Melanie Brown has insisted that her baby with Eddie Murphy was “completely planned” - which made Eddie’s subsequent behaviour even more painful.

She told Essence magazine recently: “This was a completely planned pregnancy. This wasn’t some random, ‘Oops I fell over and I’m pregnant.’ I don’t live my life like that.”

“I’m a responsible parent and have been a responsible single parent since I got divorced [in 1999].”

“As soon as I had my IUD removed we proceeded to get pregnant. It happened quicker than we expected but it was perfect timing.”

Mel was around five months pregnant when Eddie questioned the paternity of the child - and announced the end of their relationship - during a TV interview: “I just didn’t believe it. When I saw it my heart dropped down to my gut.”

“I laughed because that wasn’t the guy that I knew who told me he wanted to have a baby and get married.”

In some ways, the Spice Girl is glad that their relationship didn’t pan out: “There were certain things that went on in his house with his lifestyle that I wasn’t prepared to be a part of.”

“I have a baby with this guy so I have to be somewhat respectful. I’ll simply say that there were lifestyle changes that he would have to make if we were going to live together and do it properly.”

“I have a house where it’s about my kids and me. I don’t have people knocking on my door at 3 and 4 in the morning.”

But she’d like Eddie to take a more active role in their daughter’s upbringing: “Every child deserves to know that they have a mum and a dad, otherwise there’s something missing psychologically. I’m not about to put my daughter through that.”

“He is [involved] with all his other kids and he’s a great dad. Why should this beautiful baby be any different?”