Leeds' former Spice Girl Mel B opened up to Susanna Reid on Good Morning Britain (GMB) in a candid interview on Monday, 17th May.
The singer shared her own experiences of domestic abuse with the presenter, appearing on the TV show to talk about her work with Women's Aid.
Mel has just released a new music video about domestic violence, in which she appears battered and bruised. Called Love Should Not Hurt, it was created in partnership with classical composer Fabio D'Andrea.
The new release is inspired by her conversations with other survivors of domestic abuse at a refuge in Leeds and the impact of lockdown on their situation.
Through it, she aims to highlight the different forms of abuse victims can suffer at the hands of loved ones.
The Guardian
Speaking to Susanna on GMB this morning, Mel said: "There were around 20 women sitting cross-legged on the floor and we all told our story. I told mine, then one woman went: ‘Oh my God, I went through the same thing. He took my car keys away on week three.’ We all had exactly the same story.”
"You just don't really know how to get out, or how to deal with it.
"There's a lot of shame and I'm saying lift that shame up."
She said the song, called Love Should Not Hurt, and its video were also inspired by her own experiences with ex-husband Stephen Belafonte.
During the course of their decade-long marriage, she accuses him of subjecting her to sustained “emotional and physical abuse” - a charge which he denies.
"The only way out is to kind of sporadically run and you don't even know where you're going or where you're going to get the help, you probably don't even have your own phone anymore and your friends probably haven't heard from you in months.” Mel continued on GMB.
"We really wanted to highlight how it can just escalate very very quickly to you feeling so trapped and alone.
Page Six
"I thought it was normal to not have my phone, normal to not have cash or a credit card on me, because I was told I lose things, everything was justifiable.”
Known for her Scary Spice persona, Mel B split from her ex-husband in 2018 after ten years together.
Now living back in Leeds with her mum Andrea and her eldest daughters, she revealed in a Guardian interview that at times she feared Belafonte would kill her.
She is now encouraging the Women's Aid film to be shared to raise awareness.
Speaking about the project, Mel B said: “I’m so incredibly proud to be part of this project which means so much to me because this is a collaboration of three things that are so important in my life. Music, dance and a way to highlight the ever-increasing issue of violence towards women.
“It seems strange to say I am proud of showing something so brutal and disturbing but it is my mission to raise awareness of something so many women go through every day, every week, every month of their lives.
“I have had my own experiences of abusive relationships but as patron of Women’s Aid I have spoken to so many other women, listened to what they have gone through and I know how very real the danger is to so many women out there and I’m not going to stop breaking the silence and the shame around this subject because it’s too much and we have to stand up and do something.
“This performance represents the stories and the experiences of those women I have met, spoken to or heard about.
“My heart breaks for every single woman and child who suffers from some form of domestic abuse. I want this to count for all victims of abuse. I want to help raise awareness, raise money and do anything I can to put a stop to this epidemic.”
UK News
‘Ugly, run-down’ and ‘untidy’ – Leeds named UK’s tenth best big city
Britain's 20 biggest cities have been ranked, and Leeds has done pretty well.
Although, you wouldn't be able to tell judging by the overwhelmingly lacklustre description we've been given.
The listing comes from The Telegraph and ranks Britain's 20 biggest cities from worst to best, taking into account visitor appeal and where offers most to tourists.
Leeds comes in at a very respectable number 10, however judging from what they've said about our city you'd think we were much, much lower.
Kicking things off, the description reads: "There’s an untidy quality to Leeds, borne of a patchwork of periods in its built environment and the fact that a lot of regeneration is underway (cranes rise at every corner)."
Image: Unsplash
Yep, not off to a good start but it's only down hill from there as Leeds is then said to have a 'certain shapelessness'.
But perhaps the worst part is yet to come: "There are some ugly, run-down streets very close to the centre, and while the Headrow and other high streets have a fair number of shops, there’s no real boulevard or grand square.
"The most atmospheric spaces are Queens Arcade and perpendicular Cross Arcade, and Thornton’s Arcade; Grand Arcade is also Victorian but looks and feels less uplifting."
By the end it starts to get slightly more positive, emphases on 'slightly': "Leeds’ strongest points might be its small size and its north-central location; it’s easy to walk everywhere inside the city, and a short ride away are Ilkley, Skipton and the Dales."
Our visitor appeal gained a 6.5/10, beating Cardiff, Sheffield, Brighton and Nottingham.
Taking the top spot was Liverpool followed by Edinburgh, Belfast and Glasgow. Read the full ranking here.
Yorkshire railways to receive huge investment as government unveils £45 billion Northern Powerhouse Rail project
Clementine Hall
Regional leaders have confirmed a rail project in the North of England with first improvements taking place in Yorkshire.
The long-awaited Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) project will see a whopping £45 billion worth of upgrades.
The first phase will see the construction of a new station in Bradford followed by upgrades in Leeds, York and Sheffield.
The electrification of lines between Sheffield and Leeds, Leeds and York and Leeds and Bradford will be the first priority and is expected to be completed in the 2030s.
The scheme has been described as "a once in a generation commitment to improving transport across the North".
Announcing the scheme, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "I spent three happy years in Leeds as a university student, a vibrant city I was proud to call home, but I've seen first-hand what underinvestment and empty pledges do to cities across the North.
"This government is rolling up its sleeves to deliver real, lasting change for millions of people through a major new rail network across the North that will deliver faster, more frequent services."
"This cycle has to end. No more paying lip service to the potential of the North, but backing it to the hilt. That's why this government is rolling up its sleeves to deliver real, lasting change for millions of people through Northern Powerhouse Rail: a major new rail network across the North that will deliver faster, more frequent services."
Stage two of the plan will include upgrades around Manchester, with the final stage delivering a new railway between Bradford and Huddersfield that wouldn't be delivered until the 2040s.
In a combined statement, the regional mayors of West, South and North Yorkshire said: "The long-term commitment will transform Yorkshire's transport network and deliver improved links across our region and on to Manchester, Liverpool, and Newcastle.
"It'll mean we can deliver quicker, more reliable journeys, opening up more choice around work, skills and opportunity for everyone across Yorkshire."
Georgina Pellant -
17th May 2021 
