Emma Bunton has clarified longstanding rumors regarding a feud between the Spice Girls and All Saints. In an interview that aired on February 16, 2026, on Heart Radio, Bunton, accompanied by All Saints members Nicole and Natalie Appleton, emphasized their friendship, stating, “Now I need to start off by saying we are mates.”
The Appleton sisters quickly echoed her sentiments, with Nicola affirming, “We are mates!” and Natalie enthusiastically adding, “We are bessie mates!” The trio reminisced about their early days together, highlighting that they have known each other since they were eleven years old. Bunton continued, “Only because someone just the other day said, ‘Oh, I thought you and All Saints back in the 90s, you didn’t get on.’ We are mates! We went to school together!”
Despite these affirmations of friendship, rumors have persisted about tensions between the two iconic girl groups. This was notably brought to light by Melanie Blatt, a member of All Saints, who humorously remarked in November 2025 that she would “forever have beef” with the Spice Girls. This comment followed her appearance on the television show *Sunday Brunch*, where she discussed frustrations regarding the rapid success of the Spice Girls, whom she described as a “manufactured” group.
In the recent *Girlbands Forever* documentary, Blatt expressed her feelings about the perceived unfairness of the music industry, saying, “We worked so hard, even being called a girlband felt like a dirty word to us because we just wanted to be a band.” Despite her friendly relationship with Bunton, she admitted, “I am bitter. I’m bitter and I’m jealous,” reflecting on the competitive nature of that era.
While Bunton maintains a close friendship with both Appleton sisters, Blatt’s previous comments have reignited discussions about rivalry. She recalled the years of hard work All Saints put in before the Spice Girls achieved explosive fame in the late 1990s. Blatt stated, “I genuinely had a problem with them, all the years of work we’d put in and then they just came out and blew up so quickly.”
This sentiment has not gone unnoticed, as past incidents have added fuel to the speculation of discord. In 2016, Mel B of the Spice Girls claimed she had a physical altercation with Shaznay Lewis of All Saints, a story that was later denied by Lewis’s representatives. They characterized the tale as “horrible” and untrue, stating that the two had only shared a brief friendly interaction at an event.
The Spice Girls, formed in 1994 and featuring members Victoria Beckham, Geri Halliwell, Mel B, Bunton, and Mel C, are celebrated for their hits like “Wannabe” and “Spice Up Your Life.” Meanwhile, All Saints, which included Melanie Blatt, Shaznay Lewis, Nicole, and Natalie Appleton, rose to fame with songs such as “Never Ever” and “Bootie Call.”
As the conversation continues around the rivalry, Emma Bunton’s recent remarks serve as a reminder of the camaraderie that exists among these artists, despite the pressures and competitive nature of the music industry in the 1990s. The connection between the two bands remains a topic of interest for fans, who are eager to understand the dynamics of these influential figures in pop history.
