Mel C felt "uncomfortable" being Sporty Spice.
The ‘Wannabe’ hitmaker found fame as part of the Spice Girls but admits she never subscribed to the "bolshy, mouthy and aggressive" persona associated with being Sporty Spice.
She said: "In the band, there was power in numbers and we egged one another on. As Sporty Spice, I felt I was portrayed as being quite bolshy, mouthy and aggressive and that has never been me. I felt really uncomfortable with this portrayal.
"When you’re in your early 20s, you are trying to figure out who you are anyway. I hate confrontation and, in the band, I was the diplomat. I’ve always been very low key and put up with stuff. I just got to a point where I realised it wasn’t serving me well. I had to take responsibility for myself."
And the 43-year-old singer admits she faces a lot of ageism in the music industry.
She added to the May issue of Good Housekeeping magazine: "I come up against a lot of ageism in music, especially for women. There are certain radio stations that won’t play you because it doesn’t fit their demographic. I don’t have an issue with that.
"But there will be things that I would quite like to do and someone might say to me, ‘Well, you know we live in a very ageist society.’ Why can’t I be the face of a sports brand just because I’m 43? Why can’t I try? I want to break down these ageist barriers. I still feel youthful. I’m in the best shape of my life and I have just made one of the best records of my career."
Mel C ‘uncomfortable’ being Sporty Spice
