Last month Melanie Chisholm, formerly known as Sporty Spice, released her new album Reason.

It was the follow up to her multi-platinum debut Northern Star. She is the only one of the spices who has stuck with music as a career option. This may have been a surprise to the outside world, but within the group it was always Melanie who was committed to the music.

"I was always the one who was most into the music and not fame," she explains. "The fame thing can be fun at first, but it cheapens what it's really about."

The new album has already spawned a hit in Here It Comes Again. Mel denies all rumours that the Spice Girls will regroup. She's happy with her life and work now, has no desire to go back although is grateful for the opportunities the 'supergroup' afforded her. "I'm proud of having been part of the Spice Girls," she says. "It has enabled me to go on and have a solo career."

She does however concede that, "It's (regrouping) something we might do for charity or as a one-off but not ever to tour or record."

She's also justly proud of the girl power movement the band started. Explaining it's beginnings, she said, "When we started going out and promoting, people wouldn't take us seriously because at that time boy bands were the big sellers. The majority of record buyers are young girls and they thought that girls couldn't sell to girls.

"We went on to be more successful than even the boy bands. We proved everyone wrong and we were doing it for women."

Comparing where she was at personally when recording her two solo projects, Mel says, "The first album was a little bit of experimentation. I was going through personal changes and getting out emotions that needed expressing. Now I've more of an idea of where I'm 'at'. I'm a bit older and have had more time as a solo artist to develop."

Mel doesn't take her fanbase for granted, as she explains, "A lot of my fans are quite young teenagers and I get a lot of letters from people who are depressed or having problems at school, or have lost a parent or something. And you get lovely letters saying how much your music has helped them through really difficuilt times.

"It's something I don't take lightly," she continues. "I realised with the Spice Girls that you have to take on the responsibility of being a role model, even if you don't always feel like it."

She has a certain amount of empathy for people going through difficult times. The popstar millionairess, who may have appeared to have it all, has been through a rough patch herself. "Everything came at once really," she confides. "Depression, insomnia, easting disorders. But I'm well on the way to recovery now so I hope it will stay at bay."

A stable relationship has proved to be Mel's rock and helped her regain her self-confidence.

Melanie C plays Southampton Guildhall on May 7. Tickets: £17.50 Box office: 023 8063 2601