In their heyday they preached about girl power and sang how 'friendship never ends' in their signature song Wannabe.

But it seems that former Spice Girl Mel B has well and truly shrugged off her links with the chart-topping band after admitting she's barely in touch with the other girls.

Despite living just a few miles away from Victoria Beckham in Los Angeles, Leeds-born Melanie Brown says they don't have much in common.

All together: Spice Girls Victoria, Mel C, Geri, Emma and Mel B

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Mel B shows off her 34DD bust on Miami Beach earlier this year

And she also said she has hardly any physical contact with the other Spices, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell and Melanie Chisholm.

The 33-year-old, who signed a £500,000 deal to front the Ultimo bra campaign earlier this year, told Closer magazine: 'We’re not in touch much, I don’t physically see any of the Spice Girls.

'Victoria and I are very different. People bracket us together because we live in the same city and we’re both interested in fashion.

'Victoria’s fashion line has been very successful and, hopefully mine will be too. But that’s where the similarities begin and end.'
 
Although she’s now a TV star in the US and has her own animal print fashion line Catty Couture, Mel prefers being with her family rather than hanging out on the celebrity circuit.

She added:  'I love being at home with my family. My kids make me cry – in a good way, though.

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The Spice Girls on their recent world tour - but Mel B says they're not in touch

'I love it when they learn something new and it makes me shed a tear or two. I’d hate to miss out on any of that.

'I have a close circle of friends and family that I trust, and I don’t let people in easily.'

The Spice Girls reformed for a world tour last December.

But in February the girls all pulled out and cancelled the remaining three weeks citing 'family and personal commitments'.

Mel is mother to nine-year-old Phoenix Chi with ex-husband Jimmy Gulzar and last April she gave birth to Angel Iris who was fathered by Hollywood film star Eddie Murphy.

The full interview appears in this week's Closer magazine.