Mel C says the Spice Girls had "very little support" for their mental health.
Mel C has opened up about life in the Spice Girls.
The pop band - consisting of Melanie Chisholm, Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Victoria Beckham and Geri Horner - shot to fame in the 1990s and became the biggest girl group in the world but Mel is adamant they were overworked and had very little time off - as well as minimal support for mental health issues.
In an interview with DailyMail.co.uk, she was asked if there should have been more support for the singers and she replied: "Absolutely. When I look back I am shocked about how much work we were supposed to do, how little time we had off, how little support we had for our mental health. It wasn’t even considered back then."
During her time in the band, Mel C battled issues including an eating disorder, depression and anxiety but insists the pressure of fame was the cause of most of her troubles rather than the group dynamic.
She went on: "It was more the level of fame. And so many of my issues were driven by control or lack of control. I was binge drinking. I was binge eating. I was embarrassed and ashamed of it. I had to keep it a secret because even though you’re in denial about it, there’s still that tiny little voice going: 'This isn’t right, you can’t continue like this'."
"But I didn’t want to face it. I didn’t want to face it until the time when I personally felt like I didn’t have an option. I was afraid of what the alternative was."
Mel admitted she knew it was time to get help when she hit rock bottom and worried she might do something to harm herself.
When asked if she was worried about having suicidal thoughts, Mel replied: "Potentially, yes. Potentially going so far down that road. My own behaviour discouraged me so much. I didn’t know how far that could progress. So it was definitely time to get outside help."
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