew on films including Pulp Fiction.

The 'Wannabe' video was shot in one cold night at which London building?

Director Johan Camitz had planned to shoot at a building in Barcelona but lost permission days before filming.

Roughly how long did it take the group, Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard to write 'Wannabe'?

About 30 minutes: Mel C said the group were giggling in the studio and made up the silly word 'zigazig-ha' along the way.

Before joining the Spice Girls, Emma Bunton had a small role at 16 in which British soap?

EastEnders: she turned up briefly in Albert Square in 1992, a clip she shared with fans on Instagram three decades later.

Which instrument does session player Judd Lander solo on in the Spice Girls' 'Say You'll Be There'?

Harmonica, the same instrument Lander played on Culture Club's 'Karma Chameleon'.

The '2 Become 1' video shows the group performing against time-lapse footage of which landmark?

Times Square, though the group never filmed in New York: the video was shot entirely in a London studio and the backdrop added later.

Which 1997 single gave the Spice Girls their second straight UK Christmas number one?

Too Much, which debuted at number one and made them the first act whose first six singles all topped the UK chart.

The Spice Girls' 1997 double A-side 'Mama' was the official single for which charity?

Comic Relief, which also got a spoof video from the Sugar Lumps, a mock Spice Girls played by comedians including Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.

Which 1998 single ended the Spice Girls' run of consecutive UK number ones by peaking at number two?

Stop, held off the top by Run-DMC vs Jason Nevins' 'It's Like That' after six straight Spice Girls number ones.

Which single gave the Spice Girls their ninth UK number one?

Holler, a double A-side with 'Let Love Lead the Way' that went straight to number one but never entered the US Hot 100.

At the 1997 Brits, which song did the Spice Girls pair with 'Wannabe' as Halliwell wore her Union Jack dress?

Who Do You Think You Are; that night the group also won Best British Single for 'Wannabe' and Best British Video for 'Say You'll Be There'.

Halliwell's Union Jack dress sold in 1998 to a co-founder of which restaurant chain?

Hard Rock Cafe: co-founder Peter Morton paid £41,320 at Sotheby's, bidding by phone for his Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel.

Spice sold about how many copies worldwide, the most ever for an album by a girl group?

23 million: in Britain alone it went ten times platinum and spent fifteen non-consecutive weeks at number one.

Which Spiceworld track is the only one left out of the 1997 film Spice World?

Move Over, though a live 'Generation Next' version had already been given away free to fans who collected special ring pulls.

Forever (2000) peaked at number two in the UK behind which boy band's album, released the same week?

Westlife, whose Coast to Coast outsold Forever by more than 160,000 copies in a chart battle the media widely reported.

Which producer, nicknamed 'Darkchild', helmed most of the Spice Girls' final studio album, Forever?

Rodney Jerkins, brought in as the group moved to a more mature R&B sound on their only album without Halliwell.

In 1999 the Spice Girls recorded 'My Strongest Suit' for which Elton John and Tim Rice concept album?

Aida: the concept album came before the Broadway show, which won the Tony Award for Best Original Score.

Who played Clifford, the group's harried manager, in Spice World?

Richard E. Grant; director Bob Spiers had never heard of the group until his friend Jennifer Saunders told him to take the job.

Which former James Bond actor played 'the Chief', head of the record label, in Spice World?

Roger Moore, whose seven James Bond films ran from Live and Let Die to A View to a Kill.

Who drove the Spice Bus in Spice World?

Meat Loaf; boxer Frank Bruno had been cast as the driver but quit after a security guard stopped his son having an on-set photo with the group.

Since 2014 the Spice Bus from the film has been on permanent display where?

Isle of Wight: the bus has been parked at Island Harbour Marina since July 2014, and toy versions of it were sold when the film came out.

Spice World was consciously modelled on which 1964 band film?

A Hard Day's Night: Spice World likewise follows a band through chaos towards a big show, a concert at London's Royal Albert Hall.

At the 1999 Golden Raspberry Awards, the five members collectively won which prize for Spice World?

Worst Actress, shared by all the members at the 1999 Razzies, where Spice World was also nominated for Worst Picture.

Which critic wrote that the Spice Girls are easier to tell apart than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

Roger Ebert, who put Spice World among his most-hated films and said the group couldn't even successfully lip-synch their own songs.

Before Halliwell quit the Spice Girls in May 1998, she missed two concerts in which country?

Norway; on 31 May her solicitor read out her statement confirming she had left the group.

Which 1998 ballad was the Spice Girls' first single recorded without Halliwell's vocals?

Goodbye, whose video was shot at Mentmore Towers while Mel B and Victoria were both pregnant.

Which studio's Steve Box directed the Spice Girls' stop-motion 'Viva Forever' video?

Aardman Animations: Box, an Oscar winner, spent five months turning the group into tin-toy fairies.

Which disco cover did Halliwell take to UK number one in 2001 for the Bridget Jones's Diary soundtrack?

It's Raining Men, the Weather Girls' hit, which reached the top 10 in more than 27 countries and became her biggest solo hit.

Sporty Spice's first solo release, in late 1998, was a duet with which Canadian singer?

Bryan Adams, on 'When You're Gone'; her debut solo album Northern Star followed and gave her two UK number ones.

Which rapper featured on Melanie C's 2000 UK number one 'Never Be the Same Again'?

Lisa Lopes, TLC's 'Left Eye', whose verse helped give Chisholm her first solo UK number one.

Which 1998 solo debut single by Mel B went straight to number one in the UK?

I Want You Back: Missy Elliott phoned Mel B during the Spiceworld Tour and asked her to record it for a film soundtrack.

Mel B finished second on which US television competition in 2007?

Dancing with the Stars, where she finished runner-up with partner Maksim Chmerkovskiy before years as an America's Got Talent judge.

Which 2001 Emma Bunton song entered the UK chart at number one as her debut solo single?

What Took You So Long?, co-written with Richard Stannard, who had also co-written 'Wannabe' with the group.

Emma Bunton co-hosted Heart's London breakfast show from 2013 to 2018 alongside which presenter?

Jamie Theakston, who had hosted Heart Breakfast since 2005 and was paired with Bunton after Harriet Scott left.

Which singer fronted the Spiller track that beat Posh Spice's 2000 solo debut in the 'Posh vs Posher' chart battle?

Sophie Ellis-Bextor, formerly of indie band Theaudience, whom Positiva asked to write lyrics and sing over Spiller's instrumental.

Halliwell became a Goodwill Ambassador in 1998 for which United Nations agency?

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund; in that role she visited Nepal in 2009 to help launch a campaign against violence towards women.

In 2015 Halliwell married which Red Bull Racing team principal?

Christian Horner, who became Formula One's youngest team principal at 31 and led Red Bull to eight drivers' titles.

Tickets for the first London date of the Spice Girls' 2007 reunion tour sold out in how long?

38 seconds, and the sixteen extra London dates added afterwards all sold out within a minute.

The Return of the Spice Girls Tour opened on 2 December 2007 in which city?

Vancouver, where all five members toured together for the first time since Halliwell quit partway through their 1998 tour.

The 2007 comeback single 'Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)' supported which charity appeal?

Children in Need; the single peaked at number 11, the group's first ever to miss the UK top ten.

At the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony, the Spice Girls made their entrance aboard what?

Black cabs, each lit up with a member's emblem, which the group then climbed on top of and rode around the stadium.

Which British singer was the support act on the Spice Girls' 2019 stadium tour?

Jess Glynne, who, like Rita Ora and Anne-Marie, has named the Spice Girls among her influences.

The slogan 'girl power' was originally coined in 1991 by which American punk band?

Bikini Kill, whose singer Kathleen Hanna said she and drummer Tobi Vail came up with 'girl power' while naming their second fanzine.

Geri Halliwell said she first came across the phrase 'girl power' through which British pop duo?

Shampoo; Halliwell also once hailed Margaret Thatcher as 'the pioneer of our ideology'.

Which soft-drink brand sponsored the Spice Girls and organised their first major live concerts in October 1997?

Pepsi, which also gave away the CD single 'Step to Me' to fans who collected enough ring pulls.

In which city did the Spice Girls play their first major live concert, in October 1997?

Istanbul, where 40,000 fans saw them; ITV aired highlights on Christmas Day 1997 as Spice Up Your Christmas!

How large was the initial print run of the Spice Girls' book Girl Power!, which sold out in a day?

200,000: launched in March 1997, the book was eventually translated into more than 20 languages.

For their 2007 reunion, the Spice Girls licensed their name and image to which UK supermarket chain?

Tesco, which also had the reunited group star in its television adverts.

Alongside their 2019 tour, the Spice Girls produced books, cups and bags with which children's book franchise?

Mr. Men, while the 13-date tour itself drew almost 700,000 fans and $78.2 million in ticket sales.

Which camera company was one of the Spice Girls' first big sponsors in late 1996?

Polaroid; by May 1998 the group's endorsements and merchandise had earned an estimated $500–800 million.

Which world leader declared 'These are my heroes' after meeting the group in 1997?

Prince Charles, who arranged the meeting, quipped that it was only the second greatest moment of his life.

A 2000 British Council study found the Spice Girls the world's second-best-known Britons, behind whom?

Tony Blair, then prime minister; the same study found the Spice Girls the best-known Britons of all in Asia.

In 2000 the group became the youngest ever recipients of which Brit Award?

Halliwell attended the ceremony but did not join her former bandmates on stage.

At a 1997 Prince's Trust concert, Mel B and Geri breached royal protocol by doing what to Prince Charles?

Kissed his cheeks, then pinched his bottom; he later sent Halliwell a personal letter 'with lots of love' when she quit.

The billboard-covered dystopia of the 'Spice Up Your Life' video was inspired by which 1982 film?

The ad-plastered cityscape was a knowing parody of the group's own oversaturation.

The Spice Girls' 1998 Spiceworld Tour ended with two nights at which London stadium?

Wembley Stadium, where 150,000 fans saw the two shows after Halliwell had quit partway through the tour.

Which hand gesture did the Spice Girls often make while shouting their 'girl power' slogan?

A peace sign, part of a slogan so widespread that 'girl power' made it into the Oxford English Dictionary.

Which Spice Girl married the footballer David Beckham in 1999?

Victoria Adams; the pair, dubbed 'Posh and Becks', married at Luttrellstown Castle in Ireland on 4 July 1999.

Which hair colour gave Geri Halliwell her Spice Girls nickname?

Red, hence Ginger Spice; the magazine writer who coined it admitted 'not much thought went into that one'.

Sisters Nicole and Natalie Appleton sang in which rival girl group of the late 1990s?

All Saints, whose 'Never Ever' is the third-best-selling girl-group single in the UK, behind the Spice Girls' 'Wannabe'.

In November 1996, the Spice Girls switched on which London street's Christmas lights?

Oxford Street, where a crowd of 500,000 turned out weeks before '2 Become 1' became their first Christmas number one.

At the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, Melanie C dedicated the Spice Girls' trophy to whom?

Princess Diana had died four days before the ceremony, and tributes ran all night. Melanie C made the dedication as the group collected Best Dance Video for 'Wannabe'.

The Spice Girls' three straight UK Christmas number ones equalled a 1960s record set by which band?

The Beatles topped the UK Christmas chart in 1963, 1964 and 1965. The Spice Girls matched that run from 1996 to 1998, and nobody managed it again until LadBaby in 2020.

Which actress, born Emily, picked her professional first name to honour a Spice Girl?

Emma Stone needed a new name because another Emily Stone was already registered with the Screen Actors Guild. She first went by Riley, then settled on a tribute to Emma Bunton.

Which luxury car did the schoolgirl who became Posh Spice beg her father not to drop her off in?

Rolls-Royce was the family car, paid for by her parents' electronics wholesale business. She was so embarrassed by the wealth it showed that she begged to be dropped away from the school gates.

Geri Halliwell's 1997 Brit Awards dress began as a black minidress from which fashion house?

Gucci supplied the dress, which Halliwell found too boring to perform in. Her sister Natalie stitched a flag tea towel onto the front, creating one of pop's most famous outfits.

Which British woman did Geri Halliwell once call the pioneer of the Spice Girls' ideology?

Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female prime minister, was the leader Halliwell credited. Industry insiders in turn credit Halliwell with writing the group's own manifesto of female confidence.

The plot of the film Spice World builds up to a major live concert at which London venue?

Royal Albert Hall stages the finale, which a scheming newspaper boss spends the film trying to wreck. The group wrote and recorded their second album during the same summer shoot.

At which film festival did the Spice Girls announce their movie Spice World?

Cannes hosted the announcement a month before cameras rolled in June. The finished film reached British cinemas that December.

In 2013, Mel B became a judge on which US television competition devised by Simon Cowell?

America's Got Talent brought in Mel B after Sharon Osbourne quit in a dispute with NBC, and widened its panel to four judges. She left after 2018, then returned for the twentieth season.

Before fame, Geri Halliwell appeared on which country's version of Let's Make a Deal?

Turkey was where Halliwell worked on the game show, one of several odd jobs before music. She had also worked as a nightclub dancer in Mallorca.

In which country was the Spice Girls' debut single first released, two weeks ahead of Britain?

Japan got 'Wannabe' as a maxi CD in June 1996, part of the label's plan to build an international act from day one. Heavy airplay on Japanese FM radio had the group flying out for three promotional trips that year.

Which studio's film offer did the Spice Girls reject over a script about a struggling single mother?

Disney pitched a story about one member's young single mother fighting hardship to form the band. The group disliked the sanitised script, and a comedy written closer to home became Spice World.

Which football club's high-profile players did the British press nickname the Spice Boys in the late 1990s?

Liverpool stars including Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman and Jamie Redknapp earned the tag for their pop-star lifestyles off the pitch. It followed an unfounded tabloid rumour that Fowler was dating Emma Bunton.

Which Russian star and doubles partner Martina Hingis called themselves the Spice Girls of tennis?

Anna Kournikova and Hingis gave themselves the label in 1999, the year they won the Australian Open doubles title together. They won it again in 2002.

In MTV's Celebrity Deathmatch special of 1998, clay Spice Girls fought which sibling band?

Hanson, the sibling trio from Tulsa, were the opponents in a bout that ended with both acts crushed by falling stage lights. The special became MTV's highest-rated ever and launched the full series.

The film Spice World set a 1998 US box-office record for the best debut on which sporting weekend?

Super Bowl weekend brought the film $10.5 million in US ticket sales in January 1998, a record for those dates. Reviews were poor, but the film was also a number-one hit at the British box office.

Who wrote Viva Forever!, the 2012 Spice Girls stage musical produced by Judy Craymer?

Jennifer Saunders, who has a cameo in the film Spice World, wrote an original story around the group's songs. Critics panned the show and it closed after seven months, losing at least £5 million.

The Spice Girls' 2007–08 reunion tour included a seventeen-night sold-out run at which London venue?

The O2 Arena, where the group had announced their comeback at a press conference, hosted all seventeen nights. The run drew more than 250,000 fans and was the year's highest-grossing concert engagement.

Melanie C earned an Olivier Award nomination for her 2009 stage debut in which West End musical?

Blood Brothers cast her as Mrs Johnstone, the hard-up mother who gives away one of her twins. Her performance was critically acclaimed, and she stayed with the show until the end of 2010.

Which British heavyweight boxer was originally cast as the tour bus driver in the film Spice World?

Frank Bruno walked away after a security guard stopped his son Franklin having a photo taken with the group on set. The script was revised many times to fit in the celebrities who wanted a part.

Which crisp brand put the Spice Girls on its packets in 1997 to launch a Cheese & Chives flavour?

Walkers called the campaign its biggest promotional effort ever and sold 16 million packs of the tie-in crisps within months. The group fronted the brand again for their 2019 reunion tour.

Which British TV network did the Spice Girls launch in March 1997 with a specially recorded song?

Channel 5 paid a reported £500,000 for the launch, and the group's music video became the first programme the network ever broadcast. About 2.5 million viewers tuned in.

Which chocolate maker signed the Spice Girls in October 1997 for a range that included Easter eggs?

Cadbury put the group on ten chocolate bars as well as gift boxes and seasonal treats, each showing one member or all five. The deal came in a year when their merchandising brought in over £300 million.

Which toy brand's 2022 Spice Girls tribute set was the first in its line to depict real people?

Lego rendered the group as blocky BrickHeadz figures, the first time that range had modelled non-fictional people. It followed a new merchandising deal marking 25 years of the debut album.

Which sweets brand sold lollipop tins, toy microphones and tattoo gum featuring the Spice Girls?

Chupa Chups was already popular in Spain, and such tie-ins carried the group into markets where their record label had less reach. Each tin of lollipops featured a different member.

Which brand launched a Spice Girls fragrance in 1997 that became its most successful variant ever?

Impulse promised a scent reflecting each member and backed it with a £1.8 million advertising campaign. The fragrance sold in 50 countries and also came as a limited-edition shower gel.

Spice Girls dolls were the second-best-selling US toy of 1998, beaten only by which toy line?

Teletubbies kept the dolls off the top spot in a trade survey of 1998. With more than 11 million sold, the Spice Girls figures still became the best-selling celebrity dolls of all time.

Which Formula One team hired the Spice Girls to perform at its 1997 car launch at Alexandra Palace?

McLaren unveiled its new car before an audience of five thousand, with the group singing three hits. The show was filmed by MTV and presented by Davina McCall.

Which Italian scooter maker sponsored the Spice Girls' 1998 European tour, then beat them in court?

Aprilia built five scooters, one promoting each member, shortly before Halliwell quit the group. After a long legal dispute, a court in 2002 ordered the Spice Girls to pay for scooters they were supplied, plus damages and costs.

Which board game ran a 2006 UK poll naming the Spice Girls their decade's top cultural icons?

Trivial Pursuit polled 1,000 people a decade after the group's debut single, and 80 per cent chose the Spice Girls. Voters said the group's message of female confidence had defined the era.