Mel B details her fitness journey: ‘This time round it’s more about doing it for me’

Mel B detailed how she has created a new-found love for fitness after relying on exercise to give her respite from an abusive relationship.

The Spice Girls star ended her 10-year marriage to Stephen Belafonte in 2017 citing emotional and physical abuse – something the film producer, 48, has always vehemently denied.

The British singer, 48, has now admitted that she previously used exercise as a form of escapism from her ordeal, revealing how it was the “only time” she would leave her house.

“I had a really terrible 10-year abusive marriage and even during my marriage, when I'd go and work out, that was probably, apart from work, the only time I would actually leave the house,” she told MailOnline.

“Working out to me in my marriage just wasn't really even about working out. It was about getting away from my then-husband for an hour. Most of the time, I wouldn't even work out. I'd just go to a class and just breathe for a second.”

Mel revealed that she has been able to reframe how she views and uses exercise to benefit her health as she aims to lose weight following lockdown.

“So definitely this time round it is more about doing it for me,” the star said of her fitness journey as she joined daughter Phoenix and mother Andrea for her Pour Moi campaign.

Previously, Mel B’s daughter Phoenix revealed that she will never forget the look of relief on her mother’s face when she stepped away from her troubled union with Belafonte and admitted that it was one of the “best moments” of her life.

The 22-year-old, who now works with Women’s Aid, shared on Kate Ferdinand’s podcast Blended in October: “It was a lot of weight lifted off our shoulders.

“It didn’t happen quickly but it happened eventually and it was one of the best moments, just because of the face on my mum and the relief that I felt. Seeing [Mel B’s] face was something I am never going to forget.”

Last January, Mel B was awarded an MBE for her work with domestic violence charity Women’s Aid, which helps those who have suffered in abusive relationships.

The star also has daughter Angel, 15, who she co-parents with US film star Eddie Murphy and daughter Madison, 11, with Belafonte.

If you have been affected by this story, free and confidential support can be found at Women’s Aid via their instant messaging service at chat.womensaid.org.uk