Mel C and Holly Willoughby lead a host of stars wishing Emma Bunton a happy 45th birthday

Emma Bunton received heartfelt birthday wishes from a host of celebrity friends as she has celebrated her 45th birthday on Thursday.

Holly Willoughby, fellow Spice Girl Mel C, and Nicole Appleton all took to Instagram to post tributes to the blonde beauty as they feted her from afar.

And among the flood of messages from loved ones was a heartwarming post from her fiancé Jade Jones, 41, who called her ‘the most amazing woman in the world’.

TV personality Holly, 39, posted a shot of herself posing for a selfie with the star, adding the caption: ‘Happy birthday to this beautiful lady… I love you baby spice… I miss your cuddles… have a gorgeous day @emmaleebunton.’ 

Spice Girl Mel, 47, opted for a black-and-white throwback snap, as she wrote: ‘Happy Birthday my darling Emma. Missing our cheeky cocktail nights and cuddles on & off stage. Let’s get planning more fun ASAP!!!! Love you.’

All Saints star Nicole, 46, shared a photo of the pair sipping beverages together, penning: ‘Happy birthday gorgeous girl!! @emmaleebunton

‘Have the most wonderful day!! We will celebrate big time as soon as we can!! Love you to bits!! XXXXX #mygirl #friendsforever.’

Meanwhile, sweetest words of all came from Damage star Jade, who posted two shots of himself enjoying romantic moments with his partner as he paid tribute.

He wrote: ‘Today we celebrate my Queen, my best friend, my confidant, my rock, my beauty, my partner, my wifey, my love, my Emma.

‘Bubba- I love you ore and more everyday! Happy birthday to the most amazing woman and mother in the world. Love you endlessly. Xxxx’

Also among the celebrity well wishers were Laura Whitmore, 35, and Tamsin Outhwaite, 50, who, like the ones before them, shared snaps of themselves posing with the birthday girl.

Her bandmate Geri Horner, 48, took to Instagram to reveal that she was having a celebration of her own on the same day, as she marked son Monty’s fourth birthday.

With Britain having been plunged into a third lockdown amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Emma took to Instagram to reveal how she was celebrating at home.

In one image, she was seen wearing a red oversized robe for her ‘cosy day at home’, while another showed the sumptuous menu she was about to tuck into.

Emma’s birthday celebrations come days after she revealed that her fiancé Jade is ‘desperate’ for her to have another child. 

The singer – who has children Beau, 13, and Tate, nine, with her long-term partner – also joked that her ‘ovaries skip’ every time she sees a baby. 

Talking on Clemmie Telford’s Honestly podcast, Emma admitted that she was unsure if she’d have another child as it’s a ‘big ask’.

And as well as her fiancé Jade desperate for another baby, the star revealed that her two children even asked for a sibling for Christmas. 

Emma said: ‘Both my kids have asked for a baby this Christmas. I am like: “It’s not happening!” They are desperate for another sibling.

‘And also, every time I see a baby, my ovaries skip. My other half is desperate but you know…I think, I have had two beautiful, healthy babies. So yeah… I am not going to do it again, I don’t think, it is a big ask!’ 

Talking about her two children, Emma admitted that she wants Beau and Tate to stay in her house forever as she’s so protective and she is constantly showering them in cuddles.

She said: ‘It was a real tug of war when my kids starting growing up because I am constantly grabbing and cuddling them and not wanting that part to end. It is a struggle.

‘My two are so affectionate and cuddly and warm, and I’ve got a 13 year old, I am happy. Beau wants cuddles all the time and is affectionate and open so I am lucky.

‘I would love my kids just to live in my house forever and ever. I am so protective over my children but it’s a good balance because my other half is brilliant and he’s more relaxed… so we have a good balance there.’

Elsewhere during the chat, Emma gushed over her fiancé Jade. The couple have been together since 1998, but split several times before reconciling in 2004 and they announced their engagement in 2011.

The star said: ‘My other half is Aquarius – we are both Aquarius. But it seems to work. We’ve been together 20-odd years.’

Revealing the secrets to their long love, Emma admitted that they are ‘best mates’ and ‘similar’.

She noted: ‘I think we are best mates. We are similar. But, you know, different. Yeah it just works. We are the same.

‘We spend a lot of time together. And we quite enjoy that. We can sit and not talk and watch telly and just… we know each other very well which is good.’

Emma sweetly added: ‘I adore him, he is great. He is absolutely brilliant.’ 

During the podcast, the star also reflected on the height of her career and admitted that she lay in bed crying when she first joined the Spice Girls as it was her first time away from home.

Emma aid that her bandmates sweetly rallied around her at the time and she knew from that moment they would have a ‘long lasting’ friendship. 

The singer was around 19 years old when she first joined Spice Girls, and as such, she got the nickname Baby Spice in the girl group.

She said: ‘The first night I got there [to the house] I shared with Victoria and I was lying in bed and got really upset because it was my first night away from home ever and I thought I either lie here and cry on my own or I go and speak to the girls.

‘So I got up and went and said girls this is my first time away from home and I feel like this is going to be special but this is my first time away from home, I feel really home sick and I miss my mum and I don’t know what to do. 

‘They all hugged me and I knew that was it. I knew I had to be open with them if it was going to be a long lasting friendship.’ 

The star joined the band in 1994 with Mel B, Mel C, Victoria Beckham and Geri Horner. The group split in 2001 but later reunited in 2007 and 2012.

In 2019, the Spice Girls reformed – minus fifth member Victoria – for a UK, Ireland and Scotland summer tour.