The simply titled Victoria Beckham won't give curious fans what they really, really want (no family drama here), but it offers just enough 'zig-a-zig-ah' to remind us why we still wannabe in her world.
Directed by Nadia Hallgren - the acclaimed filmmaker behind Becoming, the Michelle Obama documentary - and produced by the same team behind her husband David’s 2023 Emmy Award-winning series, the three-part docuseries explores the grit and resilience behind Victoria’s evolution from pop icon to respected fashion designer.
While it largely steers clear of tabloid territory - those hoping for details on the rumored feud with her son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz, or an in-depth look at her marriage, will come up short - the Spice Girl turned fashion designer provides just enough insight to distinguish the woman from the brand.
Opening up about her desperation to be liked in her formative years, in which she confesses, "I didn’t really want to be me," the pressure of media scrutiny (she hasn’t touched chocolate since the 90s), and why her frown will never be turned upside down (we’ll blame David on that one), the 51-year-old tries her best to tell her story on her own terms. And that honesty is something viewers will find themselves smiling about – even if it’s only on the inside.
*STOP right now if you want to avoid spoilers *
Spice Up Your Life (and the fashion industry)
In 2008, seven years after the Spice Girls disbanded, Victoria rebranded herself as a fashion designer, debuting her first collection at New York Fashion Week.
The 10-piece collection was showcased in a hotel suite to a small group of journalists and, to much surprise, received rave reviews.
Since then, her designs have graced the Met Gala steps, been worn by some of Hollywood's most influential A-listers, and in 2017, earned her an OBE for her contributions to the fashion industry.
"When I first started this fashion business 18 years ago, I didn’t know a lot about the industry. I was scared," she recalls.
"I was scared because I loved fashion, and it was always my dream, but I knew what people thought. 'She was a pop star, she’s married to a footballer - who does she think she is?’"
The power couple may now hold a combined net worth of $500 million, landing them a spot on this year’s Sunday Times Rich List. But behind the scenes, David reveals that Victoria's fashion label has struggled financially.
"For her to have to come to me and say, 'We need some more money, the business needs more money,' that was hard for both of us," he admits.
Each 50-minute episode of the new series focuses on Victoria’s mission to win over critics at Paris Fashion Week - "the toughest city with the toughest critics" with fashion heavyweights including Anna Wintour, Donatella Versace, and Tom Ford making appearances.
Too Much
In heartbreaking segments peppered throughout, Victoria candidly reveals her vulnerable side, admitting she was an "uncool" and "awkward" kid at school. She confesses to being bullied, socially awkward, and says she "didn't fit in at all".
"I didn’t really want to be me. I didn’t like me. I desperately wanted to be liked," she discloses.
Victoria also opened up about the media’s relentless obsession with her weight and the "miserable cow" persona that followed her for years, saying they weren’t entirely wrong about the latter.
"It really affects you when you are told you’re not good enough," she said.
"The minute I see a camera, I change. That’s when the armour goes on - and that’s when the miserable cow who doesn’t smile comes out. I’m so conscious of that, and I’d rather not be that person."
In 1999, shortly after giving birth to her first child, Brooklyn, Victoria was shockingly asked by host Chris Evans to step on a scale and reveal her weight during a TV broadcast.
David condemned the unfair pressure his wife faced, calling it completely unjustified. "People felt that it was okay to criticise a woman for her weight, for what she's doing, for what she’s wearing. There were a lot of things happening on TV back then that wouldn’t happen now, that simply can’t happen now."
Opening up about the harsh criticism and inappropriate comments about her physical appearance over the decades, Victoria said she had been "very critical" of herself.
"I really started to doubt myself and not like myself, and because I let it affect me, I didn’t know what I saw when I looked in the mirror … you lose all sense of reality. I’m just very critical of myself. I didn’t like what I saw.
"I’ve been everything from 'porky posh' to 'skinny posh'. It’s been a lot, and that’s hard.
"I had no control over what was being written about me, pictures that were being taken. And I suppose I wanted to control that.
"I could control it with the clothing. I could control my weight and I was controlling it in an incredibly unhealthy way … it really affects you when you’re being told constantly you’re not good enough."
Stop
The Spice Girls' message of "Girl Power" became a cultural phenomenon in the late '90s - and fans weren’t the only ones who felt its impact.
Victoria joined the group in 1994, when the original line-up (then called Touch) was formed through auditions. By the time Wannabe was released in 1996, she was 22 years old and on her way to becoming a global pop icon as Posh Spice.
She admits it was the first time in her life she truly felt like she belonged and was popular. She credits the other girls - Melanie Brown, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm, and Geri Halliwell - for encouraging her to embrace her funny and quirky side.
But when the band split, Victoria says she lost a major part of her identity. The end of the group left her feeling devastated, lost, and uncertain about her future.
"Everything was so fast – like a tornado – and all of a sudden, it all stopped," she said.
"One minute I’m spreading girl power, and then I’m a wife in a flat in Manchester, not really having many friends, living a long, long way from my family. And I found that really difficult."
After the band parted ways, Victoria found herself under intense media scrutiny. She said it felt like no one wanted her anymore.
"People thought I was a miserable cow who never smiled - and they weren’t wrong!" She later added: "I became so self-conscious."
Even David noticed the change, recalling how before the group split, she was "smiley, bubbly, and confident" but admits that spark started to fade.
Say You'll Be There
Within two years of being together, Posh and Becks were married and had their first child. They tied the knot in the summer of 1999 at none other than Luttrellstown Castle in Dublin and went on to have three more children together.
David lovingly said he couldn’t find one thing he didn’t like about Victoria when they first met but joked, "I can find a few now."
The football ace said he "fell hard and I fell quick" for his wife and admits he wanted the world to know, "I was dating Posh Spice."
Victoria echoed his sentiments, saying she’d "never felt that kind of connection with anyone before."
Addressing her famous pout, Victoria revealed the real reason she rarely smiles isn’t because she’s unhappy.
"I've looked miserable for all these years because when we stand on the red carpet, this guy [David] has always gone on the left. Now, I didn’t realise that when I smile, which I do, I smile from the left because if I smile from the right I look unwell," she laughed.
"Consequently, I’m smiling on the inside but no one ever sees it, so that’s why I look so moody."
Mama (and not forgetting dad)
From Beckingham Palace to their Cotswold estate, the Beckhams are no strangers to luxury homes. But when it comes to her roots, Victoria, who was raised in Harlow, Essex, says, "I've never forgotten where I’ve come from."
Her parents, Jackie and Anthony, still live in the house she grew up in, which her dad - an electrical wholesaler - built himself.
Victoria recalls how her generous parents remortgaged their house so she could attend theatre school, something she admits she was "so aware of".
Talking about her strong work ethic, she said, "Dad worked insanely hard and expected me to match it."
Victoria Beckham launches on Netflix on 9 October.
Check out all of the red carpet arrivals from last night's premiere here
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