A singer who made it to the final eight during auditions for the Spice Girls has shared how she felt "gutted" to miss out on the iconic pop group, even though she had correctly predicted that Geri Halliwell-Horner and Melanie Brown would be selected. Melanie Coloma responded to a listing in The Stage three decades ago for a then-unnamed female act, making it through several rounds of callbacks before narrowly missing the final cut. Coloma described the audition experience on ITV’s Good Morning Britain as unique and exciting. "It was something quite different compared to the normal sort of auditions you see," she said. At the first audition, hundreds of girls performed, and many were called back. Coloma was initially told she wouldn’t be selected, but she was called back at the last minute. "I was about to leave, and then somebody ran out and said, 'Oh no, we still want you as well.' And I said, 'Oh, OK, cool. Amazing.'" During the next stage of the casting process, Coloma noted how memorable certain future bandmates were. "I remember Mel B and Geri," she said. "Geri was really funny, and Mel B looked amazing from day one." She mentioned that Victoria Beckham wasn’t there for the second audition, as she had joined later, and Melanie Chisolm (Mel C) wasn’t present because she was unwell at the time. Years later, while working on a stage tour in Liverpool, Coloma realized the significance of the project. "I was in a hotel in Liverpool, and I switched on my TV and saw them singing Wannabe," she recalled. "I recognized those girls, and that’s when it hit me." She praised the Spice Girls for their impact, saying, "They really brought girls’ music to the front line, and there was more equality. More girls were making it big, like boys." Although she was disappointed not to be part of the group, Coloma expressed respect for the members. "Obviously I was gutted, but I was like 'Ah, that could have been me,' anybody would feel that way," she said. "But I’ve always had a lot of respect for them, and they’re lovely girls. They were so talented and they got as far as they did." The Spice Girls, consisting of Victoria Beckham, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisolm, Melanie Brown, and Geri Halliwell (now Halliwell-Horner), rose to global fame with their 1996 debut single "Wannabe," which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The group released hits like "Stop," "2 Become 1," "Who Do You Think You Are?" and "Viva Forever," achieving nine UK number one singles and two chart-topping albums. Geri left the group in 1998 due to "differences between us," and the remaining members took an indefinite break in 2000. They reunited for the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony and their 2019 Spice World tour, with rumors of a potential return to the stage still circulating.