It has been 20 years since Geri Halliwell broke all of our melodramatic 90s hearts by announcing her departure from the Spice Girls, leaving Mel B, Mel C, Emma Bunton and Victoria Beckham to carry on as a four without Ginger Spice. The news was devastating to many Spice Girls fans, and the BBC searched through their archives and found the original new report from the time, along with interviews with young Spice Girls fans, one of whom vehemently claimed that Geri "let the whole country down".
© Photo: Getty ImagesGeri left the Spice Girls 20 years ago
Speaking about the split, one youngster said: "I think everything was fine with five and now that Geri's leaving she's kind of letting the whole country down." Another girl added: "Geri's my favourite so I was a bit upset. Actually I did start crying because I think she was the best Spice Girl. She didn't have the nicest voice but she was the most determined one." Fans also took to Twitter on Thursday to commemorate the day, using '#GeriQuits20' as a hashtag. One person wrote: "My childhood traumas- school bullying, dog dying, Geri doing a runner and leaving the Spice Girls; still recovering from the last one tbh #GeriQuits20," while another added: "That iconic dress will forever be in our hearts and minds. 20 years on we still remember that Geri leaving the Spice Girls could be one of the most heartbreaking news of the 90s."
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Geri jokily apologised for leaving the band on the 19th anniversary, replying to a fan: "I'm sorry about that. Everything works out in the end, that's what my mum says!" She opened up about why she quit back in 2010, revealing that she had been told that she wasn't allowed to do an interview and talk about breast cancer, an issue close to her heart. She said: "I just got really angry, very emotional about it… I was meant to be the advocate of girl power, and I felt like a hypocrite if I couldn't do something… for empowering women. So, I had to go. I had no other choice, really."
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