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Emma Bunton celebrates turning 39

emmabunton 2014
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Happy birthday Emma Bunton! As the Spice Girl celebrates turning 39, HELLO! Online takes a look at what the stars have in store for Emma and you…This is what Emma, who is an Aquarius, can be expecting today: To develop physical strength, we go to the gym. We build up our stamina. We test ourselves against targets. It is rarely quite so easy to gauge our own psychological or spiritual strength. We can't so easily test this for ourselves. We have to wait until life puts it to the test and then we find out what we are capable of. But I'm not telling you this so that you can resign yourself today, to some kind of disappointing encounter with your own lack of faith or fortitude. On the contrary. You are made of stern stuff. 

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emmabunton 2014

Emma Bunton

Emma Bunton had her sights set on stardom right from the start – winning a beauty contest at the age of three and attending dance lessons by the age of four, which were paid for by her modelling work. A scholarship to London's Sylvia Young Theatre School followed, and after finishing her studies Emma landed small roles in The Bill and EastEnders, making it down to the last six for the role of Bianca in the latter, a part which eventually went to Patsy Palmer. 

It was two weeks after that knock-back that she got the call which would change her life. The fifth member of the Spice Girls decided to go to university just four weeks after the band had been formed,  giving Emma the chance to join what would become one of the most successful all-female musical outfits of all time. Along with Melanie Chisholm, Victoria Adams, Geri Halliwell and Melanie Brown, the band sold over 80 million records and achieved worldwide fame. 

At age 18 Emma was the youngest of the pop hopefuls and was quickly dubbed Baby Spice - a tag that has remained with her ever since. The band were known for their 'Girl Power' slogan: "I truly believe in it. It wasn't just a marketing ploy for the Spice Girls," Emma insists. After the release of their third album Forever,  the girls decided to take a break to focus on their solo efforts. Emma soon found a role as a TV presenter, but in 2001 was back with the single What Took You So Long? and a new album, A Girl Like Me. 

In 2006, Emma returned to her first love, dancing, becoming an immediate hit with the audiences of Strictly Come Dancing. She impressed everyone with her fancy footwork and made it to the semi-finals. The 39-year-old also found a new passion for radio, and in 2009 joined Heart London as a guest presenter. By 2013 Emma was a full time co-presenter of the station's popular breakfast show.

Emma reunited with the Spice Girls in 2012 for the closing ceremony of the London Summer Olympics, and the group premiered a new musical, Viva Forever, based around their hit singles. Emma has been with her partner, Jade Jones, a former singer with boy band Damage, since 1998. In August 2007, delighted parents Emma and Jade welcomed their first child - Beau Lee - into the world, and their second son - Tate Lee - in 2011.