The Spice Girls: Mel C refuses to go back on tour without Posh Spice Victoria Beckham

Spice Girls fans everywhere had been hopeful that the 90s girl band would reunite to mark the group's 20th anniversary in 2016. And while Victoria Beckham -aka Posh Spice- had refused to be part of the comeback tour, it seems Mel C is now also bailing out.

According to The Sun, Mel, 41, formerly known as Sporty Spice, is opposed to the tour going ahead without all the original bandmates, Emma Bunton, Mel B, Geri Horner and Victoria, claiming that it won't be a success as a four-piece. A source told the newspaper: "To fulfill this, Mel believes the band has to be the original five-piece and Victoria needs to be involved. The politics is making it hard."'

The relationships between the former friends are reportedly still strained after divisions emerged in the band at the height of their success. In 1998 Geri Halliwell - Ginger Spice – quit the group following an alleged long-running rift with Mel B. While the remaining bandmates continued as a four-piece, Halliwell's exit marked the beginning of the end for the pop group, who championed girl power.

After what was described as an "indefinite hiatus' they managed to put their differences aside, reuniting in 2007 for The Return Of The Spice Girls tour, which also included a performance at the London 2012 Olympics. The concerts were a resounding success grossing over £47M and produced £71M in ticket sales and merchandising.

The band were briefly reunited again in June 2012, for the launch of the musical Viva Forever. Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton, Melanie C, Melanie B and Victoria Beckham arrived at the St. Pancras Renaissance London Hotel to officially unveil the new stage show based around their music. The hotel was used for the group's debut music video 'Wannabe'. However the musical was closed by June 2013 after being panned by critics.

Since ditching her Posh persona and shelving her singing career, Victoria has established herself as a major name in the fashion industry. It has been speculated that the former singer is embarrassed by her earlier pop career and is intent on focusing on her career as a fashion designer.

A source told the MailOnline in August: "Victoria loved her time as a Spice Girl and wishes the girls nothing but success & happiness however she is now too busy running her brand and fulfilling the needs of her family."

The remaining four members have also been unable to agree on management, tour promoters and sponsorship. While they once claimed that "friendship never ends" the chances of a reunion featuring the original line-up is beginning to seem increasingly unlikely.