Mel C felt "really uncomfortable" with her Sport Spice persona in the Spice Girls

Speaking about how she was portrayed in the May issue of the Good House Keeping magazine, the 'Wannabe' hitmaker - whose full name is Melanie Chisholm - said: "In the band, there was power in numbers and we egged one another on. As Sporty Spice, I felt I was portrayed as being quite bolshy, mouthy and aggressive and that has never been me. I felt really uncomfortable with this portrayal. When you're in your early 20s, you are trying to figure out who you are anyway. I hate confrontation and, in the band, I was the diplomat. I've always been very low key and put up with stuff. I just got to a point where I realised it wasn't serving me well. I had to take responsibility for myself."

The brunette beauty - who has eight-year-old daughter Scarlet - has admitted although feels she is in the "best shape" she has ever been in, she has started to notice "the wheels falling off a bit", and is feeling the effects of ageing in her body.

She explained: "I still feel youthful. I'm in the best shape of my life and I have just made one of the best records of my career.

"At 39, I thought I was getting better with age. Then I hit 40 and did start to notice the wheels falling off a bit. Just waking up in the morning and taking longer to get going. And it hurts more when I bend down. But I feel lots of positive things, too. I'm much more confident and stronger in voicing my opinion and standing up for myself. Physically, there is a bit more maintenance, though."