Rumour deja vu, anyone?
Victoria Beckham is apparently hanging up her microphone for good. As in vowing to never ever sing again. Well, that's the word according to a British tabloid at least.
Per the Sunday Mirror, the 38-year-old singer-turned-fashion designer has supposedly quit the Spice Girls, after telling pals that "she'll never sing again". Consequently, the remaining members of the band - Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Melanie Brown - are reportedly planning to go the reality TV show route to hunt for a fifth member to replace her.
According to the tab, the girls, led by Halliwell, have "begun talks with TV producers" to create a "massive X Factor-style" reality show to audition for a new member. The winner, imaginatively dubbed "Wannabe Spice", would then join the other girls for another tour.
A 'friend' of Beckham's told the Sunday Mirror: "Victoria will not be performing with the Spice Girls again. She has nothing but love and respect for all of the girls and the journey they went on together.
"Now though, her focus is firmly on her family and her fashion business."
A source added: "The girls, particularly Geri, all think there is so much more that they can achieve, and they know that their fans still want to see them perform.
"In an ideal world Victoria would be part of their plan, but she just won't budge. She sees her future in the fashion industry so they have had to come up with another scenario.
"Emma and both the Melanies are busy for the next year but are talking about doing something afterwards."
The source continued: "It is a dream of Geri's to get the girls back together for a good tour, a bit like how Take That have done it.
"She can see a really successful future for the girls and in her usual determined way has got herself out there and spoken to the right people.
"She would give anything for this all to work out. She has spoken to TV production companies about how it would work and has got very excited. Things are gradually getting further down the line."
Posh, the tabloid claims, dropped the "bombshell" that her warbling days are over while attending a recent Justin Bieber concert with a pal.
Pouting and "pointing to the stage at London's O2 Arena", a defiant Posh was supposedly overheard telling a pal: "I won't sing again, I'm not getting up on stage again.
"You'll never get me up there even though the girls keep trying to get me to."
It's worth noting that a rep for Beckham was also quoted as telling the Mail Online over the weekend: "Victoria has made no secret of the fact her singing days are over, with a hugely successful business and a growing family.
"She loved her time as a spice girl and will always wish the other girls well in whatever they choose to do."
'SOME VERY PECULIAR STORIES IN THE PRESS '
Mel C has since taken to Twitter to trash any suggestion of a TV talent search to replace Posh.
"It seems there are some very peculiar stories in the press today. I haven't seen one that's true yet!" she tweeted.
And when asked by a follower if the Sunday Mirror's report was true, she replied: "No it is not!!"
Last month, 2DayFM breakfast show hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O claimed a "very reliable source" had confirmed that the Spice Girls will tour Australia next year - with Posh in tow.
"This is very much an exclusive announcement to make on the show, that I have just heard about. All the Spice Girls will be touring Australia," they told listeners. "No official announcement has been made, but I have a source, a very reliable source."
But a rep for Beckham put the kibosh on the notion that the star would be involved with a possible tour.
"Victoria has no plans to tour with the Spice Girls in 2014. Her future focus concerns her family and fashion business," the rep was quoted as saying at the time.
Rumours that a Spice Girls reunion is on the cards - yes, you guessed it, sans Posh - surfaced back in December.
According to the Mail Online, the girls were tipped to make a comeback with a new album and tour, and that Posh won't be involved.
Said a source: "The girls [Emma Bunton, Mel C, Geri Halliwell and Mel B] are going it alone without Victoria. They are keen to get back together and were trying to work out if they could do it as a four-piece. I think they know this is the last chance for them to get the band going again.
"But the Spice Girls as a foursome is not going to get them another record deal or sell out big venues. They need an extra cherry on the cake. And the cherry on the cake would be if they replaced Victoria.
"And that leads to the next question: who do they replace her with? At the moment it's all being done in a very cloak-and-dagger way and not through official channels."
Bunton and Mel C spoke out to deny the reports at the time.
"It seems there has been some Spice related nonsense written today. None of the Spice Girls would ever or could ever be replaced #justsayin x," wrote Mel C.
Echoed Bunton: "None of the Spice Girls would ever or could ever be replaced, nonsense in the papers!!!"
The Spice Girls last performed together at the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony.
Stay tuned for further updates.
NOTABLE NUGGETS
And finally...
* Speaking of rumoured reunions: Former S Club 7 member Rachel Stevens has confirmed that all seven original members of the British pop group, which split in 2003, are in discussions about a possible reunion.
"We met up not long ago and we talked about it and we still are talking about it," Stevens is quoted as telling the Daily Star (yes, I know).
"We are all in the same head space, talking about how special it was and we do all want to celebrate what we had. So it's definitely a possibility."
Rumours of a reunion surfaced in 2012, with the Daily Mail claiming that the seven-piece act had reportedly secured a record deal.
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