Ginger Spice Is the Oldest Spice Girl — But Some Think Geri Halliwell Lied About Her Age
You can’t very well have a reminiscent conversation about the ’90s without mentioning the Spice Girls. The girl group was a pop sensation when they first exploded on the music scene in 1994. The Spice Girls would later become the best-selling girl group of all time, proving fans fell in love with this five-member group projecting girl power in a big way.
Like most big-name music stars, the Spice Girls weren’t without a little controversy. And one story that quickly emerged centered on one-fifth of the group, Ginger Spice. Geri Halliwell is the oldest member, and that doesn’t seem to be disputed. But some believe she lied about her age and was even older than previously thought.
Ginger Spice told a lie to get into the Spice Girls
Part of the allure for Spice Girls fans is that each member of the group had her own persona and nickname, representative of certain girl-power strengths. Melanie Chisholm was known as Sporty Spice for her athletic prowess. Victoria Beckham was Posh Spice, indicative of her upscale look and style.
Emma Lee Bunton embodied Baby Spice, portraying innocence. And Melanie Brown was Scary Spice, showcasing true girl-power strength and fearlessness. Geri Halliwell was Ginger Spice because of her red hair and fiery, energetic presence. She was also known as the leader of the pack.
Flashing back before the group formed, Ginger Spice was first Geri Halliwell and looking for her big break. When the rare opportunity came about to join the girl-power supergroup, the Spice Girls, the singer told a lie to improve her chances of being accepted. She claimed to be 21-years-old at the time and, to her credit, passed for a 21-year-old.
MsMojo recently shared a roster of top celebs who fibbed about their years to land key roles. And Halliwell made this list. It wasn’t until the group launched their first album that the news broke of her lie regarding her age. Fans discovered she was actually 25.
Metro reported that Mel B wasn’t even sure how old Halliwell was back then, claiming she’d been hiding her age since the Spice Girls began. Maybe she feared being coined as the “oldest” of the group or was concerned she might miss the opportunity because of her more mature age than the other girls at the time.
What’s been said about Geri Halliwell’s age
Fans didn’t take well to the age discrepancy and lie. Even though most believed her to be 21, based on her youthful appearance, fibbing by four years tarnished her reputation. And unfortunately, she earned a new nickname, “Old Spice.”
Why and when did the Spice Girls split? As the Mirror reported, Ginger Spice left the girl group in 1998, citing “differences with other members.” She intended to set out and explore her career options as a solo artist, author, actor, and clothing designer.
What Geri (Halliwell) Horner has been up to since the Spice Girls
Glancing through her IMDb profile, fans can see that Geri (Halliwell) Horner has done more than be a quasi-controversial Spice Girl. She’s appeared in a few TV series, and series shorts, including Rainbow Woman (2020-21), Come Fly with Me (2010), and Sex and the City (2003). She also is known as an actor and writer for Spice World (1997), 6 Underground (2019), and Crank: High Voltage (2009).
Style says Geri (Halliwell) Horner and husband Christian Horner are living their best lives these days. The former Spice Girl was flashing a $106,000 diamond ring at their 2015 wedding, proving she’s still enjoying a high-profile and upscale lifestyle. Her hubby’s F1 career helps him achieve a net worth of $50 million.
Geri holds her own in net worth, coming in at $40 million herself, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Together, the couple is raising two children, Bluebell Madonna Halliwell from Geri’s previous relationship and Montague George Hector Horner, a son she and Christian had together.
Ginger Spice may have fibbed about her age back in the ’90s, but it certainly didn’t detract from the group’s mega-success. And it hasn’t set her back since either.
