Happy Birthday Geri Halliwell! 11 Reasons Why She’s Our Favourite Spice Girl

She’s the girl from Watford that grew up to be one of the most famous women on the planet, as 1/5 of the world’s biggest girl group.

So as Geri Halliwell turns 42, we reveal why Ginger Spice is our fave EVER Spice Girl.

1 She stands up for what she believes in.

The former Spice Girl admits she quit the group in 1998 after she was forbidden from doing a solo interview on breast cancer, an issue close to her heart after her own cancer scare.

2 She’s unlucky in love – but doesn’t give up.

Out of all the five Spice Girls, Geri’s probably has had the least luck in the romance stakes. She’s had more than 14 relationships since finding fame, including with Robbie Williams, Russell Brand and David Walliams.

She’s now found happiness with F1 boyfriend Christian Horner – but reportedly courted him for years beforehand.

3 Her solo career.

She’s had seven number one singles with the Spice Girls – but four number ones as a solo artist as well. Look At Me, Mi Chico Latino, Lift Me Up and Bag it Up were pretty much the soundtrack to our teens – but It’s Raining Men (from the Bridget Jones’s Diary soundtrack) is still our go-to Saturday night anthem.

4 Her eccentric baby name.

Victoria named her children Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper, Mel B has Phoenix, Angel and Madison and Emma Bunton has Beau and Tate. But Geri’s daughter Bluebell Madonna has the most eccentric name of them all (and Victoria and Emma Bunton are her godmothers!)

5 She rocks the hell out of a Union Jack dress.

She had no idea how significant it would be when she stepped on stage in London in 1997. But Geri Halliwell’s Union Jack dress – which her sister made out of a tea towel – has gone down in history as one of the most iconic outfits ever.  It currently holds the World Record for the most expensive piece of popstar clothing dealt at action.

6 She’s hilare.

Case in point.

7 She’s set to make a musical comeback.

While the other Spice Girls have pretty much avoided music since the Spice Girls (bar a couple of solo singles from Mel C), Geri has made no secret of wanting to return to the mic. She recently posted a series of tweets about ‘working on some new music’. Watch this space!

8 She’s refreshingly honest.

She’s struggled with depression and revealed she was close to retiring from music for good after a failed musical comeback in 2013. But that hasn’t stopped her from trying, and one of her best quotes is the line: ‘I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm damn well gonna do it!’

9 She’s a proper rags-to-riches tale.

She might sound like she grew up in Kensington but she was actually born in a council estate in North Watford. Before joining the Spice Girls, she worked as a nightclub dancer in Magaluf and as a glamour model – including appearing on Page 3 in The Sun.

10 She talks about her sex life on Twitter.

After congratulating one of her followers for turning 30, Geri admitted she didn’t have her first ‘worthy’ orgasm until she turned the big 3-0.

TMI.

11 But deep down she’s still just fighting for Girl Power.

“I've really learned how important it is to empower women,” she said.

“Because what I saw in Zambia [on a charity trip] was that it's about educating women and supporting women, and through that you enable not only women, but whole societies, to thrive and improve."

Hoorah for Ginger Spice!

[Sandra Bullock Turns 50. No, Really.]

[Geri Halliwell unveils swimwear range for Next]