Spice Girls - Portrayal in The Media

Portrayal in The Media

The Spice Girls became media icons in Great Britain and a regular feature of the British press; during the peak of their worldwide fame in 1997, the paparazzi were constantly seen following them everywhere, to obtain stories and gossip about the group, as a supposed affair between Emma Bunton and manager Simon Fuller, or constant split rumours which became fodder for numerous tabloids. Rumours of in-fighting and conflicts within the group also have hit the headlines, especially between Geri Halliwell and Mel B; the rumours suggested that they were fighting to be the leader of the group. Mel B, who later admits that she used to be a "bitch" with Geri, said the problems had stayed in the past. The rumours reached their height, when the Spice Girls dismissed their manager Simon Fuller during the power struggles, with Fuller reportedly receiving a 10 million pound severance cheque to keep quiet about the details of his sacking. Months later, in May 1998, Halliwell would leave the band, in the middle of rumours of fight with Mel B, the news of Halliwell's departure was covered as a major news story by media around the world, and became the biggest entertainment news stories of the year.

In February 1997 in the Brit Awards Geri's Union Jack dress from Spice Girls live performance created phenomenal attention and subsequently made all the front pages the next day. During the ceremony, Geri's breasts were exposed twice causing controversy. This would not be the only such exhibition published of Geri, because during the year the release of nude photos of Halliwell that she posed for earlier in her career caused some scandal. According to the documentary Giving You Everything, the rest of the Spices confessed that they knew about the photos before they were famous, but when the photos were published they created problems and friction inside the group during these years, but the issue never went away.

The stories of their encounters with other celebrities also became fodder for the press; for example, in May 1997, in The Prince's Trust 21st anniversary concert, Mel B and Geri Halliwell breached royal protocol when they planted kisses on Prince Charles's cheeks, leaving it covered with lipstick, and later, Halliwell told him "you're very sexy" and also pinched his bottom. In November, the British Royal Family were considered fans of the Spice Girls, including The Prince of Wales and his son Prince Harry of Wales. That month, South African President Nelson Mandela said: "These are my heroes. This is one of the greatest moments in my life" in an encounter organised by Prince Charles, who said, "It is the second greatest moment in my life, the first time I met them was the greatest". In 1998 the video game magazine Nintendo Power created The More Annoying Than The Spice Girls Award, adding: "What could possibly have been more annoying in 1997 than the Spice Girls, you ask?"

Victoria Adams started dating football player David Beckham in 1997 after they had met at a charity football match, prompting him to request a meeting with her. The couple announced their engagement in 1998 and were dubbed "Posh and Becks" by the media, They have been called the celebrity couple of the decade and are Britain's biggest power-couple, attracting much media coverage in the following years.