Mel C finds being famous ''devastatingly hard'' at times.

The 46-year-old singer - whose full name is Melanie Chisholm - shot to fame in the 1990s as a member of the Spice Girls, and has said the pressures of fame pushed her into struggling with an eating disorder and depression.

She explained: ''The lows of being famous were devastatingly hard. I was vulnerable, and people were cruel and heartless. It pushed me to the point of illness. I was struggling with an eating disorder and suffering from depression. I had everything I'd ever dreamed of, and was desperately unhappy. It's often forgotten that people in the public eye are human.''

Mel eventually got professional help for her mental health struggles, and now wants to encourage others to push themselves to achieve a ''better life''.

She added: ''You need to get to the point where you're ready for help - that's the hardest bit of starting to get better. People around me knew things weren't right, but I was ashamed and could see no way out, so avoided them. When the time came, it was down to the professionals. Remember this: you deserve a better life. I continue to say it to myself and to others.''

The singer also addressed the #MeToo movement which has swept Hollywood in recent years, as she accused the music industry of being ''behind'' the times.

Whilst Mel insists none of the 'Wannabe' hitmakers ever dealt with sexual misconduct because they had each other for support, she does believe there are victims in the industry who are scared to speak out.

Speaking to The Observer newspaper, she said: ''The music industry is behind when it comes to #MeToo, and I've spent a lot of time thinking back over my own experiences. But we had power in numbers. Nobody would dare with one of us, because you'd have had to deal with all five.''