Spice Girls supporting Geri Horner after allegations against F1 boss husband Christian Horner, says Mel B

'Spice Girls' star Mel B said the girl band have rallied around Geri Horner as her husband Christian Horner faced allegations of “inappropriate behaviour” as a Formula One team principal.

The Red Bull boss has faced intense scrutiny in recent weeks following allegations relating to the leak of hundreds of WhatsApp messages which appeared to be written by him to a female colleague – claims he has always denied.

Horner was allowed to remain in his role after Red Bull Racing’s parent company, GmbH, dismissed the grievance, while the female employee was suspended on full pay as a direct result of Red Bull’s inquiry. The Telegraph reported that the woman has been suspended on full pay following demands from Horner's wife, formerly Geri Halliwell prior to their marriage, that he cease all contact with the woman in question.

On Thursday, March 7, new reports suggested that the woman who accused Horner of inappropriate behaviour has been suspended by the company.

Spice Girls singer Mel B, whose full name is Melanie Brown, has now said the pop group have been protective of Geri during a difficult time. The band formed in 1994 and went on to dominate the charts with hits such as 'Wannabe', 'Who Do You Think You Are?' and 'Viva Forever'. With their "girl power" mantra, they redefined the girl-group concept by targeting a young female fanbase.

“Oh God, we are all so supportive of each other, we would literally take a bullet for each other,” Brown, who had the nickname of Scary Spice, told the Mirror of her bandmates Melanie Chisholm, Emma Bunton, Victoria Beckham, and Horner, who were known as Sporty Spice, Baby Spice, Posh Spice and Ginger Spice respectively.

“Between the four of us, we’ve all been messaging her; I sent a message to her earlier. I just feel for her, and… oh my God. I just feel sad. But she knows she has us four that are with her.”

Brown said she didn’t know the “ins and outs” of the allegations but only saw her friend who is going through a “really tough” time. All you can do is be there, just like the girls have been there for me; all I can do is be there for Geri,” she said.

“But it is horrible to see your friend going through something – something that you don’t quite know what it is – but that’s your friend and you want to protect her, no matter what. What us five have been through in the 30 years we’ve known each other, that’s a solid bond.”

Last weekend, Geri stood by her man amid the text scandal as she appeared hand-in-hand with her husband at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Red Bull's statement in which they confirmed Horner was cleared read: "The independent investigation into the allegations made against Mr Horner is complete, and Red Bull can confirm that the grievance has been dismissed. The complainant has a right of appeal. Red Bull is confident that the investigation has been fair, rigorous and impartial.

"The investigation report is confidential and contains the private information of the parties and third parties who assisted in the investigation, and therefore we will not be commenting further out of respect for all concerned. Red Bull will continue striving to meet the highest workplace standards."