"I am so excited for Emma. It really is fantastic news, and she really will make a perfect mummy!" the 32-year-old mother-of-three told People magazine.

Also still close to the former Baby Spice, "Sporty" Melanie C has been described as "overjoyed" with the news.

"[Melanie] is absolutely delighted," her manager told People magazine. "She spent much of the weekend trying to reach Emma, as they kept missing each other. She is overjoyed, thrilled to bits for her. As everyone is."

Emma, 31, who recently finished working on the hit reality show Strictly Come Dancing, announced her pregnancy with boyfriend of eight years, 27-year-old Jade Jones, on Friday, saying, "I guess I will be handing over the ’Baby’ tag now to a deserving little new owner."

Baby Spice is pregnant - Jan 26 2007
Former Spice Girl Emma Bunton is pregnant, it was announced today.

The 31-year-old is expecting her first child in the summer with boyfriend Jade Jones.

And the singer known as Baby Spice - who recently starred on BBC1 show Strictly Come Dancing - said: "I guess I will be handing over the ’Baby’ tag now to a deserving little new owner."

She and Jade, 27, a member of 90s boy band Damage, have been together for eight years and moved in together last year.

The couple said: "We are so happy, it’s unbelievable news. What a great start to the New Year.

"We’re really looking forward to having a family together and to the rest of our lives."

It’s especially happy news for Emma because in 2004 she was diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition which can make it difficult to conceive.

In an interview last month, she said: "I’ve been dealing with that for the past couple of years. It’s very painful. But I went back to my doctors recently, and they seemed to think it was easing off, which would make it hopeful for me to have children.

"I’m such a family-oriented person, and that is definitely what I want. I know I will have babies. That’s what I keep saying to myself."

Emma’s chart flop - Dec 11 2006


Emma Bunton may be burning up the dancefloor but she’s not managed to do the same in the pop charts - her new album crept in at No 65 yesterday.

The pop babe had high hopes for Life In Mono, not least because she’s generating a huge amount of publicity by strutting her stuff on Strictly Come Dancing.

But when the charts were announced it was revealed the record had only shifted around 12,000 copies, according to The Sun.

"It’s a very poor performance for Emma’s record," a source told the paper.

"She was popular on Strictly Come Dancing because people like her but they don’t want to buy her record.

"Her management spent a fortune on ads and she did interviews to promote the album - but it flopped."

At least the 30-year-old has her dance success to fall back on. The blonde has notched up fans with her dazzling displays on the Saturday night show.

Emma, who narrowly beat EastEnders babe Louisa Lytton in the public vote on the last show, will battle it out with Matt Dawson and Mark Ramprakash for the Strictly title.

Emma’s happy with her curves - Dec 6 2006
Strictly Come Dancing contestant and former Spice Girl Emma Bunton says that she is now so comfortable in her own skin that she is more than happy to wear the revealing outfits on the BBC show.