Mel C is reportedly preparing to say ‘I do’ this weekend in what marks a remarkable change of heart for the Spice Girl who spent years insisting marriage simply wasn’t for her.
The singer, 52, is said to be tying the knot with partner Chris Dingwall in a private countryside ceremony surrounded by close family and friends, according to the Mirror.
If the reports are true, Sporty Spice will become the final member of the Spice Girls to walk down the aisle, bringing to an end a decades-long statistic that once seemed destined to remain.
For years, Mel openly questioned whether marriage would ever feature in her future. But after finding love with Australian model and screenwriter Chris Dingwall, she gradually softened her stance.
Speaking earlier this year, she admitted she’d surprised even herself.
‘It’s something I didn’t think would be part of my story, but I’m so happy with Chris,’ she told The Times. ‘Maybe it is something that will be in my life.’
It appears that ‘maybe’ has become ‘definitely’.
The couple reportedly met on celebrity dating app Raya before going public with their relationship in 2024, and Mel has made little secret of the impact Chris has had on her life.
While promoting her latest solo album Sweat, she revealed falling in love had shaped the record in unexpected ways.
‘Not long into making the record, I met somebody new, I fell in love,’ she explained. ‘So I ended up having this wonderful arc of emotions throughout the album – of heartbreak and then that excitement of a new relationship.’
She later described Chris as ‘very laid-back’ and ‘loads of fun’, adding that the pair share similar personalities, lifestyles and even work out together.
The reported wedding also caps what has been something of a renaissance for the singer.
Just last week, Mel accepted the Global Impact Award at the Nordoff and Robbins Silver Clef Awards, where she reflected on what she described as the happiest chapter of her life.
‘I am living my best life,’ she told the audience. ‘I am the happiest I have ever been.’
She also celebrated the success of Sweat, which became the highest-charting solo album of her career.
According to the Mirror, friends believe the wedding is simply the latest high point in an extraordinary year.
‘Mel is on fire at the moment,’ one source said. ‘She is such a lovely person and deserves all the success both professionally, and now personally, as well.’
The ceremony is also expected to bring together much of the Spice Girls once again.
Geri Horner, Emma Bunton, and Mel B have reportedly all been invited and are expected to attend the celebrations, although Victoria Beckham is said to be unable to make it because she is in Australia with husband David Beckham for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The wedding will mark another milestone for one of pop’s most famous friendships. Victoria married David Beckham in 1999, Geri wed Christian Horner in 2015, Emma Bunton married Jade Jones in 2021 and Mel B tied the knot with Rory McPhee last year.
For Mel C, however, marriage once seemed the least likely ending.
The singer spent more than 20 years with property developer Thomas Starr, with whom she shares daughter Scarlett, before they split in 2021. She was also previously in a long-term relationship with her former manager Joe Marshall.
Now, after decades of insisting she didn’t need a wedding to define a happy relationship, it seems love has persuaded even Sporty Spice to rewrite her own story.
Metro has contacted reps for Mel C for comment.