Mel C Faces 'Miming' Accusations During Strictly Come Dancing Performance

Strictly Come Dancing viewers have accused Spice Girls member Melanie Chisholm, known as Mel C, of miming during her performance on the show's results episode Sunday. The singer, 52, performed a high-energy, fitness-themed routine with professional dancers, incorporating props like skipping ropes, dumbbells, spin bikes, and treadmills.

Social media platforms were abuzz with comments from viewers questioning the authenticity of her singing. Posts on X, formerly Twitter, included remarks such as, "Mel C miming. This song doesn’t require much singing but still surprised," and "Was Mel C even singing during the performance #strictly?"

Other comments voiced similar doubts, with one user asking, "Why did they bother putting a microphone on Mel C?" Another stated, "Just seen Mel C on my Strictly with what can only be described as the worst miming performance of a generation."

However, the criticism was not universal. Many fans defended Mel C, praising her appearance and vocal delivery. Comments supporting her included "Mel C looks good," "great performance," and "Can’t beat Mel C and the Professional Dancers… As if we needed more evidence why is the best Spice Girl #StrictlyComeDancing."

During rehearsals for the pre-recorded segment, Mel C had expressed enthusiasm for returning to the Strictly stage. She last appeared on the show in 2007 with the Spice Girls to perform "2 Become 1." Mel C revealed in a recent interview that she has been approached annually to compete on the show, stating that Strictly is the only reality competition she would consider.

In other Strictly news, former England footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips became the fourth celebrity to be eliminated from the competition. The 45-year-old ex-Manchester City and Chelsea winger, alongside his professional partner Alexis Warr, was voted out after the judges opted to save actress Jaime Winstone in the dance-off.

Judges Craig Revel Horwood and Anton Du Beke critiqued Wright-Phillips's performance, with Revel Horwood calling the routine "a disaster, darling" and Du Beke noting the pair appeared to be dancing separate routines. Wright-Phillips acknowledged making mistakes, noting he had executed the routine perfectly in rehearsals.

The episode also saw Olympian Tabby Stoecker and professional dancer Mark Karmalita achieve the highest score of the series so far with 37 points for their Couple's Choice dance, earning the first 10s of the season from judges Anton Du Beke and Motsi Mabuse. Australian singer Delta Goodrem returned to the dance floor with a score of 34 points for her rumba with Kai Widdrington, following a week's absence due to a rib injury.