Victoria Beckham back with the Spice Girls – thanks to Adele

Rumours of another Spice Girls world tour gathered momentum last week as four of the band held ‘top-secret’ talks at a London hotel to discuss their hotly-anticipated reunion.

Mel C, 47, was said to have joined her former bandmates via Zoom from LA after EmmaBunton, 45, Mel B, 46, and Geri Horner, 49, were spotted arriving at Marylebone’s swanky Mandeville Hotel for the meet-up.

Amid the continued absence of Victoria Beckham – who refused to join their 2019 UK reunion tour – insiders say talks centered largely around trying to coax back Posh, 47.

A source says, “The girls are desperate for Vic to join and know how much kudos would be achieved if all five of them were back on stage together again – not to mention the extra money it would rake in.

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“Mel B insisted they come up with a plan to persuade Vic to join for at least one show. She suggested offering incentives, such as letting her have control over aspects of the show or designing their stage outfits, which would serve as a huge boost to her fashion label.”

And while the foursome try to lure back their former bandmate, insiders tell Closer that Victoria’s friend, Adele, 33 – a self-professed “Spice Girl superfan” – could be the key to enticing the star back to the stage.

The pair have been friends since meeting through mutual pal Sir Elton John in 2013 and have been snapped enjoying dinners together over the years.

They also became neighbours after the Easy On Me singer – who credited the iconic ’90s band for inspiring her to pursue a career in music, after attending their 1998 Wembley gig – snapped up a £5m Kensington pad just a stone’s throw from the Beckhams’ London mansion.

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Posh has returned the compliment, telling her 29m Instagram followers she is a “HUGE Adele fan!!” and reportedly gifting her clothes from her fashion label, after Adele’s 2019 divorce from charity CEO Simon Konecki, which prompted the star’s 7st weight loss.

That year, the fashionista also signed to her pal’s management agency, William Morris Endeavour, after ditching her long-time manager and the creator of the Spice Girls, Simon Fuller.

Closer has previously reported that the pair have enjoyed frequent hang-outs in LA – where they both own homes close by – and have arranged playdates with Adele’s nine-year-old son, Angelo, whom she shares with her ex, and Vic’s 10-year-old daughter, Harper.

The source says, “After Vic refused to join the last tour, Adele made no secret of her disappointment. While she understood and supported her decision, she let her know it wasn’t the same without her – in the hope it would tug on her heartstrings and persuade her to change her mind.

“She’s always said how epic it would be to have her on stage again with the girls and how it would be an iconic moment, which of course Vic found very flattering – especially coming from someone like Adele – and admitted that it left her more open to the idea of joining the girls in the future.”

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And pals say that, after Posh and her husband David, 46, invited Adele and her new sports agent beau Rich Paul, 39, over for a cosy dinner during their recent trip to London, the Oscar-winning star decided to seize the opportunity to give her friend another gentle and good-humoured push.

The source says, “Adele’s got a way with words and she was able to do it all with a glint in her eye. But she’s very persuasive and told David she needed him on her ‘team’, which he agreed he was, saying how much he also wanted to see Vic back up on stage.

“Adele also said how amazing it would be for Harper to see her mum strutting her stuff after never having seen her perform live. Vic’s said it’s definitely something she wants to do and, while she wouldn’t want to do the whole tour, she was leaning towards doing the London dates.”

Closer recently revealed that the mum of four – who also shares sons Brooklyn, 22, Romeo, 19, and Cruz, 16, with her husband of 22 years – was feeling lost and humiliated amid reports her fame and popularity is dwindling.

It followed multiple claims that the future of her fashion label was in jeopardy after racking up losses of £41m since its 2008 launch and a fierce backlash over her since-reversed decision to use taxpayers’ money to furlough staff in the pandemic, despite her £350m personal fortune.

Explaining her decision not to join the band’s 2019 reunion, the designer explained, “It took me a lot of courage not to go on tour with the Spice Girls again, but to be the one who says, ‘I’m not doing it because things feel different now than they used to.’ I’d rather concentrate on my family and my company.”

She also added she would probably feel “a little left out” watching her former bandmates perform, despite ruffling feathers by failing to attend any shows – which Mel B publicly fired shots at, describing her snub as “disappointing”.

And insiders say after making amends with her former frenemy in addition to rising fears over her waning popularity, it’s further resulted in a change of heart.

The source adds, “With her brand facing so much uncertainty and after so much criticism and backlash, Posh knows joining the girls would be a huge boost, not only to her struggling label but to her profile and career as a whole.

“However anxious or worried she might be about making a fool of herself, David has told her it may be a blessing, as it could not only resurrect her career but serve as a thank you to those who have stuck by her side for the last few years.”

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