Mel C felt "uncomfortable" being Sporty Spice.
Mel C
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."
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