Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell is set for a "radical" new musical direction.

The "Lift Me Up" singer is collaborating with ex-New Radicals front man Gregg Alexander on songs for her eagerly awaited second album.

Since disbanding his "You Only Get What You Give" group, Alexander has made a name for himself as a songwriter to the stars.

He penned Ronan Keating's debut solo hit "Life Is A Rollercoaster," and is also responsible for Rod Stewart's forthcoming single "I Can't Deny It."

A source close to Halliwell says, "Geri is really excited about the collaboration. She wants a more mature but still poppy sound and thinks Gregg is the man who can help her find it."

In a video interview on her official website, www.melanie-b.com,Mel B explained that whenever she's in the Spice Girls office, she grabs a few fan letters and phones up their senders.

'I just say 'hi, how are you?'' Mel laughed. 'And they go silent and you're like, 'hello, is there anybody there?' That makes me giggle.'

Mel also revealed that a couple of Icelandic fans managed to get into her garden after she left the gate open.

'They didn't actually realise it was my garden,' Mel chuckled. 'They nearly got into my house! But we had a chat and they were really sweet.

'Meanwhile, the Spice Girls have been getting into the Christmas spirit with a Crimbo questionnaire on their official website,www.spicegirlsforever.co.uk. Victoria reckons her best pressie would be some Westlife pyjamas while Mel C thinks the worst would be an S Club 7 album! Emma, Mel B and Mel C all open their presents as early as possible while, dignified as ever, Victoria waits until just before lunch.

And rather bizarrely, the girls describe BBC TV presenter Noel Edmonds as 'yum'! The Spice site also boats an exclusive Christmas message from Melanie B and digital cards you can send to all your mates.

In other Spice-related news, a Spanish judge has issued an arrest warrant for Mel B's ex-husband, Jimmy Gulzar, after he failed to turn up for trial in Arrecife, Lanzarote.

Gulzar is accused of assaulting a photographer on the island 18 months ago and if convicted the dancer could face up to three months in prison and a 163;5000 fine.

The arrest warrant means that Gulzar will be subject to arrest as soon as he enters Spain.

Melanie B's new single, Feels So Good, is released on 18 February and you can watch the full video on her official website now.

Spice Girl Mel C has shocked the pop world by refusing to buy Christmas presents for her so-called close friends Victoria Beckham and Mel B.

Scouser Melanie Chisholm has been telling friends that she is only buying a festive gift for Baby Spice Emma Bunton.

The controversy comes at the end of one of the most troubled years ever for the group. Not only have sales for their new album been appalling, but the group have had trouble keeping up a united front.

Appearing on British comedian Frank Skinner's television show Chisholm told the West Midlands comedian that she had all but left the group, a claim that was swiftly retracted by the band's PR machine, The Outside Organisation.

Both Mels have had relatively successful solo careers, unlike Bunton and Beckham who failed to hit the number one slots despite mammoth hype. It is believed Beckham is desperate to keep the Spice Girls together because she has no other discernible way of keeping in the public eye, except as an accessory on the arm of her football star husband David.

Mel was overheard having a telephone conversation with Emma whilst shopping on Fifth Avenue in New York. She said: "I want to buy you something really nice but I'm not getting anything for Melanie or Victoria."

It appears that the current backlash against the SPICE GIRLS is starting to have an effect upon the girls themselves.

Music365 has learned that the quartet, arguably among the most famous faces in the world, are not going to appear in the video for their next single, 'Tell Me Why', which was co-written by the band and Rodney Jerkins.

The girls' apparent decision not to star in their own video has prompted suggestions that the band are aware that the public have grown tired of the media-saturation and are taking a step back, allowing the song, due for release early next year, to sell itself rather than relying on their personalities to promote it.

And this is not the only example of the formerly media-hungry girls becoming camera shy. According to The Sun, the quartet are frantically trying to prevent the screening of a TV documentary which chronicles their early years.

The Girls have enlisted the help of top lawyers to stop the film, which focuses on the band?s activities between 1993 and 1995, before they set about world domination.

However, ITV bosses are determined to put the show in their schedule for next year. The programme was originally scheduled to be transmitted during the Christmas season.

The documentary shows the band in less than glamorous circumstances, living together in Maidenhead, Berkshire. The programme gives an indication of the power struggle developing between Mel B and Geri Halliwell, who left the band in 1998. In another scene Victoria Beckham reveals how she fancies her husband?s Manchester United team mate Ryan Giggs.

The Spices? have spoken to solicitors claiming they own the rights to the programme. However ITV will not back down over the screening of the ?before they were famous? documentary, particularly after the problems they encountered with Posh Spice during filming of the recently transmitted David Beckham documentary.

Posh demanded that scores of scenes be cut from the programme because she thought they made David look thick and her appear a bad mother.

Speaking about the Spice documentary an ITV ?insider? told The Sun: ?We really want to get this on air ? it shows for the first time who the Spice Girls really are.?

?It is raw footage and is fascinating in the light of what the girls became. Not surprisingly they don?t want us to show it and solicitors letters have been flying around. But we really want to put it out ? especially because of the way Posh behaved.?

Mel C did a interview wiith Vigin Music Radio Canada, she said the Spice Girls is planing a 20001/02 worldtour. Nothing confirmed yet, it can be take place from Sping, or later Winter 2001. The shows are going to be a lot different that are old ones. They're going to have more Solo stuff and its going to be a lot funkier and modern.

Also she has been writing a bit with the Girls, Matt and Biff, and Jam and Lewis for her second solo album, but she don't think she'll get around to recording it till next summer or 2002. The album is going to be modern pop/r&b and some rockish tunes to it. Melanie and Emma also wrote her a song called "Friends Always". Its a great ballad, and hopefully it will appear on the album.

SPICE GIRL EMMA BUNTON is scrabbling to build a new career before the predicted collapse of the smash girlband...

Potentially instilling fear into a TV-watching nation, BABY SPICE has turned her back on music to have a go at television presenting, following her stint at Britain's hit children's morning show SM:TV.

The blonde HOLLER bopper will take over from PENNY SMITH - who is on holiday - to co-host teatime CELEBRITY! show with ANDI PETERS next week.

She should be right at home among her showbiz guests, who include S CLUB 7, JON BON JOVI and sexy model presenter MELANIE SYKES.

According to The Sun, the Spice Girls are not splitting, but Victoria, Melanie B, and Emma have given Melanie C "space" to sort herself and problems out.

The three are very worried about Melanie's recent behaviour, and would like her to know that they're there for her. Melanie C's recent erratic and foul-mouthed bahaviour has included jabs at Westlife, Robbie Williams, and has also been as out-spoken as to suggest that she'd quit the Spice Girls on Frank Skinner's television show Monday evening. She even admitted that it getting rather difficult for her to keep up the Sporty abd kind behaviour fans came to know: When I'm with Spice, I've got a lot more to consider. We've got a lot of very young girls - I don't want to upset them , but I find it hard to keep it all in."

But, a band insider has been quoted as saying that Melanie's fellow bandmates are not upset by her outbursts, but would just really like to help her: "The others are very concerned about Mel C and want to make sure they are there for her. They are not angry about her outbursts - they would just like to try to help her."

The insider also decided to add: "The girls are definitely bringing out one more album - but who knows if they will still be together in 12 months."

A spokesman for the Spice Girls has expressly denied today's reports that Melanie C has left the band and Mel has herself told worldpop that the MTV performance was not the group's last as has been claimed.

Tabloid reports argue that Mel's comments about the Spice Girls during the interview, in which she revealed she feels she must consider the age of the fans and the wishes of her bandmates more when she is performing with the Spice Girls than when she is on her own, reflect a desire to stop working with the group. But speaking to worldpop this weekend, Mel expressed her frustration at the papers' constant reports of a Spice split.

'I'm really bored of having to clear up all these stories,' she sighed. 'When we released Wannabe everybody thought we were a one hit wonder and here we are three albums later, nine No 1s later. Yeah, we're all doing solo stuff but I hope the MTV Awards showed that we're still together, we're still very much a band,' she continued before adding. 'They're going to continue to write it but the fans know the truth.'

It was rumoured that on the way over to the MTV EMA awards, Mel sat on the opposite side of the plane from the rest of the girls.

There was a fight between the girls in Stockholm, and later Mel threw down her microphone and stormed off stage to the amazement of the other girls during dress rehearsal.

A man accused of stealing clothes from Victoria Beckham has appeared in court.

Mark Oliver, 20, of Wessex Court, Stanwell Village, Middlesex, pleaded not guilty to theft and two counts of handling stolen goods during a brief appearance at Isleworth Crown Court.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between June 16 and 20 this year when luggage went missing while Posh Spice was flying between Heathrow and Manchester airports.

It is claimed Oliver stole clothes belonging to the singer and also handled the same items and a silver picture frame owned by the star.

He has been released on unconditional bail and a trial has been set for January 22.

Mel C is not leaving the Spice Girls, the group has insisted despite comments she made during an interview with comedian Frank Skinner.

Responding to a number of questions from Skinner regarding her future career Sporty Spice remarked that she had been "luckier" since leaving the band and pursuing her solo career.

Lingering audience laughter at a previous joke meant Skinner did not hear the slip and Mel C added: "Ooh - glad you missed that one."

A spokesman for the girl group insisted the remark had merely been "light hearted banter" and denied she had left the quartet.

While all the girls have pursued solo projects, Mel C, has been the most successful, scoring four top ten singles and two number ones, from her hugely successful debut album Northern Star.

She was also shortlisted in three categories at last week's MTV Europe Music Awards for Best Female, Best New Act and Best Song for 'I Turn To You'.

During the interview, recorded last night, she admitted finding it difficult balancing her career with the band and her solo aspirations.

She told Skinner: "When I am with Spice, it's like I have got a lot more to consider, you know we have a lot of very young fans and the other girls - I don't want to upset them or say anything that could reflect on them. But now I just find it really hard to keep it all in, I really do."

She then added: "Actually I have been luckier since I have left, well since I have been doing my own thing...Ooh glad you missed that one, anyway."

In a statement, a spokesman for the Spice Girls said: "Rumours have been circulating today that Melanie C will announce on tonight's Frank Skinner show that she has left the Spice Girls. We would like to make it clear that this is absolutely not the case and the misinterpreted quotes were no more than light hearted banter."

The bell, it seems, has tolled for the Spice Girls. Their management vehemently denies it but Melanie Chisholm - Sporty Spice - gave the strongest indication so far last night that the girl group's days are numbered.

It came in what appeared to be a throwaway comment on the Frank Skinner Show when the singer - who has been branching out into a solo recording career - said: "Actually, I've been luckier since I left." She immediately attempted to retract that by adding, "Well, since I've been doing my own thing."

The significance of the comment appears to have eluded host Frank Skinner, and Mel C joked: "Ooh, I'm glad you missed that one." But today speculation over the future of the Spice Girls is in overdrive.

Certainly, all has not been well in Spiceworld recently. Their third album , Forever, released last week, is at number 16 in the UK charts and selling dismally in the US - where only a few years ago the Spices sold out arenas. By contrast, the group's debut album, Spice, has sold over 3.5 million copies in Britain, while their album Spiceworld went platinum in 41 countries.

Boy band Westlife's album, Coast To Coast, muscled Forever out of the number one spot - a sign, perhaps, of a new pop order.

For now Mel C has ducked back into the fold with fellow Spices Emma Bunton, Victoria Beckham and Mel B. But if a split really is on the cards it will be the end of the most potent pop force of the last decade.

Their first single Wannabe went to number one in 31 countries. Since then they have had eight chart-topping singles in the UK, a record equalled only by the likes of Michael Jackson and George Michael.

Across the world they have sold more than 35 million albums and over 25 million singles. Geri "Ginger Spice" Halliwell quit in May 1998. All four remaining Spices have carved themselves solo careers of varying success.

MEL B was pushed off stage by a minder after trying to clamber up to meet Jennifer Lopez.

We only presume security staff at the Grand Hotel did not recognise the Spice Girl as she ran over to the Latin idol. Scary looked furious as she was grabbed and pushed back by a bouncer who told her: "Keep back."

Jennifer was dancing and singing with awards host Wyclef Jean at the time.

Mel later revealed she had leather pants sewn into the tiny mini-skirt she sported for the awards. She told me: "I wouldn't want everyone to be able to see everything now would I?"

Spice Girls star Mel C has made a weepy apology to Irish boy band Westlife -- claiming she never labeled them "manufactured and talentless." The "Stop" hitmaker broke down and cried during the phone call, insisting that she had never criticized them.

Group member Mark Feehily says, "Mel was in tears on the phone. I think she made some kind of comment at their album launch party, but it was twisted around into an attack on us.

She said, "Please don't believe what they're saying about me. They're coming out with all this, and I never said any of it."

"It does create tension between us, but I fully accept Mel's version of events. We may have made playful digs at each other, but there are no bad vibes or hatred between us. If you ask me, I think Mel C is a very nice girl."

Westlife's new album "Coast To Coast" last week beat the Spice Girls' effort "Forever" to the British top spot - winning by a massive 150,000 sales.

The Spice Girls are rumoured to be on the verge of splitting up following the dismal sales of their latest album.

They are said to have discussed quitting during the MTV Europe Music Awards in Stockholm.

But, while they have failed to make a final decision, they have no plans to release any more new music, says the News of the World.

Virgin, the band's record company, is not happy with sales of the girls' latest album, Forever, which dropped out of the top ten in two weeks and has sold only 10,000 copies to date.

Their first album sold a staggering 22 million, and the follow up Spice World sold 13 milllion.

Bosses at Virgin are said to be blaming the group for not promoting the album hard enough by concentrating on releasing solo material instead.

The Sunday tabloid says A Virgin insider claimed: "They spent a lot of time locked away together in Stockholm - and it wasn't a cheery conversation.

"The girls have certainly had a look over the cliff. Whether or not they will jump remains to be seen."

Spice Girls are in town! Tonight on the MTV Awards, the last performace by the Spice Girls this year takes place.

The band is recently hunted by the usual "split-up" rumours, but the girls themselves made a definite denying tonight that they`re going to split up.

"We're going to continue together," Mel C tells The Express.

As the only newspaper who were allowed to do a longer interview with the Spice Girls, The Express could talk to the Spice Girls just before the big night in Sweden.

Mel C as a solo artist is nominated tonight for "Best New Act" and for "Best Song." Her album "Northern Star" is doing big on the charts all over the world. Mel B, Emma and Victoria do also have solo-projects. That's why many people believed in a soon break-up, and that their previous album would be their very last one together as a group. But their third album has just been released this November!

"Girl Power is the most important thing." In other words, the Spice Girls are still alive.

"We have no other plans than continuing together," Victoria says. "Girl Power is still important to us. It`s been with us for so long, so it is something we have to and want to continue with!"

"There have been rumours about us breaking up since Wannabe. We have learned to live with it, because they`ll never stop saying that," Melanie C says.

alright cyber spicers!!

we promised to keep you up to date with all the Spicy goings on - so here they are!

we're adding lots of new stuff for you to do and win on our website... so don't lose out-- check this out:

there's a competition to win our first ever DVD, Forever More, coming up...the DVD features the 3 vids from our album--Holler, Let Love Lead The Way and Goodbye all in scrummy quality (have you seen any DVDs yet? they're about a trillion times clearer than video, which either means our skin's gonna look f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s or we'll have to wear more make-up in future, we haven't decided yet!) and we're also giving away boxsets of our first two albums, which will make fab Xmas pressies for all you Spice collectors out there, plus we'll be revealing the winners of our earlier competitions.

there's also a neat little game you can test your Spicy skills on to find out which one of us you're most like...or least like!

with Xmas fast approaching, we're getting ready to take a break, but you can always catch Victoria on the last ever TFI if you live in the UK. It's going out on 22 December and Elton John's presenting...check it out to see if Elt and Vic have anything special up their sleeves!

Emma's dropping in to An Audience with Ricky Martin on November 26....and there's a big feature on all of us on this week's CD UK. Don't worry if you don't live in the UK cos we'll get as much of it on the site before Xmas as we can.

Meanwhile Melanie C's as manic as ever--she's got loads of UK TV appearances lined up--you can catch up with them all on Melanie's own site, and don't forget she's got a mega new single out in the UK on 27 November--If That Were Me... another classic and with a great story to it! http://www.northern-star.co.uk/

finally, finally, we're hatching some nice little surprises for Xmas on www.spicegirlsforever.co.uk... but we're not gonna tell you right now!! so don't forget to tell your mates that if they want a Spicy Xmas too, they'll just have to join us cyber Spicers!!

speak to you v soon... and thanks for all the lovely messages - it's wonderful to be back!

love, peace and girl power

melanie c, victoria, melanie b and emma

x x x x

The new official Spice Girls site: http://www.spicegirlsforever.co.uk/

Posh said to SKYNEWS: "I don't know the title of my CD yet - but I have one idea now: It's "Signed With A Kiss" and there's also a song that I recoreded with the same name.

"It's about a girl who has a crush on a boy - but she is to afraid to tell him so she sends written clues. There is a part "I signed my love with a kiss - will you understand or will just keep going".

From Mel C's Official Site:

Melanie C TV dates are as follows :

• 17/11 Children In Need
  
• 18/11 CDUK performance
  
• 19/11 T4
  
• 20/11 Frank Skinner show
  
• 24/11 TFI - performance
  
• 26/11 TOTP+
  
• 30/11 Pepsi Chart
  
• 02/12 Pepsi Chart
  
• 08/12 TOTP

It is rumoured that plans are afoot for the Spice Girls to undergo a ten date World Tour next year, with agents for the girls busy arranging the series of concerts.

The plans come in the wake of comments by group member Mel C, that the girls' appearance at last night's MTV Europe Music Awards (16th November) may prove to be their last appearance together as they are all now fully involved in solo projects.

Although the live dates are not confirmed, it seems a good bet that we haven't seen the last of the Spice Girls live, at least not for a while.

The Spice Girls, back together after pursuing solo careers, said it was great to be out there performing again -- even if the ordeal was a bit nerve - racking.

They joined a dozen of the world's top acts -- from Madonna to Ricky Martin -- in the line- up of performers for Thursday night's MTV Europe Awards.

Emma Bunton, reflecting on their live show before an estimated one-billion-strong television audience, said: "It was very nerve-racking but it is so much more fun when we do it together."

"I am a bit gob-smacked. It all went so quickly," said Mel C afterwards.

And Posh Spice Victoria, barely off the tabloid front pages since her marriage to Manchester United football star David Beckham, was relaxed about their solo careers.

"At the end of the day if it wasn't for us being a group, we wouldn't be doing our own thing anyway. It's great. We are really proud to be up there," she told Reuters Television.

Mel C was short-listed for two awards at the ceremony and her fellow Spice Girls teased her. "It is only Melanie that is doing well at the moment," Mel B said.

"No, shut up. We have all had hit singles," Mel C retorted.

The Spice Girls, brought together as a manufactured pop group after they answered an advertisement in an entertainment trade newspaper, have proved to be Britain's most successful pop band since The Beatles when it comes to worldwide sales.

They have survived the departure of the fifth Spice Girl -- "Ginger Spice" Geri Halliwell -- and appear more determined than ever to make a success of their third album.

Their first single from the album went straight to the top of the hit parade but the album lost out in a much hyped battle of the album charts with Irish boyband Westlife.

Pop critics have constantly written obituaries for the Spice Girls and Mel B complained that people still do think of the group as one hit wonders.

"It's nine hit wonders," said Bunton with a chuckle, reflecting on their worldwide success and record sales that have topped 30 million.

Mel C, looking back on their meteoric rise to fame, said: "We looked good. We just came well packaged."

They may have just come together for the new album but the Spice Girls have an unerring ability to be front-page news in the celebrity-obsessed tabloids with much of the coverage centring on their image -- was "Posh Spice" too thin? Was Mel C facing a weight problem?

Mel C said: "A couple of things were said about me in the media -- one was about weight and one was about depression."

Explaining why she had decided to talk frankly about her depression, she said: "It is just a common thing depression. It is an illness -- try and get the stigma away from it. It's not really anybody's business."

Mel B agreed when asked about the need to be a healthy role model for young, impressionable fans: "At the end of the day, you have got a responsibility but that shouldn't overshadow the way you are naturally. Nobody is perfect."

Pic 1 , Pic 2

Wyclef introduced the Spice Girls, claiming they broke his heart. They 'Holler'd' all in black except for Posh, who was in red. Wiggling all in leather trousers, although Mel B was wearing something which can only just fit into the skirt category.

Mel C had hair extentions in and a 'Holler' vest on. The song ended with them going through the floor with large orange pyro flames blazing up.

Read all about it here

The Spice Girls have called for a "musical revolution" at yesterday night's MTV Europe 2000 Awards, after claiming no prizes at the ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden, dotmusic can exclusively reveal.

The ceremony was set alight as much by what happened off the stage as on, as the Spice Girls, Jennifer Lopez and Moby all spilled the beans to us backstage.

However, after performing 'Holler' onstage, the Spice Girls, who are rumoured to be on the verge of splitting, called for an end to "money-making rubbish".

Mel C told dotmusic after the show that she predicts an imminent "musical revolution", to sweep away corporate control and manufactured pop.

Victoria Beckham continued on a similar slant, insisting that the pop world should expect "musicians who change the times", stating "these times are coming to an end."

On a lighter note, Mel C said the band were still considering touring next year but nothing was set in stone. Both the girls also commented on the appointment of the Swede Sven Goran Eriksson as new England football coach, with Posh, for once, insisting that her footballing husband David had no comment on the matter.

Spice Girl Mel B has reached a financial settlement with her former husband Jimmy Gulzar.

The couple, who have a 20-month-old daughter, Phoenix Chi, divorced earlier this year.

Despite a series of public rows, they recently reached an agreement over access rights to their child.

A statement by the Spice Girls' publicists, The Outside Organisation, said: "Jimmy Gulzar and Melanie Brown have compromised the financial proceedings between them.

"A term of settlement is that the details of the court order shall be confidential."

The 25-year-old singer performed with the Spice Girls on Thursday night at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Stockholm, Sweden. She is reported to be worth an estimated �20m after four-and-a-half years in the public eye.

Mel B met Gulzar, 33, in 1998 after they met on the group's Spice World tour. The pair were inseparable, and after a matter of weeks Mel B discovered she was pregnant and Jimmy proposed.

They married in a secret ceremony as part of an exclusive magazine deal in September 1998. But their happiness did not last, and they separated in January 2000.

Mel B is now in a relationship with actor Max Beesley.