Once again, Mel C saves us all

Last week, the London Evening Standard was confidently predicting a Spice Girls reunion; with an announcement failing to materialise it's fallen to the Standard's throw-away ("give-away") London Lite to try and save Associated's blushes. See, there was going to be a reunion, but Mel C dug her heels in:

Simon Fuller has enlisted the help of Emma Bunton and Geri Halliwell to convince Mel to sign a deal.

In an exclusive chat, Fuller told us Baby and Ginger have scheduled a meeting with Sporty, 33, in the next couple of weeks, where they will try to get her on side. Fuller, who was dramatically fired by the band in 1997 after propelling them to superstardom, tells us: "All of the girls are up for it and the reunion will definitely happen in the next 18 months."

But if "all the girls are up for it", then, erm, why is it "sometimes in the next year and a half" rather than having a firm schedule? And if they're "all up for it", then why do they need some sort of Potsdam conference with Mel C?

It turns out when Fuller says "all the girls are up for it", he doesn't actually mean that:

"The only person showing any reluctance is Mel C. She thinks her solo career is bigger than the band, which is just not the case. She needs to wise up and realise a reunion would be amazing for everybody concerned. Emma and Geri are meeting her soon to discuss everything and convince her to finally sign a deal."

If the idea is to try and persuade Mel onboard, we're not sure going to the papers, suggesting her solo career is a bit rubbish and that, really, she's letting the side down somehow by not squeezing into her PVC outfit and kickboxing along to the beat one more time, is the best approach to take.

Melanie C: you're doing the right thing. Only you can save us now.