Emma Bunton, the eternally youthful Baby Spice, celebrated a significant personal milestone this week as she turned 50 years old. The singer and radio presenter marked the occasion live on air during her hosting duties, while receiving a flood of sweet birthday tributes from her former Spice Girls bandmates.
A Live On-Air Celebration
Emma Bunton kicked off her birthday celebrations in a very public fashion, stepping in to anchor the Heart FM breakfast show in place of Amanda Holden. During the broadcast, her co-host Jamie Theakston surprised her with a classic Colin the Caterpillar cake, as messages began pouring in from fans and friends alike across social media platforms.
Spice Girls Reunite in Spirit
Despite the physical distance between them, the Spice Girls came together in spirit to celebrate their youngest member's special day. Victoria Beckham, who has recently been navigating a social media storm involving her estranged son Brooklyn Beckham, was among the first to publicly extend birthday wishes to Emma.
Victoria, 51, took to her Instagram stories to share a nostalgic black and white throwback photograph showing a beaming Emma perched on her shoulders during their heyday. She accompanied the image with the heartfelt caption: 'Happy Birthday @emmaleebunton, I love you so much!!' The fashion designer also reshared a clip of Emma singing from their iconic 1996 music video for Say You'll Be There.
Heartfelt Messages from Mel B and Geri
Mel B, who also turned 50 this year, shared her own affectionate tribute to Emma, insisting that her bandmate would always be 'baby' to her. Alongside several pictures, Mel B wrote: 'My dear ‘BUNTON’ you will always be BABY to me even though you are now the big 50!!!!!!! Happy Birthday I Love you lots and lots and lots!!!'
Geri Halliwell, 53, joined the chorus of birthday wishes with a touching post that read: 'Happy 50th birthday! love you so much, you are such a special person with the biggest heart - grateful to have you in my life wishing you so much joy and love.' Geri complemented her message with several throwback photographs of the pair together.
At the time of reporting, Mel C – known to fans as Sporty Spice – had not yet publicly posted her birthday message to Emma. This comes just a week after Victoria Beckham sparked rumours of a feud with Geri by omitting her from a birthday tribute to Mel C.
Personal Life and Recent Revelations
Emma Bunton, a mother of two, is happily married to Damage star Jade Jones. The couple tied the knot in 2021 after a remarkably long courtship spanning 23 years, and they are parents to sons Beau, 18, and Tate, 14.
In a recent interview with OK! Magazine, Emma revealed that she had been keeping her birthday plans firmly under wraps. Her milestone celebration comes just days after she candidly discussed her experience with menopause in an interview with The Times.
Opening Up About Menopause
Emma disclosed that she realised she was entering perimenopause at the age of 44, and spoke openly about how it affected her libido. 'My desire, my libido, whatever you want to call it, it went and that really worried me,' she told the publication.
She described how even after nearly a quarter of a century together, she and husband Jade Jones still fancy each other, but found their dynamic shifting. 'Instead of acting on it, it was more like, ‘Shall we watch the last episode of Succession.’ Or just "zzzzzz" rather than ripping each other’s clothes off. And that fading desire is a big, big shock for a woman,' Emma explained.
The singer shared that she began hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which she found to be genuinely helpful in managing her symptoms. Her openness about this personal health journey has been praised by many for helping to normalise conversations around women's health issues.
