The Seat Filler, the new film featuring former Spice Girl Mel B and Destiny’s Child star Kelly Rowland was released to UK theaters.

Or actually, one UK theater in London.

“Despite having Kelly on the cast, the movie’s reception has been less than rapturous,” a source said.

Former Spice Girl Melanie B is planning to release her new songs on the world wide web and it seems her material will be uploaded quicker than you can click the words “log” and “off.”

Apparently, one of Mel’s mates told the Mirror that the ex-Spice Girl has been writing a lot of new material with friends in her kitchen.

Mel’s mate says “She’s determined that people hear the new stuff. But she has no record deal so using the internet is her best bet.”

Mel has been appearing in the Broadway show Rent, but her friend told the tab “Mel’s enjoying acting on Broadway but her first love is her music. She’s frustrated that she’s been written off and a Spice Girls reunion hasn’t got off the ground. She’s proud of the new stuff she’s written, which is an entire album of low-key funk songs.”

Will any former Spice Girls be travelling to New York City to see Melanie Brown in Rent? “Both Emma Bunton and Mel C. Melanie Chisholm will be out before the end of the run,” Scary told The New York Daily News.

“Geri is very busy in LA and Vicky has so much going on in London.”

Mel B added that there’s no plans for a Spice Girls reunion. “It’s too soon,” she said.

Melanie B, who is currently starring in the Broadway production of the musical Rent, has been well received by New Yorkers, most of whom remember her as Scary Spice, and loads wanted autographs afterwards.

She’s living in New York with her mum and her daughter Phoenix. Phoenix has a slight American accent now and Mel says she doesn’t particularly want to come back to the UK. She’s considering some film scripts at the moment, and she’s also just recorded an album, as she explained “Some of it’s a bit punky, some of it’s a bit piano, acoustic-guitar driven. It’s not RnB whatsoever. I did it in my kitchen with my two friends from London – Kevin and Julie.”

“Nobody’s heard it, and I’m not signed to a record company so I wanna test it first before I decide anything and see what the reaction is and see how I like performing it, because I’ve only been there in my kitchen with a microphone singing it!”

She also told us that her acting is going well but, although she hasn’t forgotten any lines yet, she did once have a fit of giggles when her character was dying “I’d put red make up on my eyes and Jeremy, who plays my boyfriend, was really upset and playing the guitar and singing things like ‘ Your eyes’ and ‘I should have told you one thing before you died’ and ‘I love you’, but he was looking at this red eye!”

“I was smiling but I had to turn it into a kind of half-cry smile but he was just looking into it. His body clicked into this thing of ‘I’m acting but I can look at you and make you laugh cos I can handle it’ – I’m the new girl.'”

After the Spice Girls’ reunion dinner, the papers were full of talk of reunion tours and greatest hits albums, but these tales were all denied by various band members who insisted they were solo artists now and that was that. However the People claims that they were telling porkies and that the tour and the album are already a done deal.

That paper says that the tour will take place in 2006, ten years after ‘Wannabe’ first hit the charts, and that each Spice Girl will net GBP5 million, plus a chunk of the ticket revenue.

Not only does the paper report the greatest hits album, but it has a tracklist, too. This includes four new songs, and some old songs that were never released, as well as 15 of their biggest single releases. This is pretty specific information, so it kind of lends weight to the story.

Finally they quote a Virgin music source “The company is very excited that comeback plans are underway.”

And another source told them “All the girls have agreed it’s the right thing to do and will announce details later.”

Anyway, you might want to brace yourselves for an avalanche of official denials, because even if the story is true, surely the girls will want to deny it for the time being so it doesn’t take the focus of their solo efforts.

Mel B recently took a break in Goa, India, with daughter Phoenix Chi, 3, and a friend’s child.

The singer was spotted in a bikini looking totally unfit and appeared to have put on a few pounds which caused a stunned onlooker to say, “Mel looked daft wearing a bikini that size. Her figure is more like Mel C’s old frame. She was looking very unglamorous.”

“But I have to say she and Phoenix really looked happy playing in the sea.”

Now, you may be forgiven for thinking that Scary Spice, Mel B was still hungry for fame, what with recent reports claiming that she wants to resurrect the Spice Girls, but the Northern battleaxe has turned down an appearance on Celebrity Blind Date.

The move is even more surprising considering her recent split with actor boyfriend Max Beesley. The show could have provided whole minutes of exposure for Mel, and she could have bagged a new bloke.

“Not on your life” Mel told Metro, adding, “it makes me look desperate!”

6 September 2002 0951SST – 0800GMT

Melanie Launched Her Book In Leeds And Got Support From Family

Spice Girl Melanie B returned home to launch her biography and got a big hug from grandma. According to a report by UK’s paper This Is Leeds, the 26-year-old chose Borders bookshop in Leeds to launch Catch a Fire, which tells the story of her rise from council house girl to becoming a global star.

As hundreds queued to see the Leeds lass and have her book signed, her family made sure they popped in to see her on the home leg of her nationwide book-signing tour. Her 80-year-old gran, Mary Dixon, of Seacroft, turned up as a surprise. “I didn’t even know she was coming,” said Mel. “I call her Grandma White, it’s ace to see her.” Mrs Dixon added: “She calls me Grandma White as she has a white gran and a black gran. I am so proud of her and all she has achieved. She had no idea I was coming today. She is lovely, as are all my grandchildren and Phoenix her daughter is beautiful also.”

As she signed books for hundreds of fans Mel said: “I was last in Leeds two weeks ago. We get home as often as we can, usually two or three times a month, to see everyone. “I love Leeds and it is great to be back in my home town.” Mel’s mum Andrea, who works in Leeds city centre, also popped in. Andrea said: “I have rushed here during my lunch hour. Mel really loves Leeds and that is why she wanted to launch the book here.”

One fan queued since 8am to see his idol. Joel Gray, 17, of Cleethorpes had waited for hours holding a bunch of flowers. In return he was given a kiss from the star. Mel will star in a new BBC drama next January called Burn It.

News compiled by Spice Girls Asia News TeamSpice Girls Asia provide Asian Insights Into The Spice Girls. http://www.spicegirlsasia.cjb.net

5 September 2002 1350SST – 0800GMT

MELANIE B TURN DOWN APPEARANCE ON CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER

Things may have slowed career-wise for Spice Girl Melanie B recently but she ain’t at rock bottom just yet. UK Tabloid The Sun has reported that the Spice Girl known has knocked back the chance to appear on Celebrity Big Brother.

Apparently, more worthy work in the form of a role in the West End play, The Vagina Monologues, and appearing in the BBC drama, Burn It, is more than enough for Mel to be getting with at the mo. Rumours were rife that the vocal star would consider popping into the house in order to boost her sliding profile, but a spokesman told the Sun: “Mel was approached but she turned it down.” A house-mate who makes more noise than Jade just doesn’t bear thinking about.

News compiled by Spice Girls Asia News Team

Trust Geri Halliwell to spoil all the fun. The ginger singer has has pulled out of a book battle with former Spice Girl Mel B. The ex-bandmates were scheduled to bring out autobiographies on the exact same date, 2nd of September.

According to the tabs, slimline Gezza was hot favourite to start with but pre-sales figures showed mouthy Mel outselling her rival by nearly two to one.

So what happens? Geri’s book, named Just For The Record, is jostled back a week and will now hit the shops on the 9th of September.

A publishing source is quoted in the papers saying “Everyone was astounded when pre-sales figures showed Mel’s book, Catch A Fire, was way ahead. It sure looks like Melanie’s book is surely a good read.”