You think you know everything about the Spice Girls — but here's one that will stop you mid-scroll. Mel B, arguably the fiercest of the five, once quietly swapped her famous surname initial for a completely different letter.
The Name Change Nobody Talks About
When Mel B married Dutch dancer Jimmy Gulzar in 1998, she did something unexpectedly romantic: she rebranded. Out went Mel B, in came Mel G — the G standing for her new married name, Gulzar.
She didn't just use it quietly either. Her cover of Cameo's classic Word Up!, featured on the Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me soundtrack, was officially released under the Mel G name in 1999.
"Change my name from the B to the G, so my hubby can get with me."
Yes, she literally wrote a lyric about it. The cheeky line appeared on her B-side track Sophisticated Lady, and it's the kind of detail that makes you love her even more.
The Solo Queen You Forgot She Was
Mel B was actually the first Spice Girl to go solo — launching her career while the group was still together. Her collaboration with Missy Elliott on I Want You Back shot straight to Number 1 in the UK.
Her debut album Hot followed, produced by heavyweights including Rodney Jerkins and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. It delivered two consecutive top-five UK hits in Tell Me and Feels So Good.
Back to B — and Back to Yorkshire
When her marriage to Gulzar ended in 2000, the Mel G chapter quietly closed. She filed for divorce and the original, iconic initial returned.
These days, the Leeds lass is living her best life on a £2.2 million Yorkshire farmhouse with husband Rory McPhee — a very long way from the Austin Powers soundtrack. She's also back on the America's Got Talent panel, with Emma Bunton and Mel C set to join her for the home visits. Scary Spice? She never really went anywhere.
