‘Busy’ Mel C splits with music producer boyfriend Joe Marshall after seven years together

Mel C has reportedly split from her boyfriend of seven years after busy schedules got in the way of their relationship.

The Spice Girls singer had been with music producer Joe Marshall since December 2015 and even made him her manager.

Despite the pair sharing a house in North London with their children from previous relationships, the music industry professionals kept their seven year romance shielded from the public eye.

An insider told The Sun that the split was amicable and that “Mel is not afraid to be single if she thinks it’s for the best.”

While a music industry source said: “Mel has an incredibly busy career between her book deal, DJ-ing and other plans.

“The little free time she does have is devoted to her daughter Scarlet, which doesn’t leave much time for a relationship.”

Mel’s calendar has been busy preparing The Spice Girls second album SpiceWorld ahead of their 25th anniversary and penning her upcoming autobiography.

Mel C

Singer-songwriter and DJ

Known for being one fifth of the award-winning Spice Girls as Sporty Spice, Melanie Jayne Chisholm was born to Joan O’Neill and Alan Chisholm in Lancashire. Her parents married in 1971 and separated in 1978, when Mel C was four. During college, Mel replied to an advert in The Stage posted by Chris and Bob Herbert who were looking to start a new girl group - which would go on to become the Spice Girls.

As well as reaching critical acclaim with the pop band and her solo albums, Mel C has starred in movies and musicals such as Blood Brothers and Jesus Christ Superstar, for which she won a Best Supporting Actress award for. She has also been involved in television shows including The Voice and Gogglebox.

Throughout her career, Mel has been open about her problems with clinical depression and an eating disorder, while helping others with charity work and numerous donations.

• Age: 48
• Born: January 12 1974 in Whiston, Lancashire
• Lives: Hampstead, London
• Partner: Music producer Joe Marshall (just split from)
• Children: Scarlet, 13, with ex Thomas Starr
• Wealth: $30 million

Mel C tried to keep her relationship with her daughter and now ex-boyfriend Joe Marshall quiet but spoke to Closer in 2016 when she had been seeing the music producer for a year.

She said: “He challenges me but respects and loves me. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a relationship where someone has got my back.”

Connections

Melanie Brown, Mel B

Mel C has stayed in close contact with former Spice Girls bandmate Mel B after the band declared an indefinite hiatus in 2000. She even became a mentor assistant on The X Factor Australia to help Mel B’s team.

In a recent interview with The Mirror, the Wannabe singer told of how the pair had been manifesting a Spice Girls reunion with Victoria Beckham.

Mel C said: “You’ve got to manifest these things. I’ve taken a leaf out of Mel B’s book - she always believed we were finally going to do it…if you believe in something hard enough, surely it’s bound to happen eventually?!”

Victoria Beckham

Posh Spice and Sporty Spice have a renowned uneasy history including a major blowout at the 1996 Brit Awards, when Mel C ended up telling her former bandmate to “f*** off”.

However, more recently, Mel C roasted Victoria Beckham’s vocals when appearing as a judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK saying contestant Baga Chipz reminded her of her but “much better.”

As for now, tensions have been laid to rest as the bandmates seem to be reuniting for the upcoming Spice Girls album.

Geri Horner (nee Haliwell)

Geri Horner rose to prominence as Ginger Spice and has gone on to marry Formula One Red Bull Racing’s Principal Christian Horner.

Geri Horner’s sporting world combined with Sporty Spice as the pair met up to watch the Lionesses win the Euros 2022 against Germany in an impressive 2-1 match, and also celebrated Geri’s birthday over the weekend.

Mel C and Geri shared multiple snaps of the mini-Spice Girls reunion to their respective social media accounts inciting “Girl Power”.

Personal

Robbie Williams

Mel C dated pop star Robbie Williams in the 1990s when both singers were at the height of fame.

Mel was in a relationship with the Angels singer for a month, but had to shut down claims that he had slept with all but one of the Spice Girls when asked in an interview with Closer.

The rumour came as Williams was seen on holiday with Geri Halliwell when he said he had “one left” to have been with all of the girl group.

Joe Marshall

Mel and Joe started dating in December 2015 at a time when Joe was a fitness trainer and Mel was on the judging panel for Asia’s Got Talent and was working on her second album.

During the seven years of dating, Mel made Joe her manager before he grew to become a music producer.

The pair lived in a house in North London with her daughter Scarlet and Joe’s two daughters, who Mel had formed a close stepmother bond with.

Thomas Starr

While Mel C has had a number of relationships, perhaps the longest was with businessman and property developer Thomas Starr, which lasted almost a decade before their break up in 2012.

Mel decided to leave Starr based upon their shared daughter’s happiness.

She told Hello! Magazine: “I make important decisions, leaving her father was hard but I was not happy and she was not happy - it was not the environment I wanted my child to grow up in.”