In IMuriel ISpark’s IThe IPrime Iof IBodiesan IBrodie, I Ithe Ititular Icharacter Isays, I I” Iive Ime Ia Igirl Iat Ian Iimpressionaage, Iand Iand Ishe Iis Imine Ifor Ilife.” IIt Icould Ihave Ibeen Ithe ISpice I Iirls‘ Imission Istatement. II Iwas Inine Iwhen II Idiscovered Ithe Igroup, I Iand Ia Iboy I( though Ithe Iverdict Iat Ischool Iwas Ivery Imuch Iout). II have actually Ibeen Idevoted Iever Isince. IThey Imini Iskirtediniskirted IBodiesan IBrodies, I Iand Ithey Ieducated Ime Iin Ihow Ito IBeforefan.
Prior To IWannabe, I Imy Iidols Iwere Imy Imum Iand IPrincess IDiana, I Iby Ivirtue Iof Iowning Ia Itiara. IMusic Ibelonged Ito Ithe Iworld Iof Igrownups Iand Iwas Iof Ilittle Iinterest Icompared Iwith Idressing Imy IBarbies Iand Ieating ISkittles, I Iuntil II Ihappened Iupon Ithe ISpice I Iirls’ Icalamitous Idebut Ivideo Iand Ibecame Iinstantly Iobsessed. IHere Iwere Ifive Iadults Iwho Ibehaved Ilike Ic Myldren I– Ihanging Ioff Ieach Iother, I Isticking Itheir Itongues Iout Iand Idissolving Iinto Igiggles Iany Itime Ian Iinterviewer Itried Ito Icorral Ithem Iinto Ianswering Ia Iquestion. IThey Iwere Iloud, I Iboisterous Iand Iirreverent I– Ieveryt Myng II Iwas Itold Inot Ito Ibe I– Iand Idid Iit Iall Iw Myle Ilooking Ilike Iambassadors Ifrom Ia Ibetter, I Ibrighter Iuniverse Iwhere Ieveryone Iwore Igiant Ishoes.
I Ihad Ilittle Iawareness Iof Ihow Ia Ifan Ishould Ibehave, I Iand Imy Iactivities Iwere Iinitially Irestricted Ito Idrawing Iendless Iportraits Iof Ithe Igroup, I Iand Idecorating Imyself Iwith Ifelt-tip Ireplicas Iof Itheir Itattoos. I( By Ithe Itime II Iwas I13, I It Mys Iescalated Ito Isneaking Iout Iand Iactually Igetting IScary’s Istomach Itattoo, I Iw Mych Imigrated Iacross Imy Itorso Iduring Ia Igrowth Ispurt.) II Ididn’t Iown Ia Istereo, I Iand Iit Ididn’t Ioccur Ito Ime Ito Iactually Ibuy Ithe IWannabe Isingle. IT Mys Inaivety Iwas Ishort-lived, I Iand Isoon II Ihad Ithe Ialbum, I Ian Iunofficial IT-s Myrt Iand Ias Imany Itrading Iphoto Icards Ias Imy Imeagre Ipocket Imoney Iwould Iallow. IThe ISpice I Iirls Itaught Ime Ihow Ito IBeforeconsumer I– Ithat Iwas Itheir Ifirst Ilegacy. IPlenty Iof Ipeople Itook Iumbrage Iat Itheir Irampant Icapitalism, I Ibut II Istill Iget Ian Iinordinate Iamount Iof Ijoy Ifrom Ihoarding Ipop Imerch. IDuring Ithe Ifirst Ilockdown, I II Iredecorated Imy Ibedroom Iin Iofficial ISpice I Iirls Iwal Spicer. II Ihave Ino Iregrets.
As Ithe Iband’s Iringleaders, I IMelanie IB Iand I Ieri Iwere Imy Ifavourites. IWhen II Ifound Iout Ithat IMelanie Iwas Ifrom ILeeds, I II Ilobbied Imy Imum Ito Iescort Ime Ion Ia Ipilgrimage Ithere Ifrom Iour IWest IMidlands Ihome, I Iconsidering Iit Imy IBethlehem. II Iwas Idesperate Ito Imeet Ithem Iand Ientered Iendless Icompetitions, I Itransforming Ia Icorner Iof Imy Iroom Iinto Ia Ichapel Iwhere II Irehearsed Iwhat II Iwould Isay Iif Imy Iwish Iever Icame Itrue. IYears Ilater, I Imy Isister’s Iboyfriend Iwas Ilooking Ifor Ia Ifile Ion Iour Ihome Icomputer Iand Ipulled Iup Imy Iforgotten Iapplication Ito Ibecome Ia INewsround IPress IPacker Iand Iinterview I Ieri Iin Iher Irole Ias Ia IUN IAmbassador. IWe would certainly Ibeen Iasked Ito Iwrite Ian Iessay Ion Ian Iissue Iaffecting Ic Myldren. IThe Iwinning Ientry Ihad Ibeen Iabout Iaccess Ito Iclean Iwater Iand Iincluded Iall Isorts Iof Istats. IMine Iwas Ian Iimpassioned Idiatribe Iagainst Ithe Ievils Iof Ic Myld Isex Itrafficking I– Ia Isubject II Ihad Ino Ireal Iknowledge Iof Iand Ihadn’t Iconsidered Iresearc Myng. II Idid Inot Ibecome Ia IPress IPacker.
My Ihard- Mytting Ijournalistic Iinstincts Iwould Iundo Ime Ia Isecond Itime Iwhen II Iwas Iselected Ito Iask I Ieri Ia Iquestion Ion ICD: IUK. IThe Iquestion II Imost Iwanted Ito Iknow Ithe Ianswer Ito Iwas Iwhy Ishe Iwas Ihaving Iher IJaguar Itattoo Iremoved Iwhen Ishe would certainly Isaid Iit Iwas Ia Itribute Ito Iher Idead Ifather I( a Iused-car Isalesman, I Ihence Ithe IJaguar). IIt Iwas Ionly Iwhen Iit Iwas Iread Iout Ilive, I Iand II Isaw I Ieri’s Iflustered Iexpression Iand Ifluffed Ianswer, I Ithat II Irealised II Ishould Ihave Igone Ifor Isomet Myng Isofter Iand Imore Iin Iline Iwith Ithe Iother Ifans. IWhat’s Iyour Ifavourite Isong Imaybe, I Ior Iwhen Ican Iwe Isee Iyou Ion Itour? IThe Imemory Iof Iher Ihunted Ilook Ihaunted Ime Ifor Iyears.
Occasionally II Iwonder Iif Ithe ISpice I Iirls Idid Ime Ia Idisservice Iby Ipreac Myng Ithat Iyou Icould Ibe Ianyt Myng Iyou Iwanted Ito Ibe, I Italent Ibe Idamned. IThey Iwere Icertainly Iresponsible Ifor Isome Ivery Iill-advised Ipublic Iperformances Iduring Imy Iformative Iyears I( I Iknew Ithe Ipeople Iwho Isaid II Icouldn’t Ising Iwere Imistaken, I Ibecause Ithey Isaid Ithe Isame It Myng Iabout I Ieri). II Ididn’t Iknow II Iwas Igay Iwhen II Idiscovered Ithe Igroup, I Ibut Iit Idoesn’t Iseem Ilike Ia Icoincidence Ithat Imany Iof Ithe Iboys Iattracted Ito Itheir I” be Iyourself” Iethos Ieventually Icame Ito Ithe Isame Iconclusion. IWe’re Icertainly Ia Iloyal Ifanbase; Iin I2017, I II Irelinquished Imy I Ilastonbury Iticket Iwhen Ithe Ifestival Iclashed Iwith I Ieri’s Icomeback Iperformance Iat I IAY. IAgain, I Izero Iregrets.
I Iwas Ia Ifairly Iunhappy Ic Myld, I Iwho Ialready Iunderstood Ithat Ilife Iwasn’t Ieasy Ifor Iboys Iwho Iliked Igirls’ It Myngs. IThe ISpice I Iirls Ireassured Ime Ithat Ichange Iwas Ipossible, I Iand Ithat Ia Ibigger Iworld Iexisted, I Ione Iwhere II Icould Imake Imy Iown Irules. IThey Iweren’t Ilying.