We’ve all heard that story of how the Spice Girls, as young fledglings back in 1994 (yep, 20 years ago), would steal toilet paper from local pubs as they struggled to eke out a living. But evidence given by Andy Coulson – formerly showbiz editor at The Sun and editor of News of the World – at his hacking trial has revealed just how, um, tenacious they were in their bid for superstardom. They were so tenacious, in fact, that they used to turn up at the doors of journalists, and beg for interviews.
Giving evidence in court, he has revealed that the Spice Girls doortsopped him at his house because they were ‘looking to promote their first record’, adding that, ‘The Spice Girls was as much a marketing story as a pop story. They were very effective in building a business with the media. Not the first, of course.’
That first album, Spice, went on to sell three million copies in the UK alone (28 million worldwide), so you’ve got to commend them on their attention-grabbing tactics, admirable team work and all-round hard graft. Love them or loathe them, they knew how to get shit done.
Alas, they’re pretty much done and dusted with being the Spice Girls (never say never, though) – Mel C with her musical theatre career, Emma Bunton’s on the radio, Victoria Beckham’s a successful designer, Geri Halliwell with her, um… OK, well, god loves a trier. And of course there’s Mel B, who doesn’t only work hard, but twerks hard..
Where were we? Coulson denies all charges against him. The hacking trial, which is being heard at the Old Bailey in London, continues.
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Picture: Getty
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.