Forget the obsessive exercise routines of Geri Halliwell and Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown has revealed her secret to getting in shape for the forthcoming Spice Girls reunion tour is just to listen to her body.

Melanie, currently appearing on US celebrity talent show Dancing with the Stars has lost 40lbs (almost 3 stone) since giving birth to daughter Angel in April this year and she said recently that she used a slow-and-steady approach rather than a crash diet: “I don’t believe in diets, I believe in listening to your body and being consistent.”

“If you want a burger, have one, but balance it out the next day by eating salmon and vegetables. I put on 65 lbs during my pregnancy, and I’ve lost 40 lbs.”

But her training for Dancing with the Stars has helped too: “With any kind of ballroom dancing you have to hold in your stomach. Now, even when I am walking around, I hold it in so it’s becoming flatter and flatter.”