Emma Bunton ‘broke many bones’ suffering through iconic Spice Girls look

Being a Spice Girl might be one of the most fun jobs on the planet (we imagine)… but it turns out, it can also be incredibly painful. Bone-breakingly painful, in fact.

In the 1990s, Emma Bunton – aka Baby Spice – first found fame as one of the five members of the power girl group.

Each of the Spice Girls had their own signature looks, such as Scary Spice in her leopard print, Sporty Spice in exercise gear and Baby in her bubblegum pink ensembles.

In an exclusive clip shared by Metro.co.uk from tonight’s new episode of Portrait Artist of the Year, the celebrity sitter Emma revealed that she’d brought with her one of her most iconic pieces of clothing from that era: her huge white platform boots.

The 47-year-old might have spawned a generation of young girls obsessed with chunky, towering shoes, but she explained that her pair actually came with some risk.

While on the Sky Arts programme, presenter Stephen Mangan, 55, asked Emma why she had brought the decades-old pair of shoes, to be placed on a plinth next to her seat as the artists competing created portraits of her.

Baby Spice often wore her signature pink and towering chunky boots (Picture: Getty)

Those boots have stood the test of time (Picture: Sky UK)

‘These are the original Buffalo Boots – as you can tell, ‘cause they’re filthy,’ she said, picking up the boots.

‘But I wore these for many years, and I have broken many bones because of these shoes. I’ve fallen over many times.’

We’re torn between wanting to wear the shoes and preferring to avoid breaking our ankles. What a dilemma!

After Emma took her seat before the artists began their portraits of her, Stephen questioned her about how she’s perceived by her fans, asking if people predominantly still think of her as her Spice Girls persona, Baby Spice.

‘Absolutely,’ the popstar answered.

The singer has worn a variety of huge heels over the years (Picture: Dave Hogan/Getty Images)

Emma opted for black chunky heels for her portrait sitting instead (Picture: Sky UK)

‘And there’s lots of cartoons of me with pigtails, but I think obviously, I’m a mother, first and foremost, and I have moved on to so many other new things.’

Emma also expressed her pride in her ‘global eco family brand’, which she’s been working on for years.

During her time in the Spice Girls, Emma was often seeing wearing cute pink outfits, her hair styled in adorable pigtails while her chunky boots added several inches to her height.

In August last year, she reflected in an Instagram post on the Spice Girls reuniting to bring girl power to the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony, with each of the five band members riding on top of iconic black taxis before taking centre stage.

We can’t wait to see the portraits of Emma that the artists have created! (Picture: Sky UK)

In her caption, the singer wrote: ‘This was the most amazing night, representing our country with our fans, family and friends watching and supporting us as always 💗💗💗

‘This brings back the most incredible memories for me with my girls, getting ready and partying till the early hours of the morning together.

‘❤️ u @melaniecmusic, @therealgerihalliwell @victoriabeckham, @officialmelb.’

Portrait Artist of the Year airs Wednesdays on Sky Arts, NOW and Freeview Channel 36

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Who knew spicing up your life could be so painful?