She became embroiled in a scandal after her husband was accused of sending inappropriate messages to a colleague.
But in a definitive display of Girl Power, Geri Halliwell took to the Royal Albert Hall stage to defiantly insist she “belonged to no man” after fearing allegations against Red Bull boss Christian Horner would destroy her.
Reclaiming her power on stage Thursday night, Halliwell seemed poised and confident as she chose to read ‘All my life I have belonged to no man,’ by 19th-century radical feminist Flora Tristan, during a star-studded edition from Letters Live.
As the only reader to give a keynote speech, she described Flora as an “inspiration” before reading the “delightful” letter she “couldn’t wait to share.”
“I think at least one person here tonight needs to hear this letter,” the 52-year-old told the packed Royal Albert Hall audience.
Dressed in a crisp white shirt and black bow tie, the Spice Up Your Life singer read aloud: “A superior woman must be superior to everyone and in all circumstances.”
Geri Halliwell took to the stage at the Royal Albert Hall to defiantly insist she “belonged to no man” after fearing allegations against Red Bull boss Christian Horner would destroy her (pictured earlier this year) .
She became embroiled in scandal after her husband was accused of sending inappropriate messages to a colleague (pictured together in March).
Reclaiming her power on stage Thursday night, Halliwell seemed poised and confident as she chose to read ‘All my life I have belonged to no man,’ by 19th-century radical feminist Flora Tristan, during a star-studded edition from Letters Live.
‘As for declarations of love, I received hundreds of them, I have the enormous misfortune of being a pretty woman.’
And he concluded: “I no longer get angry at those who behave badly, even if it hurts me,” a statement that seemed to hint at the scandal that has enveloped his personal life this year.
It comes just months after hundreds of alleged WhatsApp exchanges between her husband, Red Bull racing boss Christian Horner, 51, and a female colleague were revealed through an anonymous email account.
Horner was accused of sending intimate text messages late at night to a woman in her 40s, who took her concerns to the Formula 1 team’s human resources.
He has since been cleared of wrongdoing following an internal investigation which has allowed him to keep his £8million-a-year job.
At the time, the former Spice Girl’s friends warned the scandal would “destroy” Halliwell after the embarrassing row left her “extremely humiliated”.
The couple, who married in 2015 and share a seven-year-old son, are said to be putting the furor behind them, despite fears this year that their marriage was in ruins.
At the time, sources claimed Halliwell was “mortified and angry” because she staunchly supported him during the allegations, which he always denied.
During their pop heyday, the Spice Girls were famous for encouraging feminism among their young fans with their Girl Power slogan (pictured at the 1997 Brit Awards).
It comes just months after alleged WhatsApp exchanges between her husband, Red Bull racing boss Christian Horner, 51, and a female colleague were revealed via an anonymous email account.
He has since been cleared of misconduct following an internal investigation which has allowed him to keep his £8million-a-year job.
At the time, the former Spice Girl’s friends warned the scandal would “destroy” Halliwell after the embarrassing row left her “extremely humiliated”.
The accuser was subsequently suspended following the investigation’s findings, which sparked fury from campaign groups who claimed that “women simply have no confidence that their complaints will be properly investigated.”
The spotlight on Horner is said to have affected the couple’s home life this year, which they split between their Oxfordshire farm and a house in London.
While other stars made multiple appearances at last night’s Letters Live event, Ms Halliwell then made a surprise disappearance and notably skipped the curtain.
Benedict Cumberbatch had a dominant presence, as he took on three letters.
Dressed in a smart black suit and tie, the Sherlock star at one point threw one leg over the lectern and sparked laughter with a lively reading of a letter from Ross Beeley.
As in 2023, the 47-year-old took center stage during the curtain call as he led the cast in holding hands.
Alan Carr was another comedy highlight, bringing his trademark flamboyance to the reading of Joe Lycett’s letter, which recounted a mortifying experience at Euston station.
The 47-year-old strutted on stage and laughed between lines describing “a waterfall of post-masala shit”, earning him some of the loudest laughs of the night.
The closely guarded secret lineup also included Ian Wright, Jameela Jamil and Bella Ramsey.
Returning to London’s Royal Albert Hall last night for a special one-off show, Letters Live marked the RNLI’s 200th anniversary with calls to support the life-saving organisation.
This year’s event follows in the footsteps of previous editions, which featured stars such as Colin Firth, Carey Mulligan, Olivia Colman, Jude Law and Peter Capaldi.