Melanie C, Toddler 'skinfluencers', Bryony Gordon

About this episode

Melanie C discusses her new album and the legacy of the Spice Girls, while concerns about child influencers in skincare are raised, and Bryony Gordon talks about her new novel.

Melanie C has been a household name for the past three decades, since the Spice Girls burst into the charts with Wannabe and went on to become the world’s biggest ever girl group. She says her new solo album Sweat is a chance to bring together all the different aspects of herself, from pop star to superstar DJ, teenage raver to being fit in her 50s. She joins Anita Rani to discuss why she’s bringing the joy on a quest to get people dancing, and the enduring legacy of the Spice Girls. Concerns are being raised over a lack of safeguards for ‘child influencers’ after an investigation found children as young as two demonstrating skincare routines on TikTok. The Guardian's Consumer Affairs Correspondent Sarah Marsh tells Anita about their research which found that from 8,000 skincare-related posts on the social media platform, there were hundreds featuring children believed to be under 13, and at least 90 featuring children under five. Dermatologists have said children do not need multi-step skincare routines, which could damage their skin and increase anxiety about their appearance. Writer and newspaper columnist Bryony Gordon joins Anita to talk about her novel People Pleaser, her…

People in this episode

Guests: Melanie C, Bryony Gordon, Sarah Marsh

Topics covered

• Melanie C
• Spice Girls
• child influencers
• skincare
• Bryony Gordon
• mental health
• addiction

Keywords

• music
• social media
• children
• fiction

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Sweat

Books & works: Wannabe, Sweat, People Pleaser

Places: Oldham, Manchester, Great Britain, England

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