Fans cheer for Geri at book launch

Hundreds of fans tonight gathered to see ex-Spice Girl Geri Halliwell promote her second autobiography.

Geri has been dogged by criticism over her drastic weight loss since she ditched her heavy make-up and platforms in 1998 and left the all-British girl group with which she shot to fame.

But the 28-year-old singer, who holds the UK record for the most Number Ones for a female artist (seven with the Spice Girls and four since she launched her solo career) looked radiant as she greeted fans at the Trafford Centre, Manchester.

Dressed in a blue denim micro mini-skirt, a blue sleeveless T-shirt with the slogan “Clean and Serene” and dark brown knee-length boots, the former Ginger Spice star smiled constantly as she signed copies of her book Just For The Record and posed for pictures with fans _ many aged in their 20s and older.

Around 500 fans, some of whom were queuing since 7am today, and others who were practising their Spice Girls dance routines, shouted: “Geri we love you” as they waited their turn to meet her.

Her book, which is said to tell “the honest and heartfelt story of her life over the last four years since the break-up of the Spice Girls”, follows her first autobiography If Only, which has so far sold 455,000 copies.

Geri, who also has brought out a yoga video, said: “The last four years have been a rollercoaster ride and a lot has happened to me. I wanted to write about the anecdotes, behind-the-scenes stories and my own feelings about things as they took place.”

Fan Jody Margerison, 20, of Rochdale, who was the first person in the queue at 7am and has been a fan since the Spice Girls’ first single Wannabe was released in 1996, said her 10-hour wait to see Geri would be well worth it.

”She is the best out of all them. She always has been the power and drive behind the whole group and that is why they did not do as well when she went.”

Jody, who sports a tattoo of the singer’s record logo on her back and owns a similar Shiatzu dog to Geri, said the reason people attacked Geri over her weight is because they are jealous.

She added: “She is the original girl power. She should be the Queen of England.”

Another fan wearing a Spice Girls T-shirt and covered in Spice Girls show passes, said people should focus on the good things Geri has done rather than her weight.

David Potts, 29, of the Manchester area, said: “She is so very down-to-earth and despite everything she has been through she is very well grounded and can see where people are coming from.

“People should like her for who she is as a person, her music and what she is doing as a UN goodwill ambassador and other charities such as breast cancer. To start labelling not just Geri but anybody is cruel and offensive,” he added.

:: Just For The Record is published by Ebury Press at £17.99.