Melanie C, the 52-year-old Spice Girls legend known as Sporty Spice, married Australian model Chris Dingwall on Saturday at The Country House in Castle Carrock, Cumbria. The ceremony was attended by her bandmates Geri Horner, Melanie Brown, and Emma Bunton, while Victoria Beckham was absent due to her commitment to sitting beside husband David Beckham at the FIFA World Cup final matches in North America.
Bandmates and Guests Celebrate
Geri Horner, 53, was among the first A-list guests to arrive at the venue, accompanied by her husband Christian Horner. Melanie Brown, 51, and Emma Bunton, 50, also joined the celebrations. A live band was spotted arriving at the venue, though it was not reported if they played Spice Girls songs or if the four attending Spice Girls performed together.
Venue and Last-Minute Preparations
The wedding took place at The Country House, a six-bedroom Georgian manor in Castle Carrock. The venue features a games room with a pool table, an Orangery Bar, a cinema room, and an outdoor copper jacuzzi, pizza oven, and barbecue set within three acres of meadow. The manor costs over £5,000 per week to hire and is owned by Mel's close friend, West End actor Ben Forster, who she starred alongside in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar in 2013. Last-minute preparations included venue employees dashing around with furniture as guests arrived.
Potential Move to Australia
Reports suggest that Mel and Chris may move to Australia after the wedding, as Mel works as a coach on The Voice Australia and her 17-year-old daughter Scarlett, from her relationship with ex-partner Thomas Starr, will soon leave for university. A source told the Daily Mail that the couple would relocate to Australia "in due course." The wedding may serve as a final party in the UK before their move.
Mel's Previous Stance on Marriage
Despite her wedding, Mel had previously stated she never wanted to marry. In a 2022 interview with the Sunday Times, she said: "I've never, never wanted to marry. Maybe marriage works for some people, but maybe to think it works for the majority is an old-fashioned notion."
