Spice Girl Mel B lights up Blackpool

Blackpool got an injection of Girl Power as Spice Girl Mel B pulled the switch to trigger four months of Illuminations.  

The singer made a nostalgic return to the place where her career first started to light up the seafront at the end of a spectacular show, delivered in association with Hits Radio, and featuring Ella Henderson, the former Pussycat Doll, Kimberly Wyatt, and Britain’s Got Talent winner, Sydnie Christmas.

Tens of thousands of people packed on to the Tower Festival Headland to watch Mel step on to the stage to pull the switch and join a star-studded list of national and international celebrities who have turned on the Illuminations down the years.

As a million lights lit up the six-mile display, a burst of fireworks exploded above The Blackpool Tower, accompanied by lasers and a projection show set to Mel’s solo single, For Once In My Life.

Mel started her career as a 16-year-old dancer in the Mystique show at Blackpool Pleasure Beach before rising to global fame as a member of the Spice Girls in which she was nicknamed Scary Spice. With more than 100 million records sold worldwide, they became the best-selling female group in history.

Earlier this year, she received an honorary doctorate from Leeds Beckett University, which recognised the star for her work with domestic abuse victims and her global influence as “a music icon”. Mel – who is patron of Women’s Aid - was also made an MBE in the 2022 New Year Honours list for her charitable work.

Moments before pulling the switch, Mel told the audience: “I used to be a dancer in Blackpool, my first ever proper job was at Blackpool Pleasure Beach. I used to come every year with my mum, dad and sister to watch the lights being turned on, and this year, I’m here doing it!”

The Switch-On celebrations started with some of Blackpool’s brightest young musicians taking to the stage with a non-stop series of performances.

The Upbeat Rock Academy, which organises rock music tuition for more than 300 students from across the Fylde Coast, presented Blackpool Introduces, a 90-minute showcase of local talent.

The young people were joined by Blackpool-based House of Wingz, an award-winning hip hop dance crew that has already been featured on prime time national television.

That was followed by the main event – a two-hour show hosted by Leanne and Joel, presenters of Hits Radio breakfast show.

It opened with the Massaoke show performed by Rockstar Weekend, a unique mass participation touring production featuring lyrics from some of the greatest crowd-pleasing hits of all time projected on to giant LED screens. With the huge crowd eager to join in, it created the biggest family singalong that Blackpool has ever seen!

They were followed by Sydnie Christmas, the first woman singer to win Britain’s Got Talent, who performed a short set of three songs. Sydnie was making her Blackpool debut ahead of the release of her debut album, My Way, and the start of her first national tour

Then it was the turn of American-born Kimberly Wyatt, who achieved worldwide fame with The Pussycat Dolls, selling more than 15 million albums and 40 million singles worldwide, becoming one of the biggest-selling girl groups of all time.

She thrilled the crowed with her high energy, fun DJ set, featuring some of the biggest tracks of the Noughties, dance hits and other pop classics.

Headline star Ella Henderson then took to the stage to perform an extended set from her extensive catalogue of hits

Ella, who last year joined the prestigious list of Brit Billion winners having achieved more than a billion digital streams of her music, has had a succession of top 10 singles to her name including Ghost, Alibi and Crazy What Love Can Do.

In addition to her solo material, she has recorded a string of successful collaborations with the likes of Sigma, David Guetta, Becky Hill, Jax Jones, Tom Grennan, Joel Corry and Rudimental. A few months ago, she released her latest single, Under The Sun, a collaboration with Alok and Switch Disco.

After the show, Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, added: “This has been another extraordinary night for Blackpool.

“We have witnessed some fantastic performances from chart-topping stars as well as giving some of our own young people an opportunity to perform in front of such an amazing huge audience.

“Watching Mel B turn on the lights was the icing on the cake. It was a real pleasure to welcome her back to Blackpool the place where she started out on what was to become a truly superstar career.”

Blackpool Illuminations will now be shining every night until January 5, 2025.