All Pop - Artists

When you're a Spice Girl, the world is your oyster. Unfortunately, it's also your petri dish.

While the popularity of the all-girl English pop act has been on the wane of late -- Forever, their newest release has met with lukewarm reviews and sales -- that doesn't mean that everyone has stopped listening.

"It's something that we've had to accept. All of the Spice Girls have had a lot of attention from the world's media and especially coming from the place that has the worst media," says Melanie Chisholm (a.k.a. Melanie C), who learned the hard way this week when comments she made about her solo career were taken to mean she was leaving the band.

"We sort of accept it, but it's very unfortunate that that's the way it is. It's like sometimes I say, 'Oh it's a small price to pay,' but then when you have days like today, it's like 'Why do I have to pay this price?' " she tells the Sun.

Up until now, Chisholm, 27, has been spared some of the intense scrutiny her mates have been put under.

The artist, who performs in Calgary on March 29 to support her album Northern Star, is considered the quiet one of the group and admits that has made a difference in her treatment.

"Usually I'm quite lucky because they've never really taken that much interest in me," she says. "My life is a bit more private than some of the other girls.

"I think I'm more of a private person. I don't really go out that much .... I'm not into clubbing and being seen in the trendiest hangouts. I'd rather have the quiet life."

Another reason she's retained a modicum of privacy is that unlike the others -- most notably Victoria Adams who married soccer star David Beckham -- her love life has been kept virtually off the front pages, or any pages for that matter.

"I am seeing somebody at the moment, but it's very early days so it's no big deal," she says.

Chisholm says that most of the men she's dated since her celebrity have been friends of friends or in the business themselves, so they know what to expect. And more importantly, it's her they expect and not a Spice Girl.

"I think you just have to use your instincts and not be too paranoid. I think it would be really sad if you couldn't trust anybody in life," she says.

"I believe that good people attract good people, so I've been quite lucky up until now.

"I've never been burned in that respect -- in the respect of being a celebrity -- but boys are still sh--s."

The price of Spice