Mel B is to receive an honorary doctorate in recognition of her work with domestic abuse survivors. The Spice Girls singer - who is the patron of Women's Aid - admitted it is an "incredible honour" to receive academic recognition from Leeds Beckett University, where she has also been studying towards a qualification in trauma care. Mel - who left her second husband Stephen Belafonte in 2016 amid allegations he had abused her during their 10-year marriage - told The Sun newspaper: “I completed a couple in Trauma Informed Care at Leeds Beckett earlier this year.
When I was told I was being given the doctorate it was an incredible honour. “But I wanted to earn something too. Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
“Since leaving my marriage I’ve told friends and family I’d love to go to uni, but I don’t think people took it seriously. “But this gave me an opportunity to actually do it.” The 'Stop' singer, who will receive the honour later this month, kept her studies quiet and didn't tell her Spice Girls bandmates what she was doing.
She admitted: “I didn’t tell them I was studying so I think they were surprised. I didn’t even tell my mum.” The 49-year-old star was "nervous" about attending lectures but enjoyed being able to study without being recognised.
She said: “I loved the camaraderie in the class. It never came up who I was, apart from at the end. “One of the guys came up to me and said, ‘I though.
