Emma Lee Bunton, born on January 21st, 1976, in Finchley, North London, is the daughter of Pauline, a karate instructor, and Trevor, a milkman. When Emma was just 11 years old, her parents separated, and she stayed with her mother. She also has a younger brother, P.J. (Paul),with whom she shares a close bond.
Emma's career began at a young age, with modeling work for notable brands such as Mothercare, Mentadent P toothpaste, and Polly Pocket. She attended the prestigious Sylvia Young Drama School in London, where she auditioned for several TV roles, including the part of "Bianca" in EastEnders (1985),although none of these roles panned out. Emma can be briefly seen in both EastEnders (1985) and The Bill (1984),but only in minor parts.
It wasn't long after leaving Sylvia Young's that Emma joined the Spice Girls, replacing the original 5th Spice Girl, Michelle Stephenson. The group went on to release two albums, with eight number one singles and a film, and have remained a popular act to this day. Emma is set to appear in the BBC musical drama Sleeping Beauty (1987),which is currently filming and is expected to be released by the end of the year.
The Spice Girls' third album, "Forever", was released in November 2000 and reached the number two spot on the UK charts, featuring the group's ninth number one single, "Holler/Let Love Lead The Way". After the release of "Forever", the Spice Girls went their separate ways.
In April 2001, Emma released her debut solo album, "A Girl Like Me", which included her cover of Edie Brickell's "What I Am" and her own number one hit "What Took You So Long". In 2003, Emma released her second solo album, "Free Me", which featured four hit singles, including "Free Me", "Maybe", "I'll Be There", and "Crickets Sing For Anamaria". Her promotional tour led her to the US in early 2005, where a remix of "Free Me" became a popular club track.
