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Emma Lee Bunton (born 21 January 1976) is an English singer, songwriter, media personality, and actress. She rose to fame in the 1990s as a member of the
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
group the
Spice Girls The Spice Girls are an English girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Mel B ("Scary Spice"), Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"), Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"), and Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice"). They have sold over 10 ...
, in which she was nicknamed Baby Spice, reflecting the fact that she was the youngest member. With over 100 million records sold worldwide, the Spice Girls are the best-selling female group of all time. The group went on an indefinite hiatus in 2000, before reuniting for a greatest hits album (2007) and two concert tours:
the Return of the Spice Girls ''The Return of the Spice Girls'' Tour was the third concert tour by English girl group the Spice Girls, running from December 2007 to February 2008. It was the group's first tour since ''Christmas in Spiceworld'' (1999), a small British holida ...
(2007–2008) and Spice World (2019). Bunton began her solo career with the release of her debut studio album, '' A Girl Like Me'' (2001), which debuted at number four on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
, and was certified gold by the
British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
. The album spawned the successful singles "
What Took You So Long? "What Took You So Long?" is the debut solo single of English singer Emma Bunton from her debut solo studio album, '' A Girl Like Me'' (2001). The song was written by Bunton, Richard Stannard, Julian Gallagher, Martin Harrington, John Themi ...
", "
What I Am "What I Am" is a song written by Edie Brickell and Kenny Withrow and recorded by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians for their debut album, '' Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars'' (1988). The song is highlighted by a guitar solo that notably features ...
" and "
Take My Breath Away "Take My Breath Away" is a song written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock for the 1986 film ''Top Guns soundtrack, performed by American new wave band Berlin and included on their album '' Count Three & Pray''. The song won the Academy ...
". Her second studio album, '' Free Me'' (2004), included the top-five single " Free Me", and the top-ten singles " Maybe" and " I'll Be There". Bunton's third studio album '' Life in Mono'' (2006), produced the successful single "
Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...
". In 2019, she released her fourth studio album, ''
My Happy Place ''My Happy Place'' is the fourth studio album by British singer Emma Bunton. It was released on 12 April 2019 by BMG Rights Management. The album consists of ten tracks; eight are cover versions of some of Bunton's favourite songs and two are ...
.'' Bunton has served as a judge on television talent shows, including ''
Dancing on Ice ''Dancing on Ice'' is a British television series broadcast from 2006 to 2014 and then from 2018 to 2025. It was presented by Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern. Other previous hosts include Phillip Schofield and Christine Lampard. The series ...
'' (2010–2011), ''
Your Face Sounds Familiar ''Your Face Sounds Familiar'' ( Spanish: ''Tu cara me suena'') is a Spanish interactive reality television franchise series where celebrity contestants impersonate singers. The format, similar to Dutch television series '' Soundmixshow'', was ...
'' (2013), and ''Boy Band'' (2017). She competed on the fourth series of the
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
dancing show ''
Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (commonly referred to as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly Ballroom dance, ballroom and Latin dance, Latin dance. Each couple is ...
'' in 2006. From 2013 to 2018, Bunton was a co-presenter on the '' Heart Breakfast'' radio show in London alongside
Jamie Theakston James Paul Theakston (born 21 December 1970) is an English television presenter, producer, narrator and actor. He has hosted television programmes for the BBC, ITV (TV network), ITV, Channel 4 and 5 (British TV channel), Channel 5. He co-present ...
. As of December 2024, she currently presents her own show for
Heart Radio Heart is a network of thirteen independent adult contemporary radio stations in the United Kingdom, broadcasting a mix of local and networked programming, although only the stations in Scotland and Wales still have their own shows. Ten of the s ...
on Sunday evenings.


Early life and career beginnings

Emma Lee Bunton was born on 21 January 1976 in
Finchley Finchley () is a large district of north London, England, in the London Borough of Barnet. north of Charing Cross, nearby districts include: Golders Green, Muswell Hill, Friern Barnet, Whetstone, London, Whetstone, Mill Hill and Hendon. It is ...
,
Barnet Barnet may refer to: People *Barnet (surname) *Barnet (given name) Places United Kingdom *Chipping Barnet or High Barnet, commonly known as Barnet, one of three focal towns of the borough below. *East Barnet, a district of the borough below; anc ...
, London. Her parents, Pauline, a
karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...
instructor, and Trevor Bunton, a milkman, split when she was 11, after which she stayed with her mother. She has a younger brother, Paul James. As stated in a TV interview with
Eamonn Holmes Eamonn Holmes (; born 3 December 1959) is a Northern Irish broadcaster and journalist. He co-presented the breakfast television show ''GMTV'' (1993–2005) for ITV, before presenting ''Sunrise'' (2005–2016) for Sky News. Holmes co-presente ...
and
Ruth Langsford Ruth Wendy Langsford (born 17 March 1960) formerly known as Ruth Holmes is an English television presenter. She has presented various television shows, including ''This Morning (TV programme), This Morning'' (1999–2022), of which she is the ...
on ''
This Morning This Morning may refer to: * ''This Morning'' (TV programme), a British daytime television programme * ''This Morning'' (radio program), a Canadian radio show which aired from 1997 to 2002 * ''CBS This Morning'', an American morning show, succes ...
'' during August 2016, Bunton's maternal family originate from
County Wexford County Wexford () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was ba ...
, Ireland. Bunton went to St Theresa's Roman Catholic Primary School in Finchley. She enrolled in the
Sylvia Young Theatre School Sylvia Young Theatre School is an independent school in Marble Arch, London, England. It is a specialist performing arts school named after its founder and principal, Sylvia Young OBE. Outline The Sylvia Young Theatre School was founded in 19 ...
. At the SYTS, she became friendly with
Keeley Hawes Clare Julia Keeley Hawes (born 10 February 1976) is an English actress. After beginning her career in a number of literary adaptations, including '' Our Mutual Friend'' (1998) and '' Tipping the Velvet'' (2002), Hawes rose to fame for her portray ...
; they lived and travelled together for six months. Bunton appeared briefly in the BBC soap opera ''
EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...
'' in 1992 as a mugger. In 1993, she appeared in the
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...
police drama ''
The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV from 16 October 1984 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, "Woodentop (The Bill), Woodentop" (part of the ''Storyb ...
'', and made a brief appearance as a prostitute in the BBC drama series ''
To Play the King ''To Play the King'' is a 1993 BBC television serial and the second part of the ''House of Cards'' trilogy. Directed by Paul Seed, the serial was based on Michael Dobbs' 1992 novel of the same name and adapted for television by Andrew Davies. T ...
''. Bunton also appeared in a 1999
public information film Public information films (PIFs) are a series of government-commissioned short films, shown during television advertising breaks in the United Kingdom. The name is sometimes also applied, ''faute de mieux'', to similar films from other countries, ...
for the British government concerning firework safety.


Music career


1994–2000: Spice Girls

In 1994,
Melanie Chisholm Melanie Jayne Chisholm (born 12 January 1974), commonly known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer and songwriter. She rose to fame in the mid-1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Sporty Spice. W ...
,
Melanie Brown Melanie Janine Brown, MBE (born 29 May 1975), commonly known as Mel B or Melanie B, is an English singer, songwriter, television personality, and actress. She rose to fame in the mid 1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which ...
,
Geri Halliwell Geraldine Estelle Halliwell-Horner (''née'' Halliwell; born 6 August 1972) is an English singer, songwriter, television personality, author, and actress. She rose to fame in the mid-1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which ...
, and Victoria Adams responded to an advertisement in ''
The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. Founded in 1880, ''The Stage'' contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at thos ...
''.Spice Girls Official
Timeline
. Retrieved 16 March 2009.
Around 400 women who answered the ad went to Dance Works studios. Halliwell, Chisholm, Adams, and Brown were originally chosen as the members of the group, along with Michelle Stephenson, who due to her lack of commitment was briefly replaced by Abigail Kis, who was then replaced by Bunton. The group felt insecure about the lack of a contract and were frustrated by the direction in which Heart Management was steering them. In October 1994, armed with a catalogue of demos and dance routines, the group began touring management agencies. They persuaded Bob Herbert to set up a showcase performance for the group in front of industry writers, producers and A&R men in December 1994 at the Nomis Studios in
Shepherd's Bush Shepherd's Bush is a suburb of West London, England, within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham west of Charing Cross, and identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Although primarily residential in character, its ...
where they received an "overwhelmingly positive" reaction. Due to the large interest in the group, the Herberts quickly set about creating a binding contract for the group. Encouraged by the reaction they had received at the Nomis showcase, all five members delayed signing contracts on the legal advice from, amongst others, Adams' father Anthony Adams. In March 1995, because of the group's frustration at their management's unwillingness to listen to their visions and ideas, they parted with Heart Management. Bunton was the youngest member of the group. The group began a relationship with
Simon Fuller Simon Robert Fuller (born 17 May 1960) is a British entrepreneur, artist manager, and film and television producer. He is the creator of the Idols (franchise), ''Idols'' TV format, including the British series ''Pop Idol'' and the American ser ...
of
19 Entertainment 19 Entertainment Inc. is a producer of entertainment properties for television with a focus on music owned by Sony Pictures Television through its nonfiction division. Founded by Simon Fuller in London in 1985, the company co-produced '' Pop Ido ...
and finally signed with him in March 1995. During the summer of that year the group toured record labels in London and Los Angeles with Fuller and finally signed a deal with
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...
in September 1995. From this point on, up to the summer of 1996, the group continued to write and record tracks for their debut album while extensively touring the west coast of the United States, where they had signed a publishing deal with Windswept Pacific. On 8 July 1996, the Spice Girls released their debut single "
Wannabe "Wannabe" is the debut single by the British girl group the Spice Girls, released on 26 June 1996. It was written by the Spice Girls, Matt Rowe and Richard "Biff" Stannard and produced by Rowe and Stannard for the group's debut album, ''Spice ...
" in the United Kingdom. In the weeks leading up to the release, the
video Video is an Electronics, electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving picture, moving image, visual Media (communication), media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, whi ...
for "Wannabe", got a trial airing on The Box music channel. "Wannabe" proved to be a major hit, topping the UK Singles Chart for seven weeks and also topping the charts in a further 34 countries, including Australia, Denmark, France, Germany and the United States. and becoming the all-time biggest-selling single by an all-female group. It was followed by nine further number-one singles from their albums ''
Spice In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...
'', '' Spiceworld'' and ''
Forever Forever or 4ever may refer to: Film and television Films * ''Forever'' (1921 film), an American silent film by George Fitzmaurice * ''Forever'' (1978 film), an American made-for-television romantic drama, based on the novel by Judy Blume * '' ...
''. Each member of the group received a nickname from the media. Bunton was named "Baby Spice". Other successful releases followed, including "
Say You'll Be There "Say You'll Be There" is a song by the English girl group Spice Girls from their debut studio album, ''Spice (album), Spice'' (1996). The Spice Girls co-wrote the song with Eliot Kennedy after the group left Heart Management in 1995. Later, Jo ...
", "
2 Become 1 "2 Become 1" is a song by the British girl group the Spice Girls. Written by the group members, together with Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard during the group's first professional songwriting session, it was produced by Rowe and Stannard for t ...
", "
Who Do You Think You Are Who Do You Think You Are may refer to: Television series * ''Who Do You Think You Are?'' (British TV series), a genealogy documentary with many adaptations: ** ''Who Do You Think You Are?'' (American TV series) ** ''Who Do You Think You Are?'' ...
" and "
Mama Mama(s) or Mamma or Momma may refer to: Roles *Mother, a female parent * Mama-san, in Japan and East Asia, a woman in a position of authority *Maternal uncle, in some parts of South Asia Places * Mama, Russia, an urban-type settlement in the Mam ...
" from ''Spice'', and "
Spice Up Your Life "Spice Up Your Life" is a song by British girl group the Spice Girls from their second studio album, ''Spiceworld (album), Spiceworld'' (1997). The song was co-written by the group with Matt Rowe and Biffco, Richard Stannard, at the same time ...
", " Too Much", " Stop" and "
Viva Forever "Viva Forever" is a song by English girl group the Spice Girls from their second studio album, '' Spiceworld'' (1997). The song was co-written by the group with Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard, while production was handled by the latter two. ...
" from ''Spiceworld''. In 1999, she presented ''Emma'' on
VH1 VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
. She recorded" (Hey You) Free Up Your Mind" for the film '' Pokémon: The First Movie'' and contributed background vocals to
Melanie B Melanie Janine Brown, Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 29 May 1975), commonly known as Mel B or Melanie B, is an English singer, songwriter, television personality, and actress. She rose to fame in the mid 1990s as a member of the Pop mus ...
's song "Sophisticated Lady", which appeared as a B-side to her single " Word Up". In November 1999, she released her debut single outside of her work with the Spice Girls, a cover of "
What I Am "What I Am" is a song written by Edie Brickell and Kenny Withrow and recorded by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians for their debut album, '' Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars'' (1988). The song is highlighted by a guitar solo that notably features ...
" in collaboration with
Tin Tin Out Tin Tin Out were an English electronic dance music duo, comprising Darren Stokes and Lindsay Edwards. They remixed songs for a variety of artists such as Duran Duran, Erasure, Pet Shop Boys, The Corrs and Des'ree, as well as collaborating ...
. In 2000, after the release of the group's comeback single, a double A-side of "
Holler Holler may refer to: Places * Holler, Germany, a municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate * Holler, Luxembourg, a village in Weiswampach People * Höller, a German surname * Holler (surname) Arts, entertainment, and media * Field holler, a song f ...
"/"
Let Love Lead The Way "Let Love Lead the Way" is a song by British girl group Spice Girls, from their third studio album, ''Forever (Spice Girls album), Forever'' (2000). It was written by the band members, with additional writing by Rodney Jerkins, Rodney "Darkchil ...
" and the third studio album, ''Forever'', which charted at number two in the UK, the Spice Girls stopped recording, concentrating on their solo careers in regards to their foreseeable future.


2001–2005: ''A Girl Like Me'' and ''Free Me''

Bunton's debut solo album, '' A Girl Like Me'', was released in the United Kingdom on 16 April 2001 by
Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...
. The album debuted and peaked at number four on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
, with 21,500 copies sold in its first week. Its lead single, "
What Took You So Long? "What Took You So Long?" is the debut solo single of English singer Emma Bunton from her debut solo studio album, '' A Girl Like Me'' (2001). The song was written by Bunton, Richard Stannard, Julian Gallagher, Martin Harrington, John Themi ...
", debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart. Although initial success was promising, ''A Girl Like Me'' fell down the chart quickly. However, the top five single "
Take My Breath Away "Take My Breath Away" is a song written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock for the 1986 film ''Top Guns soundtrack, performed by American new wave band Berlin and included on their album '' Count Three & Pray''. The song won the Academy ...
", and top twenty "
We're Not Gonna Sleep Tonight "We're Not Gonna Sleep Tonight" is a song by English recording artist Emma Bunton from her debut solo album, '' A Girl Like Me'' (2001). Written by Bunton and Rhett Lawrence, the track was released in the United Kingdom as the album's third and ...
" helped the album stay on the UK Albums Chart for several weeks. On 7 September 2001, ''A Girl Like Me'' was certified gold by the
British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
(BPI) for sales in excess of 100,000 copies, ultimately becoming the 147th best-selling album in the United Kingdom for 2001. The album sold 125,000 copies in the United Kingdom. The poor sales led to Bunton losing her contract with Virgin in 2002. Bunton performed at
Party at the Palace The Party at the Palace was a British pop/rock music concert held at Buckingham Palace Garden in London on 3 June 2002. The event was in commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II held over the Golden Jubilee Weekend. It was t ...
, an event that was held at
Buckingham Palace Garden Buckingham Palace Garden is a large private park attached to the London residence of the British monarch. It is situated to the rear (west) of Buckingham Palace, occupying a site in the City of Westminster and forms the largest private garden in ...
on 3 June 2002 in commemoration of the
Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II The Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II was the international celebration held in 2002 marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. It was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50 years as ...
. Her solo performances at the event were a cover of
The Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...
' 1964 hit "
Baby Love "Baby Love" is a song by the American music group the Supremes from their second studio album, '' Where Did Our Love Go''. It was written and produced by Motown's main production team Holland–Dozier–Holland and was released on September 17, ...
" and her own "
What Took You So Long? "What Took You So Long?" is the debut solo single of English singer Emma Bunton from her debut solo studio album, '' A Girl Like Me'' (2001). The song was written by Bunton, Richard Stannard, Julian Gallagher, Martin Harrington, John Themi ...
". After parting ways with Virgin, Bunton signed a new deal with
19 Recordings 19 Recordings Inc. (registered in the United Kingdom as 19 Recordings Ltd.) is a New York–based record label owned by 19 Entertainment. Founded in London by British entrepreneur Simon Fuller in 1999 as the music division of 19 Entertainment, th ...
, run by former
Spice Girls The Spice Girls are an English girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Mel B ("Scary Spice"), Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"), Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"), and Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice"). They have sold over 10 ...
' manager
Simon Fuller Simon Robert Fuller (born 17 May 1960) is a British entrepreneur, artist manager, and film and television producer. He is the creator of the Idols (franchise), ''Idols'' TV format, including the British series ''Pop Idol'' and the American ser ...
, to release her second album, '' Free Me'', on 9 February 2004. The album was largely produced by
Mike Peden Michael Peden is a British record producer, remixer and composer, best known for his work with the British musical duo Lighthouse Family. With his former band the Chimes, Peden had a hit single with their version of "I Still Haven't Found What ...
and
Yak Bondy Yak Bondy (born 8 July 1962 as Jerk Bondy in Goslar, Germany) is a London-based music producer, composer and visual artist. Bondy has been professionally involved in the music industry since the 1980s. After moving from Hannover (Germany) to Lon ...
. Other contributions on the album courtesy of
Cathy Dennis Catherine Roseanne Dennis (born 25 March 1969)Gregory, Andy (2002) ''International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002'', Europa; , p. 133 is a British singer, songwriter and record producer. She was discovered as a teenager by music manager Simon F ...
, Henry Binns and Puerto Rican singer
Luis Fonsi Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero (born April 15, 1978), known by his stage name Luis Fonsi (), is a Puerto Rican singer. He is known for his soulful and dance oriented songs, most notably 2017's "Despacito". Fonsi received his first Latin ...
. Inspired by the Motown and the 1960s era, the album was widely acclaimed by critics by its "charm and grace". It debuted at number seven on the UK Albums Chart, spending over twelve weeks inside chart, and being certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). The album had three top five singles in the United Kingdom – the
title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-t ...
, " Maybe" and " I'll Be There" – and a top twenty single, "
Crickets Sing for Anamaria "Crickets Sing for Anamaria" is the English-language version of "Os Grilos" ("The Crickets"), a song written by Brazilian musician Marcos Valle with his brother Paulo Sérgio Valle. "Crickets Sing for Anamaria" has been covered many times since, n ...
". In the United States, both "Free Me" and "Maybe" were dance club regulars, reaching numbers four and six on the US ''Billboard''
Hot Dance Club Play The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...
chart respectively. In 2005, Bunton appeared in the
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
film '' Chocolate: Deep Dark Secrets''.


2006–2008: ''Life in Mono'' and Spice Girls reunion

In October 2006, Bunton was a contestant in the BBC programme ''
Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (commonly referred to as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly Ballroom dance, ballroom and Latin dance, Latin dance. Each couple is ...
'', partnered with Darren Bennett. She reached the semi-final and finished in third place. On 13 November 2006, Bunton released the
charity single A charity record, charity album, or charity single is a recording with most or all proceeds raised going to a dedicated foundation or charity. In 1956, The Lord's Taverners released a 78 rpm disc which contained six tracks donated by popular artis ...
for the BBC
Children in Need ''BBC Children in Need'' is the BBC's UK Charitable organization, charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its ...
appeal, recording
Petula Clark Sally "Petula" Clark (born 15 November 1932) is a British singer, actress, and songwriter. She started her professional career as a child actor, child performer and has had the longest career of any British entertainer, spanning more than 85 y ...
's 1960s song "
Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...
". It reached number three on the UK Singles Chart, and was followed by her third studio album, '' Life in Mono''. Much like her previous album, ''Life in Mono'' experimented with elements of 1960s pop music. For this particular album, the musical arrangement was more directed towards the 1960s
French pop music French pop music is pop music sung in the French language. It is usually performed by singers from France, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, or any of the other francophone areas of the world. The target audience is the francophone market (primari ...
, with some elements of British 1960s pop and
Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
. The album was Bunton's first not to reach the top ten in the United Kingdom, only reaching number 65 on the albums chart. The second single from it was " All I Need to Know", released on 12 February 2007, intended for
Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...
. Bunton shot the video around
Old Street Old Street is a street in inner north-east Central London, England that runs west to east from Goswell Road in Clerkenwell, in the London Borough of Islington, via St Luke's and Old Street Roundabout, to the crossroads where it meets Shor ...
in East London, in the week before Christmas 2006. Entering the UK Singles Chart at number 60, "All I Need to Know" became the lowest-charting single of Bunton's solo career. In 2007, the Spice Girls re-grouped and announced plans to tour as a quintet for the last time for
The Return of the Spice Girls ''The Return of the Spice Girls'' Tour was the third concert tour by English girl group the Spice Girls, running from December 2007 to February 2008. It was the group's first tour since ''Christmas in Spiceworld'' (1999), a small British holida ...
, from which they were said to have earned £10 million each (approximately $20 million). The team's members said that they were still enjoying doing their "own thing". The group decided to release their first
compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...
, a collection of their ''
Greatest Hits A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...
''. This album was released in early November 2007, and the tour began on 2 December 2007. During the reformation Film maker Bob Smeaton directed an official film of the tour, which he titled '' Spice Girls: Giving You Everything''. As well as their sell-out tour, the Spice Girls were contracted to appear in
Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in the United Kingdom at its head offices in Welwyn Garden City, England. The company was founded by Jack Cohen (businessman), Sir Jack Cohen in ...
advertisements, for which they were paid £1 million each.Levy, Megan.


2010–2014: Spice Girls musical and Olympics

Judy Craymer teamed up with the
Spice Girls The Spice Girls are an English girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Mel B ("Scary Spice"), Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"), Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"), and Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice"). They have sold over 10 ...
and Simon Fuller and began to develop a Spice Girls musical entitled ''
Viva Forever "Viva Forever" is a song by English girl group the Spice Girls from their second studio album, '' Spiceworld'' (1997). The song was co-written by the group with Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard, while production was handled by the latter two. ...
''. Although the girls were not to star in the show themselves, they were to influence the show's cast and production choices in a story which uses their music but bears no relation to their personal story; similar to that of
ABBA ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...
's music in ''
Mamma Mia! Mamma mia (; an Italian interjection, literally "mommy mine"), Mammamia, Mamamia or Mumma Mia may refer to: Music Works associated with ABBA * "Mamma Mia" (ABBA song), a 1975 ABBA song * ''Mamma Mia!'' (musical), a stage play based on ABBA s ...
''. On 26 June 2012, all five Spice Girls were in attendance at a press conference in London to promote the launch of '' Viva Forever: The Musical''."Spice Girls unveil West End show"
. BBC. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
The press conference was held at St. Pancras Renaissance London Hotel, the location where the Spice Girls filmed the music video for their breakthrough hit "Wannabe", sixteen years earlier, to the day. The musical opened at the West End's
Piccadilly Theatre The Piccadilly Theatre is a West End theatre located at the junction of Denman Street and Sherwood Street, near Piccadilly Circus, in the City of Westminster, London. It opened in 1928. In its early years the theatre presented a wide range of ...
on 11 December 2012. After poor reviews from critics and "a loss of £5 million", the show has its final performance on 29 June 2013. On 12 August 2012, after much speculation, Bunton and the Spice Girls performed a medley of "Wannabe" and "Spice Up Your Life" at the
2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony The closing ceremony of the London 2012 Summer Olympics, also known as A Symphony of British Music, was held on 12 August 2012 in the Olympic Stadium, London. The chief guest was Prince Harry representing Queen Elizabeth II. The closing cerem ...
, reuniting as a quintet for the last time for the event. Their performance was the most tweeted moment of Olympics closing ceremony with over 116,000 tweets on Twitter per minute. Bunton also worked with fellow Spice Girl
Melanie C Melanie Jayne Chisholm (born 12 January 1974), commonly known as Melanie C or Mel C, is an English singer and songwriter. She rose to fame in the mid-1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Sporty Spice. W ...
on her 2012 album, ''
Stages Stage, stages, or staging may refer to: Arts and media Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...
'' for the album track "
I Know Him So Well "I Know Him So Well" is a duet from the concept album and subsequent musical ''Chess'' by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. It was originally sung by Elaine Paige (as Florence) and Barbara Dickson (as Svetlana). In this duet, two w ...
". The song was released as a single on 11 November 2012. In March 2013, Bunton was named the Foxy Bingo Celebrity Mum of the Year. In March 2014, Bunton, along with Melanie C, took part in recording England's 2014 World Cup song. She collaborated with fellow pop stars
Eliza Doolittle Eliza Doolittle is a fictional character and the protagonist in George Bernard Shaw's play '' Pygmalion'' (1913) and its 1956 musical adaptation, ''My Fair Lady''. Eliza (from Lisson Grove, London) is a Cockney flower seller, who comes to Prof ...
,
Katy B Kathleen Anne Brien (born 8 May 1989), known professionally as Katy B, is an English singer. She released her debut studio album, '' On a Mission'', in 2011, which spawned two top five hits, " Katy on a Mission" and " Lights On". In 2014 she re ...
,
Conor Maynard Conor Paul Maynard (born 21 November 1992) is an English singer. Born and raised in Brighton, he signed a recording contract with Warner Music Group in 2011. Maynard rose to fame in 2012 when he was nominated for, and subsequently won, MTV's ' ...
,
Kimberley Walsh Kimberley Jane Scott ( Walsh; born 20 November 1981) is an English singer, dancer, television presenter and actress. She rose to fame in late 2002 when she auditioned for the reality series ''Popstars: The Rivals'' on ITV (TV network), ITV. Th ...
and
Pixie Lott Victoria Louise "Pixie" Lott (born 12 January 1991) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. Her debut studio album, ''Turn It Up (Pixie Lott album), Turn It Up'' (2009), reached number six on the UK Albums Chart and sold over 1.5 millio ...
on " Greatest Day", a track originally performed by British band
Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...
. The track was produced by
Gary Barlow Gary Barlow (born 20 January 1971) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He is the lead singer of the pop group Take That. Barlow is one of the United Kingdom's most successful songwriters, having writ ...
and recorded at
Sarm Studios Sarm Studios is an independent recording studio in London. Originally founded in east London in 1973, the studio's original location was renamed Sarm East Studios in 1982 when Jill Sinclair and Trevor Horn purchased Basing Street Studios from Is ...
in London. The track also featured past footballers such as
Gary Lineker Gary Winston Lineker ( ; born 30 November 1960) is an English Sports broadcasting, sports broadcaster and former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. Lineker is the only player t ...
,
Michael Owen Michael James Owen (born 14 December 1979) is an English former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker for Liverpool F.C., Liverpool, Real Madrid CF, Real Madrid, Newcastle United ...
,
Geoff Hurst Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst (born 8 December 1941) is an English former professional Association football, footballer. A Striker (association football), striker, he became the first player to score a Hat-trick#Association football, hat-trick in a ...
,
David Seaman David Andrew Seaman (born 19 September 1963) is an English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. In a career lasting from 1981 to 2004, he is best known for his time playing for Arsenal. He won 75 caps for England, and is the country ...
,
Peter Shilton Peter Leslie Shilton (born 18 September 1949) is an English former professional association football, footballer who played as a goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. His 31-year career included spells at 11 clubs and he has the uni ...
,
Glenn Hoddle Glenn Hoddle (born 27 October 1957) is an English former football player and manager. He currently works as a television pundit and commentator for ITV Sport and TNT Sports. He played as a midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur, Monaco, Chelsea and ...
and
Dion Dublin Dion Dublin (born 22 April 1969) is an English former professional footballer, television presenter and pundit. He is a club director of Cambridge United. As a player he was a centre-forward, notably playing in the Premier League for Manches ...
on backing vocals.


2018–present: ''My Happy Place'' and second Spice Girls reunion

In June 2018, Bunton said during an interview on ''
This Morning This Morning may refer to: * ''This Morning'' (TV programme), a British daytime television programme * ''This Morning'' (radio program), a Canadian radio show which aired from 1997 to 2002 * ''CBS This Morning'', an American morning show, succes ...
'' that she was back in the studio working on new material, more than a decade after her last album, ''Life in Mono.'' Bunton told host
Phillip Schofield Phillip Bryan Schofield ( ; born 1 April 1962) is an English television presenter. He began his career as a Children's BBC continuity announcer from 1985 to 1987, and went on to present a wide range of high-profile programmes for the BBC and ...
, "I am back in the studio, and I'm saying this here for the first time....I am in the studio having fun with some music of my own, just to see". In November 2018, Bunton announced she had signed a record deal with
BMG Rights Management BMG Rights Management GmbH (also known simply as BMG) is an international music company based in Berlin, Germany. It combines the activities of a music publisher and a record label. BMG was formed in October 2008 after Bertelsmann sold its st ...
and was preparing a new album. In September 2018, she voices the character Mama Bear in the UK version of the successful animated movie ''
Smallfoot ''Smallfoot'' is a 2018 American animated musical comedy film produced by Warner Animation Group and Zaftig Films, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Based on the unpublished children's book ''Yeti Tracks'' by Sergio Pablos, the film w ...
'', starring
Channing Tatum Channing Matthew Tatum (born April 26, 1980) is an American actor and producer. He made his film debut in the drama ''Coach Carter'' (2005), and had his Breakthrough role, breakthrough with the sports comedy film ''She's the Man'' (2006) and t ...
,
James Corden James Kimberley Corden (born 22 August 1978) is an English comedian, actor, writer, producer, singer, and television host. In the United Kingdom, he is best known for co-writing and starring in the critically acclaimed BBC sitcom '' Gavin & S ...
,
LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...
and
Danny DeVito Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. (born November 17, 1944) is an American actor and filmmaker. He gained prominence for his portrayal of the taxi dispatcher Louie De Palma in the television series ''Taxi (TV series), Taxi'' (1978–1983), which won him ...
. The movie is a success and grossed $83.2 million in the United States and Canada, and $130.9 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $214.1 million. In November 2018, Bunton reunited with the
Spice Girls The Spice Girls are an English girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Mel B ("Scary Spice"), Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"), Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"), and Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice"). They have sold over 10 ...
to announce a UK and Ireland Stadium tour,
Spice World - 2019 Tour In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...
, which began at
Croke Park Croke Park (, ) is a Gaelic games stadium in Dublin, Ireland. Named after Archbishop Thomas Croke, it is referred to as Croker by GAA fans and locals. It serves as both the principal national stadium of Ireland and headquarters of the Gaelic At ...
, Dublin on 24 May 2019 and ended in London, England on 15 June 2019. On 27 February 2019, she released the first single of the new album, " Baby Please Don't Stop", which received generally positive reviews. She later released a promo single, "Too Many Teardrops", on 9 March 2019. She then released her duet with her partner Jade Jones, "You're All I Need to Get By", a cover the
Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player an ...
and
Tammi Terrell Thomasina Winifred Montgomery (April 29, 1945 – March 16, 1970), professionally known as Tammi Terrell, was an American singer-songwriter, widely known as a star singer for Motown Records during the 1960s, notably for a series of duets with ...
song. On 12 April 2019, Bunton released her fourth album, ''
My Happy Place ''My Happy Place'' is the fourth studio album by British singer Emma Bunton. It was released on 12 April 2019 by BMG Rights Management. The album consists of ten tracks; eight are cover versions of some of Bunton's favourite songs and two are ...
''. The tracklist consists of two original songs and eight covers of songs beloved by Bunton. The album, which featured appearances from Jones,
Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, ''Life thru a Lens'', was re ...
,
Will Young William Robert Young (born 20 January 1979) is an English singer, songwriter and actor. He came to prominence after winning the 2002 inaugural series of the ITV talent contest '' Pop Idol'', making him the first winner of the worldwide '' Ido ...
and
Josh Kumra Josh Kumra (born 20 April 1991) is an English singer and songwriter. In 2011, Kumra co-wrote and provided vocals for English rapper Wretch 32's highest-charting single to date, " Don't Go", which reached number one in the UK Singles Chart. ...
, sold 6,500 copies in its first week in the UK, and entered the
UK Album Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Offici ...
at number 11. ''My Happy Place'' became her first Top 20 album in 15 years. She later released a promotional single, "Too Many Teardrops", on 9 March 2019. In November 2019, Bunton released a Christmas single, "Coming Home For Christmas", which also included a cover of "
Santa Baby "Santa Baby" is a song performed by American singer Eartha Kitt with Henri René and His Orchestra and originally released in 1953. The song was written by Joan Javits and Philip Springer, who also used the pseudonym Tony Springer in an attemp ...
". On 6 December 2019, Bunton performed her first solo show in over a decade at the
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...
in London. The concert was a special one-off Christmas show that featured Bunton performing well known Christmas covers as well as duets onstage with Will Young,
Matt Goss Matthew Weston Goss (born 29 September 1968) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He was the lead singer of 1980s pop group Bros (British band), Bros, which also featured his twin brother Luke Goss, Luke as the drummer.Frances Kindon ...
and her fiancé Jade Jones. The inclusive theater company,
Chickenshed Chickenshed (also known as Chicken Shed or the Chicken Shed Theatre Company) is a British theatre company based in Southgate, London. History Chickenshed was founded by teacher Mary Ward and composer Jo Collins in 1974. Mary and Jo hosted their ...
, of which Bunton has been a patron for many years, also joined her onstage for a rendition of the Spice Girls song "
Mama Mama(s) or Mamma or Momma may refer to: Roles *Mother, a female parent * Mama-san, in Japan and East Asia, a woman in a position of authority *Maternal uncle, in some parts of South Asia Places * Mama, Russia, an urban-type settlement in the Mam ...
". On 20 December 2024, Bunton released an orchestral version of "2 Become 1"; the single was created with the Budapest Scoring Orchestra. She performed the song on the ''
Strictly Come Dancing ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (commonly referred to as ''Strictly'') is a British dance contest show in which celebrities partner with professional dancers to compete in mainly Ballroom dance, ballroom and Latin dance, Latin dance. Each couple is ...
'' Christmas Special, which aired on 25 December 2024.


Other ventures


Radio

In February, and again between May and June 2009, Bunton starred as
guest presenter A guest host (or guest presenter in the United Kingdom) is a host, usually of a talk show, that hosts the program in lieu of the regular list of talk show hosts, host if they fall ill, have another project or commitment, or are unable to host for s ...
on
Heart London Heart London is a regional radio station owned and operated by Global Radio as part of the Heart network. Across London and its neighbouring counties, it can be heard on 106.2 MHz. History In 1994 Chrysalis Radio was awarded a London-wide licen ...
's ''Heart Breakfast'' alongside
Jamie Theakston James Paul Theakston (born 21 December 1970) is an English television presenter, producer, narrator and actor. He has hosted television programmes for the BBC, ITV (TV network), ITV, Channel 4 and 5 (British TV channel), Channel 5. He co-present ...
and Harriet Scott. Bunton began hosting her own pre-recorded Saturday drive time radio show on
Heart The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ found in humans and other animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels together make the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrie ...
in the Saturday afternoon slot 4–7 pm starting on Saturday 13 June 2009. Bunton provided maternity leave cover for ''Heart Breakfast'' co-presenter Harriet Scott from 3 October until 23 December 2011 on
Heart London Heart London is a regional radio station owned and operated by Global Radio as part of the Heart network. Across London and its neighbouring counties, it can be heard on 106.2 MHz. History In 1994 Chrysalis Radio was awarded a London-wide licen ...
. Following Harriet Scott's departure from ''Heart Breakfast'' in November 2012, it was announced Bunton would succeed her as co-host along with Jamie Theakston from 7 January 2013. She co-presented with Theakston until 10 December 2018, making her final Heart Breakfast appearance on 14 December. In March 2017, Bunton won the awards for "Radio Presenter of the Year" and "Digital Radio Programme" at the annual
Television and Radio Industries Club The Television and Radio Industries Club (widely known as TRIC) is a British institution chartered in 1931 to "promote goodwill in the television and radio industries". The Club holds an annual awards ceremony each year honouring achievement in t ...
(TRIC) Awards for her work on Heart London. In January 2018, Bunton was offered a new Sunday night show that runs between 7 and 10. The first show aired on 14 January. Bunton left
Heart London Heart London is a regional radio station owned and operated by Global Radio as part of the Heart network. Across London and its neighbouring counties, it can be heard on 106.2 MHz. History In 1994 Chrysalis Radio was awarded a London-wide licen ...
Breakfast at Christmas 2018 to focus on the 2019
Spice Girls The Spice Girls are an English girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Mel B ("Scary Spice"), Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"), Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"), and Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice"). They have sold over 10 ...
Tour. She currently still presents the Sunday Evening Heart Show, Hearts Feel Good Weekend with Emma Bunton.


Television and films

Bunton has been seen in a television commercial for the supermarket chain
Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in the United Kingdom at its head offices in Welwyn Garden City, England. The company was founded by Jack Cohen (businessman), Sir Jack Cohen in ...
. She also had a cameo role on the Australian soap opera ''
Neighbours ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera that has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons and ...
'' in the episode "What's a Spice Girl Like You...?". In July 2008, Bunton stood in as co-presenter alongside
Richard Madeley Richard Holt Madeley ( born 13 May 1956) is an English television presenter and writer. Alongside his wife Judy Finnigan, he presented ITV's '' This Morning'' (1988–2001) and the Channel 4 chat show ''Richard & Judy'' (2001–2008). Madeley ...
on the television show ''
Richard & Judy ''Richard & Judy'' (also known as ''Richard & Judy's New Position'') is a British television chat show presented by the married couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. The show originally aired on Channel 4 from 26 November 2001 to 22 Augus ...
'' while
Judy Finnigan Judith Adele Finnigan (born 16 May 1948) is an English television presenter and writer. She co-presented ITV's '' This Morning'' (1988–2001, 2019–2020) and the Channel 4 chat show, '' Richard & Judy'' (2001–2008) alongside her husband R ...
was recovering from a knee operation. In October 2008, Bunton appeared on the UK series of ''
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
'' to assist judge
Dannii Minogue Dannii Minogue (; born 20 October 1971) is an Australian singer, television personality, and actress. As a child, she became known for her appearances on the television talent show ''Young Talent Time'' (1982–1988). She went on to play the r ...
in choosing the three best over-25s acts to take through to the live shows. In December 2008, Bunton debuted as a member of the panel on ''
Loose Women ''Loose Women'' (known as ''Live Talk'' from 2000 to 2001) is a British talk show that broadcasts on ITV weekdays from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm. The show focuses on a panel of four female presenters who interview celebrities, talk about aspects of ...
'' on
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...
. In February 2010, Bunton appeared in a UK National Television campaign first aired during ''
Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...
'', showing her in the Heart Radio studios at the start and the end of the advert. In January 2010, Bunton joined the "Ice Panel" on ITV dancing show ''
Dancing on Ice ''Dancing on Ice'' is a British television series broadcast from 2006 to 2014 and then from 2018 to 2025. It was presented by Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern. Other previous hosts include Phillip Schofield and Christine Lampard. The series ...
'' replacing former judge
Ruthie Henshall Valentine Ruth Henshall (born 7 March 1967), known professionally as Ruthie Henshall, is an English actress, singer and dancer, known for her work in musical theatre. She began her professional stage career in 1986, before making her West End d ...
. She stepped down from this role on 2 December 2011. Bunton hosted Channel 5's ''
Don't Stop Believing "Don't Stop Believin" is a song by American rock band Journey. It was released in October 1981 as the second single from the group's seventh studio album, '' Escape'' (1981), released through Columbia Records. "Don't Stop Believin shares writi ...
'' from July to August 2010. In August 2010, Bunton guest presented ''
GMTV with Lorraine The following details are for the programmes that GMTV (Good Morning Television) broadcast on ITV. GMTV is the former breakfast television franchise for the UK's ITV network. It began broadcasting on Friday 1 January 1993 and finished on Friday ...
'' on
GMTV GMTV (an initialism for Good Morning Television), now legally known as ''ITV Breakfast, ITV Breakfast Broadcasting Limited'', was the name of the national ITV (TV network), ITV breakfast television contractor/licensee, broadcasting in the Uni ...
. On 8 October 2010, 19 November 2010 and 7 January 2011, she guest presented ''
Lorraine Lorraine, also , ; ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; ; ; is a cultural and historical region in Eastern France, now located in the administrative region of Grand Est. Its name stems from the medieval kingdom of ...
'' on
ITV Breakfast ITV Breakfast Broadcasting Limited (previously known as ''GMTV, GMTV Limited'') is the national ITV (TV network), ITV breakfast television licensee, broadcasting in the United Kingdom. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc in November ...
. In January 2012, Bunton reprised her role as one of fictional PR manager
Edina Monsoon Edina "Eddie" Margaret Rose Monsoon is one of the two main characters in the British television sitcom '' Absolutely Fabulous'', created and portrayed by comedian Jennifer Saunders. The founder and head of her own PR company, Edina consistent ...
's disgruntled clients in a revival of the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
's ''
Absolutely Fabulous ''Absolutely Fabulous'' (often shortened to ''Ab Fab'') is a British television sitcom created and written by Jennifer Saunders, which premiered in 1992. It is based on the 1990 '' French and Saunders'' sketch " Modern Mother and Daughter", cr ...
''. In August that same year, Bunton made a cameo appearance in '' Keith Lemon: The Film''. In the summer of 2013, Bunton was a judge on the
ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: Television TV stations/networks/channels ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network and company, including: **ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network in the United Kingd ...
Saturday night entertainment series ''
Your Face Sounds Familiar ''Your Face Sounds Familiar'' ( Spanish: ''Tu cara me suena'') is a Spanish interactive reality television franchise series where celebrity contestants impersonate singers. The format, similar to Dutch television series '' Soundmixshow'', was ...
'' alongside
Julian Clary Julian Peter McDonald Clary (born 25 May 1959) is an English actor, comedian, novelist and presenter. He began appearing on television in the mid-1980s. Since then, he has also acted in films, on television and in stage productions, including n ...
and a different guest judge each week. In October 2014, Bunton appeared on
The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...
to assist judge and fellow Spice Girl
Mel B Melanie Janine Brown, Order of the British Empire, MBE (born 29 May 1975), commonly known as Mel B or Melanie B, is an English singer, songwriter, television personality, and actress. She rose to fame in the mid 1990s as a member of the Pop mus ...
in choosing the three best boys acts to take through to the live shows. In 2015, Bunton made a cameo appearance in Spanish comedy film '' Cómo sobrevivir a una despedida'', during a scene in which the five main characters are seen impersonating the Spice Girls in a talent show. In March 2016, Bunton has co-presented ''
Too Much TV ''Too Much TV'' is a British television programme, that has aired on BBC Two between 29 February and 1 April 2016. It was broadcast on weeknights at 6:30 pm and is presented by Emma Bunton, Aled Jones, Sara Cox and Rufus Hound. Presenters Th ...
'', a daily magazine show on BBC Two. In 2015, Bunton made a cameo appearance in the 2016 film '' Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie''. In addition, she gave her voice to Muhimu in the UK version of the episode "The Mbali Fields Migration" of the
Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...
's television series ''
The Lion Guard ''The Lion Guard'' is an American animated children's television series developed by Ford Riley and based on Disney's 1994 film ''The Lion King''. The series was first broadcast with a television film titled ''The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar' ...
''. In 2017, she appeared as a judge in the TV show ''
Boy Band A boy band is a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their Teenage, teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform love songs marketed towards girls and young women. Many boy bands ...
'' alongside
Nick Carter Nickolas Gene Carter (born January 28, 1980) is an American singer, the lead vocalist of the vocal group Backstreet Boys, and an alleged rapist. As of 2015, he has released three solo albums, '' Now or Never'', '' I'm Taking Off'' and '' All A ...
,
Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (; born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer-songwriter, television personality, and actress. Born in Pristina, modern-day Kosovo, she rose to prominence when she featured on DJ Fresh's 2012 single, "Hot Rig ...
and
Timbaland Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer and rapper. Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, he is widely acclaimed for his distinctive production work and "stuttering" rhythm ...
.


Fashion

In 2011, Bunton teamed up with British retailer
Argos Argos most often refers to: * Argos, Peloponnese, a city in Argolis, Greece * Argus (Greek myth), several characters in Greek mythology * Argos (retailer), a catalogue retailer in the United Kingdom Argos or ARGOS may also refer to: Businesses ...
to launch a series of childrenswear lines.


Philanthropy

In 1999, 2001 and 2003 she was one of the donors of the charity campaign Nordoff-Robbins, focused in therapy for children with psychological, physical or developmental disabilities. In April 1999 she helped launch the
National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is a British child protection charity founded as the Liverpool Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (LSPCC) by Thomas Agnew on 19 April 1883. The NSPCC lobbies t ...
's anti-child abuse campaign with
Tony Blair Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He was Leader ...
and
Prince Andrew Prince Andrew, Duke of York (Andrew Albert Christian Edward; born 19 February 1960) is a member of the British royal family. He is the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and a younger broth ...
. She also starred in a government safety campaign to warn drinkers of the dangers of handling fireworks, recording commercials to air on television. In 2000 Bunton supported the charity campaign Children Nationwide, which raised money to finance the research into childhood diseases. In 2001 she donated £500,000 to performing arts and music charities funds. In 2006 she was ambassador of
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
's
Children in Need ''BBC Children in Need'' is the BBC's UK Charitable organization, charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its ...
and released the
charity single A charity record, charity album, or charity single is a recording with most or all proceeds raised going to a dedicated foundation or charity. In 1956, The Lord's Taverners released a 78 rpm disc which contained six tracks donated by popular artis ...
"
Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...
", donating the money for the campaign. In 2010 she supported the World Children's Champions. In 2011, Bunton was ambassador of
Heart The heart is a muscular Organ (biology), organ found in humans and other animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels. The heart and blood vessels together make the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrie ...
's Have a Heart campaign to help homeless people. In 2013, she supported the
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
's campaign Every Parent's Dream, which raised money for vaccine against maternal and newborn
tetanus Tetanus (), also known as lockjaw, is a bacterial infection caused by ''Clostridium tetani'' and characterized by muscle spasms. In the most common type, the spasms begin in the jaw and then progress to the rest of the body. Each spasm usually l ...
(MNT). In 2014 she became an ambassador of UNICEF and travelled to Africa to assist in humanitarian work to eradicate the MNT. In April 2015, Bunton teamed up with Specsavers in Bishop's Stortford to launch a contest, where each entry would generate £1 for anti-bullying charity Kidscape to help vulnerable children.


Personal life

In 1997, Bunton dated British singer
Lee Brennan Lee Anthony Brennan (born 27 September 1973) is an English singer, songwriter, dancer and actor. He was the lead vocalist of boy band 911. Early and personal life Lee Brennan was born on 27 September 1973 in Carlisle, Cumbria.. Brennan was diag ...
. In the same year, she was briefly linked to American actor
Leonardo DiCaprio Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (; ; born November 11, 1974) is an American actor and film producer. Known for Leonardo DiCaprio filmography, his work in biographical and period films, he is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received ...
. In 1998, she began dating British singer Jade Jones, from the group
Damage Damage is any change in a thing, often a physical object, that degrades it away from its initial state. It can broadly be defined as "changes introduced into a system that adversely affect its current or future performance".Farrar, C.R., Sohn, H., ...
, but they split for the first time in May 1999. From September 1999 to September 2000, Bunton was in a relationship with the England footballer
Rio Ferdinand Rio Gavin Ferdinand (born 7 November 1978) is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre-back, and is now a television pundit for TNT Sports. He played 81 times for the England national team between 1997 and 2011, and ...
, who was introduced by her friends
David Beckham Sir David Robert Joseph Beckham ( ; born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional footballer, the president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City. Primarily a right winger and known for his range of passing, cross ...
and
Victoria Beckham Victoria Caroline, Lady Beckham (; born 17 April 1974) is an English fashion designer, singer, and television personality. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Posh Spic ...
. From November 2000 to March 2002, she was again in a relationship with Jones. In 2003, she was briefly linked to American singer
Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...
. In 2004, Bunton again began dating Jade Jones after having previously broken up twice. On 26 January 2007 she announced her pregnancy. The couple's first child was born on 10 August 2007. On 6 May 2011, their second child was born. The couple became engaged on 21 January 2011 but Bunton said that she did not want to get married in a civil or religious ceremony, stating: "We don't need a wedding to justify our relationship." Nevertheless, Bunton and Jones married on 13 July 2021. In 1999, Bunton moved to a £1.6million penthouse in the Mount Vernon Village, in
Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...
, London. In 2003, she had some problems with neighbours, who complained about her late-night parties. In 2006, she and Jones moved to a mansion in
Barnet, London Chipping Barnet or High Barnet is a suburban market town in north London, forming part of the London Borough of Barnet, England. It is a suburban development built around a 12th-century settlement, and is located north-northwest of Charing C ...
. Bunton was diagnosed with
endometriosis Endometriosis is a disease in which Tissue (biology), tissue similar to the endometrium, the lining of the uterus, grows in other places in the body, outside the uterus. It occurs in women and a limited number of other female mammals. Endomet ...
. She is also a godmother to
Geri Halliwell Geraldine Estelle Halliwell-Horner (''née'' Halliwell; born 6 August 1972) is an English singer, songwriter, television personality, author, and actress. She rose to fame in the mid-1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which ...
's daughter, Bluebell Madonna Halliwell, born in 2006. Bunton is a supporter of
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Tottenham (, , , ) or Spurs, is a professional Association football, football club based in Tottenham, North London, England. The club itself has stated that it should always ...
football club.


Legacy

Bunton was the inspiration for the stage name of actress
Emma Stone Emily Jean "Emma" Stone (born November 6, 1988) is an American actress and film producer. Her accolades include two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. In 2017, she was the world's highest-paid actr ...
, whose real name is Emily Stone. When Stone first registered for the
Screen Actors Guild The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...
, the name "Emily Stone" was already taken and she eventually decided on using the name "Emma".


Discography

* '' A Girl Like Me'' (2001) * '' Free Me'' (2004) * '' Life in Mono'' (2006) * ''
My Happy Place ''My Happy Place'' is the fourth studio album by British singer Emma Bunton. It was released on 12 April 2019 by BMG Rights Management. The album consists of ten tracks; eight are cover versions of some of Bunton's favourite songs and two are ...
'' (2019)


Filmography


Television


Film


Concert tours

* Live in Concert (2001) * Free Me Tour (2004) *Emma Bunton's Christmas Party - Live at the Royal Albert Hall (2019) *Emma Bunton and Friends (2022)


Radio


Books

*


Awards and nominations


References


External links


Emma Bunton on Heart Radio
*
spicegirlsgem.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bunton, Emma 1976 births 19 Recordings artists 20th-century English actresses 20th-century English women singers 20th-century English singers 21st-century English actresses 21st-century English women singers 21st-century English singers Actresses from London Alumni of the Sylvia Young Theatre School English female karateka English feminists English film actresses English people of Irish descent Radio presenters from London English women pop singers English women singer-songwriters English singer-songwriters English television actresses English television presenters English voice actresses British feminist musicians Heart (radio network) presenters Living people Participants in American reality television series People educated at Queen Elizabeth's School for Girls Actors from the London Borough of Barnet Singers from the London Borough of Barnet Spice Girls members Virgin Records artists English expatriates in India British expatriate actresses in India Actresses in Hindi cinema English expatriate actresses in the United States English women radio presenters British dance-pop musicians People from Finchley The Circle (American TV series) contestants