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Spice Girl Mel B has been called out by a mental health charity after joking about having a debilitating condition. OCD Action says the Wannabe singer’s remark was ‘damaging’ and ‘lacked understanding’
Spice Girl Mel B has come under fire from mental health campaigners after becoming the latest celeb to make a joke about a debilitating condition.
The singer posted pictures of her well-organised shoe collection on Instagram, showing more than 100 pairs stored in individual plastic boxes, each with their own photo on the front.
But while some were quick to praise her organisation skills, others were left shocked by her caption, which read: “How’s everyone’s Sat night? OCD at its best, loving it.”
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, known as OCD, is a serious mental health condition that causes someone to become stuck in a cycle of distressing obsessions and compulsions but has regularly been used by people in the public eye as a slang term for being neat, or liking things tidy.
Yesterday OCD Action accused Mel of trivialising the condition.
Leigh Wallbank, CEO of OCD Action, the UK’s largest OCD charity, told The Mirror: “We are disappointed to see Mel B’s Instagram post from the weekend. Posts like this, which trivialise the often devastating experience of OCD, are damaging as they confuse the public’s understanding of this serious and debilitating mental health condition.
“This can lead to fewer people seeking the help and support they need.”
Far from being just about being organised, people with OCD often experience intensely negative, repetitive and intrusive thoughts combined with a chronic feeling of doubt or danger, which become obsessions.
In many cases, they will often repeat an action again and again – compulsions.
Some people, like Loose Women’s Linda Robson, who was diagnosed in 2019, have discussed how they became obsessed with washing and cleaning. Yet OCD can present in a multitude of different ways – and at its worst, can be one of the most debilitating conditions to have.
The charity, which works to raise awareness, says one greatest challenges people face is the need to fight both the the widely-held belief that OCD is a mild or even “quirky” problem.
A spokeswoman for the charity said: “People can lack understanding on the onerous nature of the condition and its serious impact. And Mel B has demonstrated this.”
The charity conceded that such comments “do not come from a place of ill intent” but merely a lack of the same understanding which is afforded to other conditions such as depression, bipolar or even anxiety. The World Health Organisation has described it as “one of the ten most disabling” conditions and in the UK around three-quarters of a million people are thought to be living with severe, life impacting and debilitating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
Current estimates suggest that a staggering 1-2% of the UK population lives with OCD, or approximately 670,000 to 1.3 million individuals. Yet, this number could still underrepresent the true scale of the condition, as the lack of understanding around OCD causes many to suffer in silence.
While effective treatments for OCD exist, a widespread culture of misunderstanding and trivialisation can often result in a significant delay of six to seven years from symptom onset to treatment access.
ITV’s DI Ray star Ian Puleston-Davies spoke about his own battles with the condition to The Mirror last year and how the condition at its worst left him fearing for his children’s wellbeing if he didn’t act on his compulsions.
The ex-Coronation Street star said: “It’s known as the secret disorder because people are ashamed of it. And that’s the problem. People don’t go to the doctor or don’t tell loved ones because they’re afraid of being ridiculed.” The 66-year-old actor’s OCD was helped by CBT therapy. The condition can also be treated with medication.
Mel B is a passionate campaigner herself and in 2022 she received an MBE for her work tackling domestic violence.
Yet, she has a reputation for her brash manner of speaking, which she previously admitted annoyed her fellow Spice Girls.
In April she branded bandmates Emma Bunton, 48, Mel C, 50, Geri Horner, 52, and Victoria Beckham, 50 “d**kheads” as she mocked them for refusing to reunite for a blockbuster 30th anniversary tour and kicking her out of the group WhatsApp chat.
The star has also made several public tongue-in-cheek jibes about co-member Geri including once claiming that she has lied about her age.
A spokeswoman for Mel told The Mirror they wished to make no comment on OCD Action’s reaction to her social media comments but said that they had taken the charity’s response on board and were grateful for the advice.
Are you or a loved one in need of help? You can visit OCD Action to learn more about the condition and its symptoms. If you need urgent help or are feeling distressed you can also call the Samaritans, 24/7 on 116 123 or get in touch by email or any method here. If you’re in crisis and it’s an emergency, call 999.
