Mel B on girl power: 'Things are changing, but I doubt it'll change enough in my lifetime'

On one side there’s acres of forest and on the other, I can see my animals.

Your animals?

I’ve got three goats, 12 chickens, three ducks and two Rottweilers. I take my Rottweilers on walks into the forest when I want to hug some trees, and I get eggs from the chickens.

I’m like the Pied Piper – as soon as they hear me come out the front door the chickens and goats all start gathering around and following me.

Do you feel at home in the country?

I’ve never been a city person and up here, it’s very rural, rustic and relaxing. I’m completely secluded in my own land, which I feel very fortunate to have.

I’ve always been more of a homebody, too, which is the complete opposite to how I am on stage where I become the one and only Miss Leopard Print, Scary Spice herself. It’s like yin and yang.

And never the twain shall meet?

Well, I just finished decorating my front room – my house is a lovely old barn and there’s a lot of work to do still – and it’s all leopard print wallpaper! It sounds like a nightmare but it’s so cosy.

What have you been watching on TV?

I just started watching Riviera, which is not that good, but I love the actress in it [Julia Stiles]. And that James Norton thing [Playing Nice]. And all The White Lotuses. I do like to binge shows, but I balance it with going up to my little field to talk to my animals because they’re great – better than people sometimes!

What did you watch on TV as a child?

I can’t really remember sitting in and watching TV because we were always playing out or going round to friends’ houses. I lived in a back-to-back and everyone’s door was always open, so you’d be in and out of everyone’s houses all the time. Though I did like Scooby-Doo, Road Runner and Woody Woodpecker.

How has being a child changed?

My childhood was all about making a den in the woods and tents on our bunk beds. Now it’s all about technology. Phoenix is 27 – when I had her, it wasn’t the thing to give your kid an iPad. My youngest is 13 and there’s good, educational stuff, if you get the right programme. When my internet goes down, I’m like, ‘Let’s sit and talk’ – while my 17-year-old goes mad.

You’re the narrator of the Sky Kids animation Happy Town — your first job as a narrator. How did it come about?

If I call up any place, to book a restaurant or complain about an Amazon delivery, they immediately go, ‘You sound like Mel B!’ So I thought that since my voice is that recognisable, I should utilise it. So my manager Louise got me this amazing voiceover and I’ve loved every moment. Because I’m not on camera, my voice has to project how positive and happy the show is, so I go up on my higher range. I’ve still got my Leeds accent though!

You were awarded an MBE for raising awareness of domestic violence. As a survivor of domestic violence yourself, what would you say to any woman in a similar situation?

You have to get out because there’s no way it gets better once that starts, and it starts very slowly as they chip away at you. You’re going to feel trapped, but the only way that you can survive is by getting out. So many women die at the hands of their partner or a partner that they’ve left or are trying to get away from. Seek help: there are many charities and safe houses. You can get help, you can survive and you can build yourself up again.

What is the legacy of Girl Power?

It’s the same message today as it was 30 years ago: women supporting women. When we got our group together we were five girls who all looked different, from different walks of life. But we respected each other. It’s about making the world more equal because women are still not paid as much as men; they’re not as respected. Things are changing bit by bit, but I doubt it’ll change enough in my lifetime.

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