Melanie C has a strong “friendship” with Billie Eilish with the pair bonding over the “pressures” of fame.
The Spice Girls singer went from being a fan of the 20-year-old pop star to being pals with her, and Billie has been grateful to receive advice from the 48-year-old music legend.
The ‘Wannabe’ hitmaker said: “I just felt like I had such a connection to Billie. That’s been something that we’ve really shared, bonded and have a friendship over.
“I’ve spoken to Billie about the pressures. I often think when I speak to younger artists, they’re gonna be like, ‘Oh, yeah, shut up, grandma!’ But Billie’s taking it on board and has talked about it too.
“I think what’s been a wonderful thing I’ve seen changing in the industry is – and I still think there’s a way to go – that some labels and management teams are taking the mental health and physical health of their artists more seriously. There is more support now that didn’t exist in the ’90s. We’re seeing artists pulling shows because of their mental or physical health. You know, that wasn’t an option. I had to get on with it.”
One motivation for Melanie to write her book ‘Who I Am: My Story’ was to share her experiences of living with an eating disorder and struggling with depression to let people know that it is OK to openly discuss your mental health issues.
Mel – also known as Sporty Spice – said: “Part of the reason that I wrote my book is because I have experienced these things, and been through a lot of pain. And if people can maybe avoid some of the pitfalls by my experiences, then that feels good. You know, it feels like it wasn’t in vain.”