REVIEW: Emma Bunton lights up London’s Royal Albert Hall with a glittering Christmas show

“This has been a long time coming!” Emma Bunton told the packed Royal Albert Hall auditorium on Friday night as she opened her own solo Christmas show in the way only a Spice Girl could. 

Perhaps, in fact, only Baby Spice herself could truly pull this show off, with her unique combination of sweetness and sass. 

When the Spice Girls reformed this summer for a comeback tour, they were down a member (Victoria Beckham), with Emma telling MailOnline last week that it enabled the girl group to “feel comfortable as a foursome”. But Baby Spice – who has always been one of the group’s strongest songstresses – certainly held her own as she delighted fans of all ages at Friday’s solo show. 

REVIEW: Emma Bunton lit up London’s Royal Albert Hall with Christmas show featuring songs by the Spice Girls (and one in the audience), festive favourites and her own sassy tunes

The truly natural performer was backed up with eight toy solider-esque dancers, three backing vocalists and a full band. She even welcomed Matt Goss, Will Young and her other half Jade Jones onto the stage for a couple of numbers. But this was very much a show all about Emma and her love of Christmas. 

That’s not to say she didn’t constantly remind the audience that she was as thrilled to have them there – an audience featuring a plethora of Spice fans as well as Emma’s family, pal Holly Willoughby, Loose Woman Siara Khan and Ginger Spice herself Geri Horner, who, once someone noticed in one of the boxes, waved like the queen she is. 

Emma belted out festive hits in the form of Santa Baby, Baby It’s Cold Outside, and I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday. She threw in some of her solo material which, one can forget, is ridiculously catchy. 

Surprise guests: She even welcomed Matt Goss, Will Young and her other half Jade Jones onto the stage for a couple of numbers

Wow! The truly natural performer was backed up with eight toy solider-esque dancers, three backing vocalists and a full band

 Spice up your life! Emma’s fellow Spice Girl Geri Horner came to support her show

She sang a beautiful duet of I Only Wanna Be With You with Will Young and a mesmerising rendition of Don’t Call Me Baby, which was slammed by original group Madison Avenue earlier this year when it appeared on Emma’s latest album, My Happy Place. 

Madison Avenue were so wrong to slam it! 

There was confetti for Let It Snow before Emma finally got round to some Spice Girls hits – a jazzy version of Say You’ll Be There and a emotional rendition of Mama with the children from the Chicken Shed charity. 

Incredible: Emma sang a beautiful duet of I Only Wanna Be With You with Will Young and a mesmerising rendition of Don’t Call Me Baby

Moving: There was confetti for Let It Snow before Emma finally got round to some Spice Girls hits – a jazzy version of Say You’ll Be There and a emotional rendition of Mama

Viva Forever and (Emma’s favourite Spice track and the band’a iconic Christmas number one) 2 Become 1 were sang, as well as a cute performance of Spice Up Your Life featuring four mini Spice Girls (one being her youngest child Tate). 

The whole affair screamed Christmas and embodies what it’s about. Fun, family, inclusiveness, celebration, nostalgia, sweetness and a little bit of naughtiness (Emma and longtime partner Jade shared a smooch on stage and she continued to sip from a cocktail glass of “water”). 

The perfect Spice Girl threw the perfect Christmas party on Friday night in London and if the schedulers at the Albert Hall have any sense they’ll lock her in for this time next year too! 

Fun: The whole affair screamed Christmas and embodies what it’s about. Fun, family, inclusiveness, celebration, nostalgia, sweetness and a little bit of naughtiness

Impressed: The perfect Spice Girl threw the perfect Christmas party on Friday night in London