Sporty Spice is returning to the Strictly Come Dancing ballroom, and the show has found a fitting piece of equipment for her, an exercise bike with disco-ball wheels.
The Spice Girls singer, 52, is scheduled to perform “Sweat” during the BBC competition’s results show on Sunday, October 25.
First-look photographs released on Friday show her wearing a pink exercise top and blue shorts.
Her guest appearance forms part of a fitness-themed group number with the show’s professional dancers.
Mel C Says Strictly’s Dancers Are ‘Quite Intimidating’
Mel C discussed working with the dancers in a preview on Strictly: It Takes Two. “They are incredible and they make me up my game. But also, it’s quite intimidating!” she said, according to Entertainment Daily.
Julian Caillon welcomed the collaboration, calling her an “absolute icon.” He and Aljaž Škorjanec will hoist the singer onto their shoulders during the number, which also incorporates skipping ropes and resistance bands.
The routine begins with the professionals dancing to Spacedust’s “Gym and Tonic” and Meghan Trainor’s “Shimmer” before Mel C takes over the musical duties, Radio Times reported.
Her Previous Strictly Performance Was With All Five Spice Girls
Nearly 19 years have passed since Mel C sang “2 Become 1” with Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell, Mel B and Victoria Beckham during the show’s December 22, 2007 final. The appearance coincided with the group’s reunion tour.
It had originally been scheduled for the previous weekend. Bunton sprained her ankle after falling onstage in Las Vegas, forcing the group to postpone its recording. A BBC spokesperson confirmed the change in a contemporary report now hosted by What to Watch.
Mel C later experienced the competition format herself on the American series Dancing With the Stars. Partnered with Gleb Savchenko in 2021, she made her entrance in a black cab before performing a cha-cha-cha to “Wannabe.”
Their run ended in week five on Grease Night despite a quickstep that earned 36 out of 40, their best score of the season. The judges were split between saving them and Olivia Jade’s partnership with Val Chmerkovskiy, leaving Len Goodman to cast the deciding vote.
After the elimination, Mel C told Entertainment Tonight she was “absolutely gutted” and had hoped to stay longer, while acknowledging how hard the other contestants had worked.
‘Sweat’ Set a Solo Chart Record for the Spice Girls
The song comes from Mel C’s ninth studio album, released May 1. The title track samples Diana Ross’ “Work That Body,” while the wider record draws on club music she enjoyed before becoming famous.
In an interview with The Associated Press, she said DJing had revived that enthusiasm. She first discovered rave culture on vacation with friends at 19 and spent about two and a half years developing the album.
Sweat entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 3, surpassing the No. 4 peak of her 1999 debut, Northern Star. According to the Official Charts Company, it also became the highest-charting solo album by any Spice Girl. Halliwell’s Schizophonic and Bunton’s A Girl Like Me had both reached No. 4.
The record also topped the Official Record Store Chart, which tracks sales through independent UK record shops. Mel C thanked fans for buying, streaming and supporting the release.
Her world tour began in Montreal in September. Her official schedule lists sold-out concerts in London on October 23 and Brussels on October 26, with Birmingham between them. After the European dates, she plays Tokyo on November 6 before heading to Australia.
Jamie Miller and Antonio Cipriano Also Join the Results Show
The BBC has confirmed a separate performance of “Babydoll” by Welsh singer Jamie Miller and actor Antonio Cipriano, who appears in Prime Video’s Off Campus. Four professional dancers will accompany the UK television debut of their collaboration.
The weekend also brings Delta Goodrem back to the competition after she missed a week because of an injury. She and partner Kai Widdrington are preparing a rumba to Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.”
Twelve celebrity couples remain, with the next dance-off deciding who leaves before the Halloween show. Saturday’s competition airs October 24 at 6:30 p.m. UK time on BBC One, followed by the results episode at 7:10 p.m. the following evening. Both will be available on BBC iPlayer.
