Spice Girl Mel B is to switch on this year’s Blackpool Illuminations.

The singer will make a nostalgic return to the resort where her career first started as a 16-year-old dancer in the Mystique show at Pleasure Beach Resort.

The switch-on moment was watched last year by an estimated 80,000 people.

The Switch-On ceremony, which is a free, will take place on the Tower Festival Headland on Friday 30 August.

The two-hour concert will be headlined by Ella Henderson and feature former member of The Pussycat Dolls, Kimberly Wyatt, and Massaoke performed by Rockstar Weekend.

Leeds-born Melanie Brown rose to global fame in the 90s as a member of the Spice Girls in which she was nicknamed Scary Spice.

With more than 100 million records sold worldwide, they became the best-selling female group of all time.

She has since gone on to work as a solo singer-songwriter, TV personality and actress, working on numerous shows in the UK, Australia and the United States.

Last month, she received an honorary doctorate from Leeds Beckett University, which recognised the star for her work with domestic abuse victims and her global influence as “a music icon”. Mel – who is patron of Women’s Aid - was also made an MBE in the 2022 New Year Honours list for her charitable work.

Mel said: “I’m so thrilled to be turning on the Illuminations because Blackpool has played a big part in my life and career.

“I was just 16 when I came to Blackpool to be part of the Mystique dance group. To me it was the most glamorous place in the world - the Vegas of Britain. 

“I had so much to learn, so fast and it stood me in good stead for everything that came later. I love the people, the place and of course the fish and chips - with plenty of scraps.

“So to have the opportunity in 2024 to come back and turn on the Illuminations means so much to me. I’m really excited to get the party started!” 

A two-hour concert will be headlined by Ella Henderson

Leader of Blackpool Council, Cllr Lynn Williams said: “We are thrilled to announce Mel B as the 2024 Switch-On star.

“Not only is she a member of one of the best-known girl groups on the planet, her work with vulnerable women and victims of domestic abuse is exemplary.

“It will be a pleasure to welcome her back to the resort where she started out on what was to become a stellar career.”

Mel will pull the famous switch to trigger four months of Illuminations at the end of a show that is being delivered in association with Hits Radio.

The Switch-On celebrations will start with some of Blackpool’s brightest young musicians taking to the stage in the run-up to the main event with a non-stop series of performances.

The Upbeat Rock Academy, which organises rock music tuition for more than 300 students from across the Fylde Coast, will present Blackpool Introduces, a 90-minute-long showcase of local talent.

The young people will be joined by Blackpool-based House of Wingz, an award-winning hip hop dance crew.