The Spice Girl who battled more than just fame
Phoebe Simcock,
3rd Aug 2021
Tags:
Life
Blog
Mental health
Geraldine Estelle Horner (previously Halliwell) rose to fame as Ginger Spice in the pop group ‘The Spice Girls’ after responding to an advert in a magazine at the age of 21.
‘The Spice Girls’ hit the charts, and their album ‘Spice’ is the bestselling album by a female group, which solidified them as female role models for girls everywhere.
The pressures and expectations of this came with a price, and Geri left the group in 1998 just before a North American tour, due to creative differences and exhaustion. This came with a lot of backlash from fans, but Geri stuck to her word and did what was right for her despite the media amplification surrounding this.
After leaving ‘The Spice Girls’, Geri was prompted to get help with bulimia from singer Robbie Williams, a close friend who was worried about her. The expectation that girl bands should have to look a certain way inflicted on Geri’s mental health, and a similar experience has been publicised recently by Jessie from ‘Little Mix’.
Struggle for acceptance.
This struggle for acceptance and lack of belonging resulted in Geri wanting to take full control of her life, and this impacted her relationships too.
Geri didn’t give up, and started taking an Alpha course to re-invent herself and cleanse her mind and body. The Alpha course seeks to introduce the basics of the Christian faith through a series of talks and discussions.
Geri was previously undecided on what she believed but felt compelled to join the Alpha course to open her mind to faith and build her self-confidence.
Difficult and turbulent teenage years in the media eye, losing her dad at 21, and spending time living in a squat has left a large impact on Geri Horner’s life. These sad circumstances could have resulted in her giving up completely, but after finding faith and putting her wellbeing first, she is now living a healthier and happier lifestyle.
Geri now uses her girl power influence to help women.
Geri now uses her girl power influence to help women in other countries, rather than to enforce an unrealistic stereotype. She is a Goodwill Ambassador for UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) and visited Nepal for a national campaign to stop violence against women.
The Guardian have highlighted one of her quotes, “I believe in education. It’s an empowering fundamental human right that everyone deserves. Education is a foundation for life”, and her promotion of this statement as an influential figure is another reason why she’s on our inspiring people list.
Geri shows us the importance of reaching out.
Geri shows us the importance of reaching out to others and staying true to ourselves. So if you’re in a difficult situation and others are making you feel obliged to stay in it, take this as your cue to be more Geri and to put yourself first.
