Anyone who knows Mel B understands that the Spice Girls icon has always had a beautifully caustic and direct sense of humour.
However, following the singer’s visit on Jimmy Fallon’s US talk show, it’s evident that some folks over the pond simply don’t appreciate her light-hearted wit.
During the programme, Mel expressed her satisfaction for receiving an MBE in recognition of her efforts raising awareness about domestic abuse, and she confessed that her 24-year-old daughter had raided her wardrobe and stole several classic Spice Girls clothing.
The 48-year-old musician was not at all happy by this discovery, telling Jimmy, 49: ‘I was so p**sed at this. I was so annoyed.’
‘My daughter’s 24, so she used to live with me, but now she’s 24. I kind of kicked her out, go make your own living, yada yada yada, like you do as a parent,’ she explained.
‘So I’m looking on Instagram and she sends me through this flurry of pictures, like, “Mum, do you like this? Do you like that?”’
Mel put on her spectacles to better examine the photographs in question, and she noticed that her daughter Phoenix had reproduced numerous notable items of clothes from her Scary Spice days and posted the images on social media.
‘I’m like, “That looks a bit like me.” And she’s got all my bloody outfits on! The b***h stole my look and went into my wardrobe’ she exclaimed, as Jimmy, 49, laughed.
‘I’m like, “You’d better bring all that stuff back right now, ‘cause they’re my clothes.’
Jimmy remarked that Phoenix was the ‘spitting image’ of her mother, while the audience in the TV studio cheered and clapped.
Mel joked that she believed she ‘wore it better’ after photographs of herself and her daughter wearing a black short skort, leopard-print bustier, and collar necklace inspired by the Spice Girls’ Say You’ll Be There music video from 1997 were displayed side by side.
She then added that because the pop group was a ‘homegrown brand’, they had to be creative while creating their own choreography and clothing themselves on a budget.
While Phoenix may have upset her mother by removing her clothing without permission, she did tell Mel how ‘cool’ she thinks she is now that retro 90s fashion is back in style.
When Mel’s Instagram video regarding Phoenix’s photoshoots was aired, several viewers were shocked by her comments about ‘kicking her daughter out’ and calling her a ‘b***h’.
Others, however, pointed out that her words were plainly made in a jokey tone and are an example of pure ‘British humour’.
‘Not too funny when she called her daughter a b***h!’ one person called Dee Dee wrote on Instagram, while another said: ‘How is being 24 years old a good reason to “kick out” your kid.’
Others, however, quickly defended Mel, advising the critics to ‘get a grip’.
‘Relax everyone it’s just British humour, it’s how we talk about our kids! We don’t actually kick them out it’s a joke, it’s because we don’t like that they’ve flown the best so we joke “we kicked them out”,’ a commenter named Leanne explained.
‘She’s from Leeds, and as for the swearing, she’s from Leeds (north) up north we only communicate in swearing.’
Someone else wrote: ‘Relax people, regardless of what words she used, she’s clearly happy with her daughter.’
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon airs on NBC in the US.