She was the last of the Spice Girls to walk down the aisle, but Melanie Chisholm has now married Australian model Chris Dingwall at the age of 52.
Ms Chisholm, better known as Sporty Spice, or Mel C, said ‘I do’ dressed in a simple white, floor-length gown while clutching a wildflower meadow bouquet of flowers at the Country House Cumbria in the Lake District on Saturday.
She was joined by her bandmates Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown and Geri Halliwell-Horner but Victoria Beckham was unable to attend as she is in the US at the World Cup.
But Victoria ensured she was still involved in her pal’s big day, as she designed Mel’s stunning backless wedding gown.
A source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘It was a gift from Victoria, they are really close. Victoria would have loved to have been there if she could.’
A source close to Mrs Beckham added: ‘It was her great pleasure to make the dress for Mel.’
Mel C, 52, has become the last of the Spice Girls to finally walk down the aisle, as she married her model boyfriend Chris Dingwall in the Lake District on Saturday
She was sad she couldn’t be there because she’s in the US with David and of course the World Cup plans had been set for a long time.
‘But she was wishing her all the best from afar for Mel’s special day.’
Despite Posh’s absence, guests say that it was a ‘perfect’ ceremony where Ms Chisholm’s daughter Scarlett, 17, from her relationship with property developer Thomas Starr, acted as a bridesmaid.
However, there was a slight hiccup when a herd of cows from a nearby farm ran towards the Georgian venue while the singer and Mr Dingwall were saying their vows. Guests looked alarmed when they saw the animals.
Sources say that the couple wanted an ‘intimate’ wedding, and while they were joined by her fellow Spice Girls, it was expected to be a small affair.
A source added: ‘Mel and Chris wanted an understated wedding, she didn’t want a big flashy day but something smaller and very classy.
‘Mel swore she would never get married, having a big do wasn’t really for her.
‘It is the perfect venue for them, totally out of the way but in the most beautiful place and everyone had the most fantastic time.
‘Victoria couldn’t be there but she loves Mel, and she will have made sure that she sent a beautiful present.’
Nestled in the picturesque Cumbrian countryside, the Country House Cumbria claims to be the ‘perfect setting for an elopement, small, sophisticated wedding’ which Ms Chisholm is said to have been keen to have.
It is owned by West End actor Ben Forster who starred alongside her on rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar in 2013 and property developer Paul Longman.
Ms Chisholm met Mr Dingwall, thought to be in his 40s, in 2023 on the exclusive dating app, Raya.
She admitted she originally thought she was finished with romance following her split from previous long-term partners, including Mr Starr.
Mel said ‘I do’ at the Country House Cumbria in the Lake District in a ‘simple and intimate’ ceremony, with all of her Spice Girls bandmates, except Victoria, in attendance
Earlier in the day, Mel’s bandmate Geri Halliwell was seen arriving at the wedding venue with her husband Christian Horner
Mel went public with Australian model and writer Chris in 2024 after months of speculation about their romance
But during a night out at the pub, her friends convinced her to download the app, turning the search for a partner into a game they jokingly dubbed ‘boy Bingo’.
Mel matched with Chris while she was in London and he was living in Sydney.
Despite the distance, she had an upcoming Australian DJ tour planned and decided to take a chance on the model.
Mel recently opened up about her future with Chris – and whether wedding bells could be in their plans.
She told The Times in January: ‘It’s something I didn’t think would be part of my story, but I’m so happy with Chris. Maybe it is something that will be in my life.’
In May she explained how elements of her new album Sweat were inspired by her boyfriend.
She said: ‘Not long into making the record, I met somebody new, I fell in love, and so I ended up having this wonderful arc of emotions throughout the album – of heartbreak and then that excitement of a new relationship.’
She added to the Telegraph: ‘He’s very laid-back. He’s loads of fun… we work out together. We have very similar personalities and lifestyles.’
Mel had previously sworn off marriage but in a recent interview she admitted her deep loneliness during her Spice Girls years contributed to her battle with depression.
The singer wrote about her clinical depression diagnosis in her 2022 memoir, revealing how she hit rock bottom when the Spice Girls split in 2000 and her issues with binge drinking and binge eating intensified.
Mel has explained how her depression ‘was very environmental’ and stemmed in part from feeling ‘lonely’.
At the height of the Spice Girls’ fame in the late nineties, most of Mel’s bandmates were settled in relationships. Victoria had married and welcomed her first child with David Beckham by 1999, Mel B married first husband Jimmy Gulzar in 1998 and also had her first child whilst Emma Bunton began her romance with her now-husband Jade Jones in 1999.
Geri Halliwell was meanwhile enjoying a string of high-profile romances, leading Mel to admit she felt left behind.
Speaking on The Louis Theroux Podcast she said being single ‘has been quite a big theme of my adult life, really. It was a long time before I was in a long-term relationship.’
She insisted that she never dated a fan, explaining that the perception of sex and fame going hand in hand was wide of the mark.
‘It’s completely different. I mean, don’t get me wrong, other people had a better success rate than I did,’ the popstar explained.
‘You know, like historically with boy bands or rock bands, it’s like, “oh, you know, pick a member of the crowd… bring her back”. Our gigs weren’t like that.’
‘They were full of young girls and gays, which are the best audience. You just don’t get any action. But it was quite lonely for me at times.
‘I think there was many times in the band when we were working together where I was the only one without a partner… I would have liked to have dated. I had a dry spell. That’s what we call it.’
She added that her depression came from ‘the experiences that I’d had, and just getting to that point where I couldn’t continue living the way I was living’.
‘That was a really long road back to health, and I never really stopped. It was a different time as well because I probably would have benefited to go off and have some time to heal, but I was touring and promoting my solo stuff,’ she said.
Mel did have some high-profile romances in the nineties, including a brief, month-long fling with Robbie Williams in 1997 at the height of their 90s pop fame.
In her 2022 memoir, Mel writes about how she was left heartbroken by Robbie after he ‘behaved badly’ with her, claiming that the Take That star led her on and then ‘abruptly’ dropped her, which left her heartbroken.
‘It was a million years ago and lasted two seconds. Oh God, that sounds really bad. Oh, well,’ she told Louis Theroux.
Mel went on to have a four-month romance in 2000 with another boyband star – J Brown from 5ive, with the star admitting she is still friends with her ‘lovely’ ex.
‘I’ve not spoken to him for a while actually, but he’s an ex I’ve remained friends with. I don’t remain friends with many exes, but he’s a lovely boy,’ she said.
‘I saw Robbie recently. I mean, God, we were kids. Do you know what I mean? It’s like we’re talking like, 20-odd years ago. Nearly 30 years ago. It’s a long time.’
