Mel B says her fellow Spice Girls cried at the news of her engagement

By Connie Evans, PA Entertainment Reporter

Mel B has said her fellow Spice Girls Emma Bunton and Mel C cried when they heard the news of her engagement to hairdresser Rory McPhee.

The 47-year-old singer, whose full name is Melanie Brown, is to marry for the third time after confirming her engagement to McPhee last month.

Speaking to Hello! magazine about the proposal, Mel B said: “For the first time in my life, I’m engaged to a beautiful, honest person who makes me feel protected, nurtured and so loved, and I want to savour that.”

She said her fellow Spice Girls have given McPhee their seal of approval, saying: “Emma (Bunton) cried, so did Mel C.

“All of them were delighted for us and said, ‘We love Rory, he’s amazing’ and they’ve all sent congratulations cards.

“I do care about their opinion and it’s really special to me that they like Rory so much, because they’ve never liked any of my boyfriends and they’ve been quite clear about that.

“They were actually pushing me towards Rory for ages before the two of us became romantic, but I’d say to them ‘It’s not like that; he’s just a really good friend who makes me feel safe’.”

The couple have known each other for more than two decades, after Mel B met McPhee through her cousin, the actor Christian Cooke, who has been good friends with McPhee since school.

Scary Spice also gave details of the engagement ring McPhee proposed with, saying: “He designed it all by himself, then kept it hidden in his sock drawer for three months.

“I still can’t believe he managed to hold a secret like that in for so long.”

Mel B filed for divorce from ex-husband Stephen Belafonte in 2017, following allegations of abuse.

They have a daughter, Madison Brown Belafonte. Mel B also has two daughters, Phoenix Chi Gulzar and Angel Iris Murphy Brown, from two previous relationships.

McPhee proposed at Cliveden House in Berkshire.

Saying how McPhee got down on one knee, Mel B said: “We went for a walk around the grounds with the dogs before dinner and on the way back, Rory suddenly said, ‘I’m going to go back to the room and put the fire on’.

“I didn’t think anything of it, but I did get this funny feeling in my stomach.

“Then, as I walked through the door, he got down on one knee.

McPhee said: “I was so nervous, my lips were trembling.

“I’d spent ages writing down all these things I wanted to say, but when it came to it, I just babbled.”

The full interview with Mel B and Rory McPhee is available in Hello! magazine now.