Girl POWER!

MELANIE CHISHOLM on discovering that she comes from a long line of strong women

- CAREN CLARK

For Melanie Chisholm, looking into her roots in BBC1’s Who Do You Think Are? had extra resonance, as the genealogy show shares its title with the No.1 hit she had with the Spice Girls in 1997. And, as Melanie, AKA Sporty Spice, delved into her family tree, she was keen to discover whether the girl band’s trademark strength and independent spirit were also in her ancestry.

‘The show’s an institution, and I was honoured and nervous to take part. For years, I’ve been singing Who Do You Think You Are and asking myself that question throughout my life, so this is a full-circle moment I’ll never forget,’ says Melanie, 50.

‘The Spice Girls were ambitious and driven, and I’ve always been determined and disciplined and knew what I wanted to do. And, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become curious about what came before me. Why did I end up like this? Is any of that from my relatives?’

SELF-MADE WOMAN

Melanie, who was brought up in Widnes, near Liverpool, began by exploring the background of her indomitable paternal grandmother Catherine, who she called Nanny Kay.

‘I was petrified of Nanny Kay!’ smiles Melanie. ‘She loved us to bits but you knew not to mess with her – she was formidable. So I thought it would be interesting to find out why she was like that.’

She discovered that in 1908, her great-grandmother Mary – Catherine’s mother – had been married to a soldier, Joseph Nunnery, who served abroad and was also given a prison sentence for desertion. But while she was married to Joseph, Mary had children with Thomas Bilsborough – Melanie’s greatgrandfather – and tied the knot with him once Joseph died.