Melanie Brown has admitted things were "awkward" between her and Geri Horner after she claimed she had a one-night stand with her fellow Spice Girl.

Brown said that the pair had slept together at the height of the pop group's fame in an interview with Piers Morgan for his Life Stories programme.

The Spice Girls recently played Croke Park

The singer, known as Mel B, said that she and Horner later "giggled" about their tryst, but Horner later denied her claims, which came just before the group were due to start rehearsals for their reunion tour.

Speaking about the fall-out in an interview with the Mail On Sunday's Event magazine, she said: "Things got really pumped up in the press and on social media, and yes, it was difficult between Geri and myself for a while.

"I texted her on the night I did the Piers Morgan show and explained what he'd said and how I'd answered and she was fine with it. The problem was it then got hyped up into a much bigger story, and it didn't help that we were just about to begin rehearsals."

She added: "It was awkward. We hadn't been back in the situation of being together every single day, being on stage, rehearsing, getting ourselves back into Spice Girls mode, and then all the headlines about our relationship were thrown into the mix, which was pretty bad timing.

"We have all grown up. Geri and I were always the loud, bossy ones, Mel C and Emma were much quieter, but we've all changed.

"Mel C is so much more chilled and sorted and knows exactly what she wants, as is Emma.

"Geri is different. She's married, she's got kids, she's not the same outrageous Ginger she used to be. That took a bit of getting used to for me.

"I've changed. I've been through 10 years of a deeply abusive marriage. I've lived a lie for a decade and I've come out of it wanting to be so honest and so up front about everything."