Pod Of The Pops (The Girlband Popcast)

Did you miss us? Well, we definitely missed you. So much so we have a little surprise gift for you (no, its not a full a series on Girls Aloud..... if you can get us a full sponsorship deal with your local library then - YES - we will do it) Either way, we hope you like our offer For more on this episode listen to Matter Of Pride on all platforms from linktr.ee/aaron twitchen Or search for Aaron Twitchen on your podcast provider or follow @aarontwitchen

Not since Michelle Williams has the phrase 'Poor' been needed than Poor Jade Ewen. Despite hustling at Eurovision Russia, Girlband Trinity Stone and starring in a Busted video - Jade Ewen never got the appreciation she deserved... until now! We celebrate Jade Ewens solo career pre and post Sugababes from Splash! to Aladdin. You could say its.... My Time (well, her time - shut up, it worked in our heads) www.podofthepops.co.uk

Final original Sugababe Keisha Buchanan unfairly booted from the band in the middle of promotion for Get Sexy. Maybe you think she didn't do anything solo..... let us prove you wrong. Unreleased demos, youtube and property. We deep dive into the longest lasting Sugababe.

Who is the only Sugababe to get a solo number one single? Its your girl Amelle! We break down that and all her 'would be, could be' singles. Not to mention a short actress stint, tumbling around in BBC Ones celebrity circus show and more than one controversial court case.

The Real Girl herself, Mutya Buena, after leaving Sugababes she went onto a short pop career, a lifetime of one off singles and a lot of reality tv Its just Tattoo and us on a journey through the social career of Mutua Buena

Whos got the Range? Heidi Range Its time to dig deep into the solo career of the REAL original Sugababe (please dont cancel us!). There may not be a music career but we get masterchef, dancing on ice and WINE. Plus, we rewind time and look at her start in life.... in Atomic Kitten! Listen to our Heidi playlist on Spotify including the discussed previously unreleased Heidi solo tracks: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2KmIDLa8mS3eiR5Lt2IJ13?si=YN9E4QC7TTyF_Svs0TvB1w

You know we love deep dives on the forgotten solo careers. This week its the turn of Siobhan Donaghy, the original flame haired irish Sugababe. Leaving after the mixed success of the debut Sugababe album, One Touch, Siobhan fires off with two albums of her own: Revolution in me and Ghosts. Aside from music theres some surprises along the way including musicals and fashion.

Did you miss us like a hole in the head? Because we did, babes, and it ain't cool babes. We know we took a minute to get back to you but we're coming right back at ya (this time) with a brand new series. We've done the best selling girlband of the 90s and now its the best selling girlband of the 00s. Before we dive in, we're catching you up on in everything in our pop bubbles. We're SO glad to be back. Pod of the pops, Series 2. The Sugababes podcast

Spice Girls reunion tour 2019 brings Spiceworld to a new generation (next!). Baby Spice, Scary Spice, Sporty Spice, Ginger Spice (not Posh) are back together and singing all their hits, from Wannabe to Let Love Lead the Way (yes they did). Join us as we dissect the set list, the costumes, the merchandise, the stadium and, of course, the opening act (Poor Jess Glynne). Whether you saw them in Wembley, Bristol, Sunderland or Dublin (we saw them in Edinburgh and it was fire) this will help you Never Give Up On The Good Times and answer the all important question..... Why was Geri so cold?

The solo career of Scary Spice, Melanie Brown, becomes quite difficult after the 2007 Spice Girls reunion. Despite proving herself as a successful TV talent judge, on formats such as X Factor and Americas Got Talent, Mel B has struggled in her personal life with accusations of Domestic Abuse and Drug addiction. Mostly connected to her marriage with Stephen Belafonte. Although Pod of the Pops is a light hearted podcast, and we are reloving these popculture moments, it would be amiss of us not to cover this indepth. As such, this episode does come with a trigger warning. Mostly, we are proud the Mel B found the courage to leave a situation that was clearly distressing and problematic for many involved. We think this can be a beacon of light for many people who feel trapped in their own situations and hope we can make a new episode, in many years time, that shows her going from strength to strength. Before this, we chat about the Spice Girls solo career including: Dancing with the Stars. Takes part in series 5 of Dancing with the Stars with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. She comes in second Her Las Vegas Revue: Peepshow. A burlesque show created by Jerry Mitchell and the longest-running live show at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. Fitness Spice. A DVD, a playstation game and the face of Jenny Craig. Her TV show, Dance your ass off Her reality show, Its a scary scary world. Including celeb special guests and its own theme tune. Her many many MANY reality tv judging stints. Including X Factor Australia, X Factor UK, Voice Kids and Americas Got Talent Her solo single. The dance record, For Once in My Life, and its crazy music video. Rumours around her leaked third album, including collaborations with Danja Acting roles, including Chocolate City 2, Twelve Trees of Christmas, Killing Hasselhoff, Chicago on Broadway and Secret Diary of a call girl Presenting role on LipSync Battle UK alongside Professor Green Her second autobiography, Brutally Honest, which details the bitter divorce from her husband, rumoured sex tapes, domestic abuse, custody battles and money problems

She gave you the finger, you took her to dinner, and you made her laugh. Its time to respectthe painfully derailed second solo career of Geraldine Estelle Halliwell.--------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome back to Pod of the Pops.Just like an apple, cut down the middle, she only has one matching half…….. If you don’tknow the lyrics I’m referencing then THIS podcast is going to be an EYEOPENER for you. The second Geri Halliwell career is really a long road of threats to release an album. She hits more road bumps than Rita Ora.Start the podcast in true Geri style….. an interview in The Guardian where she denouncesherself as a feminist: “For me, feminism is bra-burning lesbianism. It's very unglamorous...Weneed to see a celebration of our femininity and softness”Constantly comes back to her not knowing what her greatest assets are. I used to pictureher as a great speaker, politically engaging but actually – she is a monkey at a typewriter.If you type a thousand scripts, eventually one will say SpiceWorld. Example: I'm learning every day as a mother. I'm learning that she's like a flowerthat thrives when it gets sunlight, and the sunlight is confidence, and I feel thatwhen I'm confident it gives her self-esteem. And that gives me motivation to go onand be the best.……I, I, I, i…. iSpice On 12 April 2007, it was announced that Halliwell had signed a six-book deal with MacmillanChildrens Books. The books follow the adventures of nine-year-old Ugenia, a character basedon Halliwell, alongside her friends Bronte, Rudy, and Trevor.Each title feature a newsletter from Ugenia highlighting lessons she has learned, along withquizzes, riddles and crosswords, and available in an audio book edition read by Halliwell. Geri described it as “The rebith of girl power. Handing on the baton through a different medium.(If she has handed on the baton it would explain the next 7 years)There were rumours Geri had based one of the characters, Princess Posh Vattoria on her fellowbandmate, Mrs Victoria Beckham. Another character is called David Bockham. Not the mostcunning disguise, it is. She loves an obvious dance move; she loves an obvious character name.She appeared in early drafts but removed. According to the official site, the book sold more than 250,000 copies in its first 5 months, makingHalliwell 2008s most successful female celebrity childrens author.In September 2009, Halliwell, in her role as a Goodwill Ambassador of UNFPA, visited Nepal tohelp launch a national campaign to stop violence against womenIn 2009, she also makes a movie cameo. In the Jason Statham action comedy, Crank: HighVoltage. It’s a sequel in which Chev Chelios must electrocute himself regularly to stay alive –whilst a group of assassins take out hits on his life.Geri appears in a flashback; as the role of Jason Stathams mother. (I am assuming they usedthe scene from SpiceWorld where they play mothers as their inspiration). Clip. Clip.Now – I know this is just a bit of fun BUT can we discuss, for a moment, the role Geri playedin early feminism. And the irony then, that in 2009 she would appear in a film the Guardianaccussed of “extreme misogyny and racism” and “although nothing should be off limits incomedy” it amounts to “flashy, arrogant, emptiness”. Now, I haven’t seen 2010 had the makings of a big year for Geri. She has put wheels in motion; Scream if youwanna go faster. We start getting a lot of “Geri is coming back to music”. This is 5 years afterher last album (2005 Passion).March: Vocal coach Carrie Grant, famous as one half of the husband-wife team that coachedcontestants on reality TV show Fame Academy is being interviewed on The Alan Titchmarshshow (all big names) and she says Geri is working on a return to music. We also cover:- Her episode of Piers Morgans: Life Stories- Fashion Spice: she releases 3 collections with Next. A beach wear collection, a red carpet ready gown collection and a very patriotic Olympics range- J

All the Spice Girls projects that lead us to the 2019 reunion tour. We actually get a lot at this time. They’re literally... "Giving us everything". Brits 2010 Spice Girls win best British performance of the past 30 years – for 1997 hit Who Do You Think You Are.Geri Halliwell and Melanie Brown (Scary Spice and Ginger Spice) attend to collect the Brit award. They look incredible. I don’t think these photos do Geri justice. I remember watching it on TV and thinking “Hell, how is this angel on earth”.2012 was a big year for the Spice Girls of course we get the 2012 Olympics.London 2012 Olympics was a huge deal in the UK. We had one of our most successful events on record, taking 65 medals. More than we had since 1908. But….. the real thing everyone cared about….. was the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.I had got confused. I believed they would be on in the opening ceremony. Frankly, they deserved tobe in both. Emelie Sande appeared twice. I felt like she was on it a lot. Was Dido there at all?12 August, 2012. The show was entitled “A symphony of British Music”. 23 million viewers in the UK, 750 million globally.Worst kept secret ever. It had been rumoured for some time and then a few days before the event, rehearsal footage leaked of the Spice Girls performing around taxis. They were apparently reluctant at first – believing the show was being staged at minimal costand only agreed after Simon Fuller convinced them. Missing out would be a mistake….. Whodid: The Rolling Stones , David Bowie , Sex Pistols , Kate Bush and The LibertinesThey don’t appear until 20 minutes in, nearer the end of the music section. Everytime I saw ataxi I started screaming. Convinced it was them. Most tweeted moment of the year: 116,000 tweets per minute.By this point we had already had an announcement of a new musical in the works for the girls. So, in June 2012 the five girls reunited on the St Pancras Renaissance London Hotel where 16 years previously they had filmed the video for Wannabe. They announced a juke box musical will be made from the back catalogue with a book by Jennifer Saunders and production by Judy Craymer.Then we move into musical territory. Viva Forever! (written with an exclamation mark – presumably that was Victorias input – we know she loves a ! her Greatest hits thank yous were filled with them). Right choice of people to work with. All female. Felt very appropriate. Saunders can be linkedto Comic Relief, Ab Fab, The Movie.Open in London West End at the Piccadilly Theatre in Dec of that same year. Before we talk about the show – can we do opening night. Victoria nearly didn’t make it. Didn’t walk the red carpet with the girls; did with her familyo The look book. Geri is in a huge ballgown. Very similar to the one she wore at PrinceCharles Birthday Gala. All in upmarket dresses….. except VB. Who is in trousers, ashirt, and a jacket over her shoulders. (Maybe she was genuinely late).I had on platform trainers. My union Jack vest. My bottle of wine. It was very middle class,middle aged, middle mooded. Was not a lot of jumping and screaming. It felt like Mamma Miaaudience, to me. It felt…. Weak. And I wanted it to be good. The story was – well, X Factor felt tired at thatpoint, and it was centred on that. Also, they started as a group and then she left. Whereas theSpice Girls were about 5 girls forced together who had to get along. Bear in mind a yearearlier Little Mix had been put together as a winning group. THAT would have been a betterstory.o They used album tracks and solo stuff. Which I thought was strong. A nod to the fans,new music for some.o Staging – cool – with the houseboat that rose out of the stage.o Also, there was this complicated birth mother story that had an obvious conclusionthat never got resolved.o I lay the blame at Jennifer Saunders door. And the support she would have receivedin writing the book. She is known more for things coming together in improve andrehearsal – They never had a finished s

They’re coming Right Back At Ya. All 5 Spice Girls together again. 4 become 5. Each Spice Girl said they were unlikely to reform. Particularly Melanie C, who as recent as the April had said she wouldn't. The christening of Geris daughter, Bluebell, appeared to be the clincher. They were meant to get together for Live8, July 2005. The hold up was Mel B, because she was in California working. Instead people were treated to Madonna, Mariah and Dido (The Adele of her day). More forgotten heros of the time: Ms Dynamite and Joss Stone Mel C was pretty shady about it on Anne Robinsons talk show. Mel B would give a glimmer of hope by confirming their will be an album, full of new tracks and it was inevitable the girls would get back together. But we would have to wait two more years. 28th June 2007 – Announced world tour outside of Londons O2 Arena. Lets talk looks. Geri is the only one in white. Meaning she would be in the middle. You KNOW she was told all black. "We were all on the email, Geri" Melanie Brown thought she was being clever by wearing a red skirt. Geris dress is also truly heinous. Shapeless earth mother Victoria Beckham….. The boobs, the corset, the sequin leggings. The hair! Emma Bunton is an 8 month pregnant goddess Mel B had given birth just 2 months previously. These girls love being pregnant around tour times. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them makes announcement next week. Announce world tour – initially 11 dates. Dates sold out and they added an additional 16 dates. Grossed over $70million dollars Victoria Beckham turned down a spot in the Sex and the city sequel because of touring. Geri must have been furious. This was followed by a Greatest Hits CD in November. The album artwork….. simple right. Spice Girls greatest hits album is one of the most expensive album covers ever made. Because they are REAL jewels. What a bloody waste! Best selling girlband album of 2007, but beaten to the top by – can you guess it? Leona Lewis debut. Only made number 93 in America due to a clerical issue with retailer Victorias Secret, who weren’t registered for soundscan. Despite selling 600,000 copies in those stores alone. VB – Mummy was a popstar. I love a liner note – not as much as Mel B, who didn’t have room on the page so wrote an additional section on her website. (Don’t read it Karen – she doesn’t get all her yours right). Supported by new single “Headlines (Friendship never ends). I like it more now. It has grown on me. Plush ballad….. if a little beige. Mel C was not a fan. Never mind the buzzcocks. FIND. Unusual composition –The Mel C power bridge comes in halfway through, before Victorias solo. Distinctly hear Victorias voice in the chorus for once. Geri described it as a “Classic”. By that she means they recorded it in 1998 and gave it a musical wash. Apparently it was written back in the day, with Absolute and they just revamped it Crucially, it was their only single to miss the Top 10 – clocking in at 11. Despite being the official Children in need single. First song in 10 years not to do so (Makes Baby Bunton feel better about Downtown). THE VIDEO The storyboard for this video is: 5 friends meet up after 10 years and instead of going for cocktails and talking about boys – they strut into a dark and draughty house and cavort on the furniture. That is clearly an event organised by Geri “Yo, Vicki, Emma, Mel, Mel – Crazy golf was fully booked so do you fancy going to Downton Abbey and watched me writhe against a wardrobe door in bra and gloves. This is a song about friendship, and surviving together and they spend most of it in separate rooms! The only time they are actually together is when Geri and Victorias sit on a dresser and stroke each others hair. They sit on a dresser…. Despite this house being filled exclusively with furniture. They look incredibly classy and sophisticated except when, for a reason never explained, Geri is in her underwear and gloves. Scary lies down on