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Mel B: Her Career In Pictures So Far, From 'Scary Spice' To 'X Factor Judge (PICS)

Mel B: Her Career In Pictures
Daniel Welsh
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After months of speculation, it was finally confirmed earlier this month that former Spice Girl Mel B will be appearing as a judge on the upcoming 11th series of ‘The X Factor’ when it returns to UK screens later this year.

She fought off some stiff competition, with names like Sara Cox and Fergie from Black Eyed Peas all being linked to her coveted spot on the panel at some time or another, but ultimately it was Scary Spice herself who ended up lucky enough to wind up sitting next to Louis Walsh for the rest of the year. What a lucky woman is all we can say.

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Mel B through the years

We’re confident that the straight-talking, no-nonsense attitude that Mel has carried throughout her career, which now spans decades both in music and TV work, will make her a brilliant judge on the show, having already sat on the panel of talent shows around the world including ‘America’s Got Talent’, the Australian version of ‘The X Factor’ and even a brief stint on the UK panel, when she was one of several guest judges to fill in back in 2012 before producers decided to make Nicole Scherzinger a permanent judge.

From her beginnings as one fifth of Spice Girls, one of the most important groups of the 1990s, if not the whole 20th century, Mel has managed to make a name for herself and divide opinion straight down the middle. It’s been quite a journey for the Leeds-born star who found fame as Scary Spice and wound up sitting along from Simon Cowell on one of the biggest TV shows in the UK (and made a brief stop to stomp around London flogging bingo...).

Let’s remind ourselves of some of Mel’s career highlights so far...

Mel B: From Spice Girl To 'X Factor' Judge
Scary Spice(01 of42)
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Mel first found fame as 1/5 of the Spice Girls, who burst onto the scene with their debut single 'Wannabe' which stormed to the top of the pop charts. (credit:Nick Tansley/Nick Tansley/EMPICS Entertainment)
Brit Awards(02 of42)
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The group's performance at the Brit awards cemented their place as a pop culture pheomenon, and Mel soon became synonymous with leopard print. (credit:FIONA HANSON/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
Spectacle Wearer of the Year(03 of42)
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'Scary Spice', Mel B of the Spice Girls, with her award for Female Spectacle Wearer of the Year (1997), presented at the Fashion Cafe. (credit:JOHN STILLWELL/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
Spice Girls hit Cannes(04 of42)
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Spice Girl Mel B gets a lift from Ginger Spice Geri Halliwell during rehearsals at the 50th Cannes Film Festival. (credit:Neil Munns/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
(05 of42)
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Mel B of "Spice Girls" is driven from Olympic Studios, Barnes. (credit:Matthew Fearn/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
Rubbing shoulders with the Royals(06 of42)
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The Prince of Wales talks to Spice Girl Mel B, during a photocall with the Spice Girls at the presidential residence Mahlamba Nalopfu in Pretoria, South Africa. (credit:PA Archive/Press Association Images)
The MTV EMAs(07 of42)
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Mel B of The Spice Girls at the 1997 MTV Europe Music Awards ceremony. (credit:JK/EMPICS Entertainment)
Mel Rocks Leopard Print At The Brits Again(08 of42)
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Melanie Brown (Scary) on stage with the Spice Girls at the 1998 Brit Awards, rocking her trademark leopard print. (credit:Duncan Raban/Duncan Raban/EMPICS Entertainment)
Spice Girls hit Wembley Arena(09 of42)
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Mel B of English pop girl group The Spice Girls performing on stage at London's Wembley Arena. (credit:Adam Wilson/EMPICS Entertainment)
(10 of42)
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Victoria 'Posh' Adams and Mel 'Scary' B at the Spice Girls' post-concert party in London after a triumphant first show at Wembley Arena. (credit:SEAN DEMPSEY/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
Meeting Nelson Mandela(11 of42)
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South Africa's President, Nelson Mandela, is flanked by Spice Girls Mel B (left) and Geri, during a photocall with the Spice Girls at the presidential residence Mahlamba Nalopfu in Pretoria, South Africa. (credit:John Stillwell/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
...And Pavarotti!(12 of42)
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Scary Spice, Mel B, kisses Luciano Pavarotti, as the Spice Girls joined the operatic tenor performing in Modena for the fourth War Child concert in 1998. (credit:NEIL MUNNS/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
(13 of42)
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Scary Spice Mel B arrives at the Royal Albert Hall for the 1998 Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance. (credit:Toby Melville/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
(14 of42)
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Lily Savage, Mel B and Victoria Adams of the Spice Girls wait in line to speak to the Prince of Wales, after the 77th Royal Variety Performance. (credit:John Stillwell/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
(15 of42)
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Spice Girl Mel B poses with the London Favourite Concert awards which she collected on behalf of the Spice Girls, during the 95.8 Capital FM 1999 London Awards. (credit:Fiona Hanson/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
Scary Spice indeed...(16 of42)
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Spice Girl Mel G hangs out of a London hotel window. (credit:WHEELER MIKE WHEELER/Press Association Images)
Working The Runway(17 of42)
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Scary Spice, Mel G models for designer Julien Macdonald's 2000 catwalk show as part of London Fashion Week, at the Camden Roundhouse. (credit:Stefan Rousseau/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
(18 of42)
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Mel B of the Spice Girls launches her BBC show 'Pure Naughty' at London's Hanover Grand; a mix of R'n'B, hip hop, soul and jungle music. (credit:Suzan Moore/EMPICS Entertainment)
(19 of42)
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Mel - at this point known as Mel G - arrives at the 5th anniversary party of music station VH1 in London. (credit:William Conran/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
(20 of42)
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Spice Girl Mel B in London, to launch the Positive Attitudes poster campaign, by the charity Blackliners. (credit:Peter Jordan/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
(21 of42)
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Mel G from the girl band the Spice girls (Left) with soul singer Beverley Knight at the 1999 HMV Music of the Millennium show. (credit:Rebecca Naden/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
(22 of42)
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Scary Spice Mel B on stage during the Spice Girls performance at the Brit Awards 2000 where they recieved the Outstanding Contribution to British Music Award at Earls Court, London. (credit:Fiona Hanson/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
(23 of42)
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Spice Girl Mel B backstage at the 2001 South Africa Freedom Day concert in Trafalgar Square, London, which was attended by the country's former President Nelson Mandela. (credit:Matthew Fearn/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
(24 of42)
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Mel B attends the 'Freddy vs. Jason' Premiere, 2003. (credit:TAMMIE ARROYO/AFF/EMPICS Entertainment)
(25 of42)
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Melanie B attends Boots' US launch in 2007. (credit:Tammie Arroyo/AFF/EMPICS Entertainment)
(26 of42)
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Melanie Brown during a press conference announcing the reformation of The Spice Girls, at the O2 Arena, London. (credit:Doug Peters/Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment)
(27 of42)
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Melanie Brown at the 2007 American Music Awards at the Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles. (credit:Tammie Arroyo/AFF/EMPICS Entertainment)
(28 of42)
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Emma Bunton, left, and Melanie Brown, of the musical group The Spice Girls, wave before departing for London aboard a Virgin Atlantic plane named "Spice One" after the group in 2007. (credit:Kevork Djansezian/AP/Press Association Images)
(29 of42)
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Spice Girls Mel Brown attends the launch of the New Virgin Terminal 3 at Heathrow Airport, London. (credit:Suzan/Suzan/EMPICS Entertainment)
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Mel B attends the launch of a new range of underwear at a London department store in 2008. (credit:Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP/Press Association Images)
(31 of42)
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Melanie Brown and husband Stephen Belafont arriving at the 2008 Anniversary Carousel Of Hope Ball at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. (credit:Paul Smith/Paul Smith/EMPICS Entertainment)
(32 of42)
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Mel B meets fans and signs copies of her new fitness DVD at HMV in Westfield shopping centre, (credit:Zak Hussein/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
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Mel B arrives at the premiere of the Michael Jackson movie, This Is It. (credit:Ian West/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
(34 of42)
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Spice Girls' Melanie Brown arrives at Nickelodeon's 24th Annual Kids' Choice Awards on Saturday, April 2, 2011, in Los Angeles. (credit:Vince Bucci/AP/Press Association Images)
(35 of42)
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Mel B launches the Spice Girl's Limited-Edition Hard Rock Cafe 'Artist Spotlight' T-shirt in aid of the Chickenshed Theatre Company, at the Hard Rock Cafe in central London. (credit:David Parry/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
(36 of42)
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Melanie Brown attends "The Hunger Games" film premiere at the O2 arena in London before joining the judges' panel of "America's Got Talent.
(37 of42)
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The Spice Girls' Melanie Brown performs during the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games at the Olympic stadium in London on August 12, 2012. (credit:OLIVIER MORIN/AFP/GettyImages)
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The Spice Girls during a photocall at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London to launch Viva Forever, a musical featuring songs from the band. (credit:Ian West/PA Archive/Press Association Images)
(39 of42)
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Singer Mel B attends Los Angeles Confidential Magazine and Cover Star Robin Wright Celebrate The Magazine's Women Of Influence Issue at SIXTY Beverly Hills on June 4, 2014 in Beverly Hills, California. (credit:Getty Images)
(40 of42)
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Mel B arriving at the X Factor Live Auditions, Lancashire County Cricket Ground, Manchester . (credit:PA)
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Mel presents an award to Rihanna at the iHeart Radio awards (credit:Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
IT'S TIME... TO FACE...(42 of42)
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Mel is officially confirmed as an 'X Factor' judge in June 2014. (credit:Shirlaine Forrest/Getty Images)

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