0:00:02 > 0:00:05This programme contains some strong language.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08For me, the '90s was the decade of Britpop and Cool Britannia...
0:00:08 > 0:00:11Music was the focus of youth culture and youth culture was culture.
0:00:11 > 0:00:13..of grunge and girl power...
0:00:13 > 0:00:16If you don't like Wannabe, you've got a dead soul.
0:00:16 > 0:00:19..of rave and reconciliation.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22It was a decade of opportunity, of hope,
0:00:22 > 0:00:24of change in all areas of life.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27A time when young people gate-crashed the mainstream
0:00:27 > 0:00:29and took over art and television.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32I think it was one of the few decades in British history
0:00:32 > 0:00:35where it doesn't pay to be posh.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38It felt like we had won, and it was completely brilliant.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40SHE LAUGHS
0:00:40 > 0:00:42- CROWD:- Girl power!
0:00:42 > 0:00:45And there were some wild moments along the way.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48When she reached 18, nothing stopped her.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51She actually went like a volcano.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54- Those were the days, Ange. - They certainly were, darling.
0:00:54 > 0:00:59During the '90s, I went from teenage raver to Ginger Spice to solo star.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02And I look back on it as a time of real opportunity,
0:01:02 > 0:01:05when Britain was at its very best.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Just looking back, I've realised the '90s really was a snapshot
0:01:08 > 0:01:12of a time when, yes, it's OK to be you, it's OK to be yourself.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14We will celebrate that.
0:01:15 > 0:01:16# See our friends
0:01:16 > 0:01:18# See the sights
0:01:18 > 0:01:20# Feel all right. #
0:01:31 > 0:01:34So this is me in 1990,
0:01:34 > 0:01:37a year of massive changes all over the world.
0:01:38 > 0:01:42The great Nelson Mandela walked to freedom.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45Europe celebrated the fall of the Berlin Wall.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49And Britain's Iron Lady, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher,
0:01:49 > 0:01:51resigned following the poll tax riots.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56We are leaving Downing Street for the last time,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59after 11 and a half wonderful years.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Yes, I was one of Thatcher's children,
0:02:05 > 0:02:07a teenager during the '80s.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10And I was brought up in Watford, North London.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14And even as a kid, I was dreaming of fame and fortune.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17And that's me with my lovely dad.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19We weren't a typical working-class family.
0:02:19 > 0:02:24Dad was British, my mum was Spanish, and much younger than him.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26She's lived here longer than most,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29yet she's still got a really strong accent.
0:02:29 > 0:02:30She's never lost it.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32She's always been a very happy child
0:02:32 > 0:02:34and very happy girl,
0:02:34 > 0:02:36and she was very kind with people too.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38But I never thought, honestly, truthfully,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41I never thought she would be so famous like that.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43- You always tried to show off. - Really?
0:02:43 > 0:02:46Look at several people, "Ah, look at me, look at me, look at me."
0:02:46 > 0:02:48Singing all the time.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50You loved performing.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52It must be a bit annoying.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55Yes, you get on people's nerves.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57- But it was all right. You know? - I understand.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59- But you're a lovely girl.- Mwah!
0:02:59 > 0:03:00Dammit!
0:03:07 > 0:03:11It's really funny being here. Really brings back so many memories.
0:03:13 > 0:03:18My dad used to run his second-hand car dealer business from here.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21And so he would always have lots of different cars outside,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24like, Hillman Imps, about three of them,
0:03:24 > 0:03:27and he'd be tinkering along, and all his fingers were all greasy.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30And the phone would always be going.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Thanks to my dad,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37one of my favourite toys was a little red sports car.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39I dreamed of owning a real one just like it.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45I remember, actually, when I was a little girl, I was probably about,
0:03:45 > 0:03:51I would say about seven or eight, and we had a loo in the back garden.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54OK, an outside loo. And there was a little step.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57And I remember sitting on that step
0:03:57 > 0:04:01writing my first kind of song-poem thing.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04So living here, I had this big master plan, like, yeah,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08somehow I'm going to, you know, get rich and famous.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10That was the dream. Ha-ha.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15# Every day I hear a different story
0:04:15 > 0:04:19# People saying that you're no good for me... #
0:04:19 > 0:04:21For two local North London boys,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24that pop dream had already become a reality.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27I loved Wham for so many reasons.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31They were great fun, and the music was just brilliant.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34I remember, like, all these girls would go and stand outside
0:04:34 > 0:04:37Andrew Ridgeley's house, you know, because he was the good-looking one.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39But I liked George.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43I had no idea what side of the fence he was on.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46In latter years, I tried to flirt with him and it didn't work.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50# I don't want your freedom... #
0:04:50 > 0:04:52To begin with, I didn't really fit in at school.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54I felt like an outsider -
0:04:54 > 0:04:57a girl from the other side of town.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59But getting into grammar school was one of the best things
0:04:59 > 0:05:00that ever happened to me.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03This was a life-changing experience.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06The education that it gave me was fantastic.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08But it also had a lot of tradition.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10You know, I had to wear a boater, you know,
0:05:10 > 0:05:11one of those straw boaters.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13So it's quite funny, you know,
0:05:13 > 0:05:15little scrappy kid from the other side of Watford
0:05:15 > 0:05:17coming here, wearing a boater.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21And really having to fit in with these girls that were from
0:05:21 > 0:05:24probably much more privileged backgrounds, actually.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28I have such great memories of my schooldays.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32But there were times when problems at home were difficult to deal with.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36Like a lot of people, and more so these days, my parents divorced.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38And I think I was at that age
0:05:38 > 0:05:42where I was old enough to understand what was going on,
0:05:42 > 0:05:48but not really old enough to have the sort of tools to process it
0:05:48 > 0:05:49and cope with it properly.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55It was a tough time. But whenever I struggled with anything,
0:05:55 > 0:05:58I'd turn to my music.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02So this song, looking back, is, you know, quite meaningful
0:06:02 > 0:06:05because I think ABBA were going through their own break-up.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08# One of us is lonely
0:06:08 > 0:06:11# One of us is only
0:06:11 > 0:06:15# Waiting for a call
0:06:16 > 0:06:19# Sorry for herself
0:06:19 > 0:06:22# Feeling stupid, feeling small
0:06:22 > 0:06:26# Wishing she had never left at all... #
0:06:26 > 0:06:28You know, songs that have always been
0:06:28 > 0:06:30like the soundtrack of our lives.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34You know, so you hear that again, you are transported back.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37So that song means something to me.
0:06:43 > 0:06:47As a teenager, I was very insecure and really lacked confidence,
0:06:47 > 0:06:49especially with boys.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53So when Madonna became a star in the mid-'80s,
0:06:53 > 0:06:55it made me and millions of other girls
0:06:55 > 0:06:57feel so much better about ourselves.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03I think teenagers can connect to feeling trapped.
0:07:03 > 0:07:04You're too old for the teacup ride,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06but you're not big enough for the big wheel.
0:07:06 > 0:07:07You're somewhere in between.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09I think great pop records,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12when they wrote about that kind of thing, you really connected to it.
0:07:12 > 0:07:14And I think that's why I connected to Madonna.
0:07:17 > 0:07:22# And you can dance for inspiration... #
0:07:22 > 0:07:25I remember going to see Desperately Seeking Susan...
0:07:25 > 0:07:26# Come on... #
0:07:26 > 0:07:28I knew you had to be 15.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31# I'm waiting! #
0:07:31 > 0:07:33And I think I may have been 12,
0:07:33 > 0:07:36and I remember putting socks in a bra, I didn't even wear a bra.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40I got in, I was like, "Yes!"
0:07:40 > 0:07:42# Get up on your feet, yeah... #
0:07:42 > 0:07:45It was very, very un-airbrushed.
0:07:45 > 0:07:48It was, like, "Yeah, this is me, with all my little rubber bangles.
0:07:48 > 0:07:50"And this is me with my three bras on at the same time."
0:07:50 > 0:07:54You know, the music was great, the story was great,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56I was just blown away by it.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59So that is me at 17, in 1989.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03A wannabe Madonna who decided to quit school.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07And even though Mum didn't agree with me, she always supported me.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10She stood up for me and has been by my side.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12She's got this very strong character.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15You look like Marilyn Monroe there. It's nice.
0:08:15 > 0:08:18No matter who you are, whoever I have introduced her to,
0:08:18 > 0:08:20she is like, "Well, what do you want?
0:08:20 > 0:08:22"What do you want with my daughter?"
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Here's my home-made silver rave outfit.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29When I turned 18, August, 1990, the new music scene
0:08:29 > 0:08:33gave me the opportunity to be even more rebellious.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36I loved being part of the rave scene and the way it united young people
0:08:36 > 0:08:40in clubs, warehouses, and fields across the nation.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42The '80s, if you were doing well out of it,
0:08:42 > 0:08:44was an individualistic decade.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46It was the decade of the yuppie, of the bond trader,
0:08:46 > 0:08:48the big bang in the city.
0:08:48 > 0:08:49About me, me, me.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52And the culture that arrives at the tail end of it
0:08:52 > 0:08:53isn't about that at all.
0:08:53 > 0:08:54It's a revolt against it.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56It's about loving each other.
0:09:00 > 0:09:04The ethos of rave and of club culture at that time
0:09:04 > 0:09:06was this real thing of togetherness, of shared experience,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09that we were all in it together.
0:09:09 > 0:09:12The music I think of at this time was early Chicago House,
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Frankie Knuckles, Ten City, Joe Smooth.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Tracks like Promised Land which have this almost reverential kind
0:09:18 > 0:09:22of slightly biblical, gospel-like air to them.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26# Sometimes I feel like putting my hands up in the air... #
0:09:26 > 0:09:28God bless my mother.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31I'd been such a good girl up until I was 17,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34and then suddenly, I'd met these people who would say,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37"Come raving," and I remember coming back to my mother, going,
0:09:37 > 0:09:39"Mother, I've found my people."
0:09:39 > 0:09:42And she was, like, horrified.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45When she reached 18, nothing stopped her.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48She actually went like a volcano.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51- So was I a nightmare, a bit? - Ah, well, you was a nightmare
0:09:51 > 0:09:54but it's better you be a nightmare when you are a teenager.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56Yeah.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06The cross-section of music that I was loving was such a wide range.
0:10:06 > 0:10:10There was like Frankie Knuckles, there was Candi Staton,
0:10:10 > 0:10:12Little Louie, Alison Limerick...
0:10:14 > 0:10:18# Don't reach out to me with an apology... #
0:10:18 > 0:10:22# Don't reach out for me with an apology
0:10:22 > 0:10:25# I'll never suffer your desire... #
0:10:25 > 0:10:27I loved it when it was like a really heavy bass,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30but then something really melodic that touches you,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32and you are like, "Yeah, I feel it."
0:10:32 > 0:10:34# So why don't you take my hand?
0:10:34 > 0:10:37# Come away, come out of your blues... #
0:10:40 > 0:10:44I knew that something was special about this song,
0:10:44 > 0:10:46and I was gobsmacked...
0:10:47 > 0:10:50..at how, that so many people
0:10:50 > 0:10:52in a room could react to one song.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57- That was nice. - SHE LAUGHS
0:10:57 > 0:10:58It was really cool.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02The mix that it got in America
0:11:02 > 0:11:05with Frankie Knuckles and David Morales
0:11:05 > 0:11:07just took it to another level,
0:11:07 > 0:11:11and it's that mix that went on to be loved
0:11:11 > 0:11:17by lovely, lovely, lovely audiences around the country and in America.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23I've had people who have said that they wouldn't have been born
0:11:23 > 0:11:25if it hadn't been for my song,
0:11:25 > 0:11:27which is SLIGHTLY worrying.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33Along with my old friend Angela, I started hanging out
0:11:33 > 0:11:36in The Game Bird pub in Watford.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39It was a great meeting place for hundreds of young ravers.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41- It used to be packed, didn't it? - Yeah.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43And there was a DJ as well, wasn't there?
0:11:43 > 0:11:47- Those were the days, Ange. - They certainly were, darling.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54I can picture you in platform boots and a big furry,
0:11:54 > 0:11:57fluffy coat that came up to about here,
0:11:57 > 0:11:59and you walked in and everyone was like, "There she comes."
0:11:59 > 0:12:01But it included everybody, didn't it?
0:12:01 > 0:12:05I just remember all these cars just lining up
0:12:05 > 0:12:09and all going off to the venue and it was like OUR club, OUR secret.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13Back before the internet and mobile phones,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15we'd have to wait in the pub
0:12:15 > 0:12:19for news of secret raves, like Sunrise and Biology.
0:12:22 > 0:12:25When Biology was on down the road, I mean,
0:12:25 > 0:12:27everybody turned up here and it was like,
0:12:27 > 0:12:29you couldn't get a car in the car park,
0:12:29 > 0:12:31there was cars parked all the way down that road.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34And you came in, and the place was buzzing and then,
0:12:34 > 0:12:36all of a sudden, it's like, "This is where it's going to be."
0:12:36 > 0:12:38And the whole pub just emptied.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43Listen to this.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45MUSIC: Where Love Lives By Alison Limerick
0:12:47 > 0:12:49- Takes you back, doesn't it?- Yeah.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52Did you have that sort of dance, really crap dancing?
0:12:52 > 0:12:56- People would do that sort of big box, little box.- I know, yeah.
0:13:03 > 0:13:07THEY LAUGH
0:13:21 > 0:13:25It was brilliant while the party lasted.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28- Go, go, go!- Go, lads, go, go, go!
0:13:28 > 0:13:31But soon the government and the police took action to clamp down
0:13:31 > 0:13:33on the rave scene.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37It is time to get back to basics,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40to self-discipline and respect for the law.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Soon, new laws were passed to control the scene
0:13:45 > 0:13:47and make outdoor raves illegal.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49You've got this government legislation,
0:13:49 > 0:13:52the Criminal Justice Act, which is insane, looking back,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54makes reference to music with repetitive beats.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57That's in legislation, right?
0:13:57 > 0:14:00The government legislated against dance music.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03That's how much they didn't like it.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07I never understood why people couldn't go out and party.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09It seemed to be ridiculous
0:14:09 > 0:14:12to stop people wanting to enjoy themselves.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16They were thinking it was like the '70s, I suppose.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18They were thinking it was like a political uprising.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21When, actually, it was just a whole load of people who were dancing
0:14:21 > 0:14:23and taking drugs.
0:14:25 > 0:14:26I was a London raver,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29but the scene had a real impact throughout Britain,
0:14:29 > 0:14:32especially Manchester.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35# Son, I'm 30
0:14:35 > 0:14:38# I only went with your mother cos she's dirty... #
0:14:38 > 0:14:40I cannot emphasise enough what a great place
0:14:40 > 0:14:42The Hacienda in Manchester was.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46I mean, it's arguably the most famous club that's ever been.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48# What you get is just what you see, yeah... #
0:14:48 > 0:14:51# I see it so I take it freely... #
0:14:53 > 0:14:56Everything was sort of vivid, Day-Glo primary colours.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59And everyone wore great big, wide-flared trousers.
0:14:59 > 0:15:01And long-sleeved T-shirts.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03My mum told me I looked triangular around that time,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05which was the desired effect.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08And my hair was centre-parted and grown down here
0:15:08 > 0:15:11in what was elegantly known in Manchester as a bumhead.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16Manchester lads, Happy Mondays and Stone Roses
0:15:16 > 0:15:19were two of the biggest bands to come out of the scene.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21When both made it on to Top Of The Pops,
0:15:21 > 0:15:24it seemed like a real breakthrough.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Things like that would happen and you'd feel like
0:15:27 > 0:15:32something that you knew about had somehow got to sneak in.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35# The pack on my back is aching... #
0:15:35 > 0:15:38It felt like we had won, and it was completely brilliant.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41SHE LAUGHS
0:15:41 > 0:15:44Things were changing, and not only in politics and music.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47New youth shows suddenly made it seem like
0:15:47 > 0:15:50we were also taking over TV.
0:15:50 > 0:15:52The television that was going on, it felt like it was for us.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56That people that were making it were from our generation.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59It wasn't some stuffy adults.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02All of those kinds of programmes that were under the umbrella
0:16:02 > 0:16:05of Planet 24, Charlie Parsons.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08I was, like, "Yeah, that was just really impressive."
0:16:13 > 0:16:15I felt, and Channel 4 agreed,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17that there was an appetite
0:16:17 > 0:16:20for an entertainment show
0:16:20 > 0:16:22which would be very different, aimed at 16 to 34-year-olds.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25And that, essentially, was what The Word was.
0:16:28 > 0:16:31I think you've got to be really drunk to watch this show.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33If I had a body like you,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36I probably wouldn't want to take my top off either.
0:16:36 > 0:16:38It was a reaction, if you like,
0:16:38 > 0:16:41to the rather staid world of TV that had been before
0:16:41 > 0:16:44and, in some ways, a reaction to some of the youth programmes
0:16:44 > 0:16:48of before which were a little bit sort of pompous and pretentious.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50And it's the end of this part of the show
0:16:50 > 0:16:51and it's also probably the end of my career,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54but thank you so much for giving me the chance.
0:16:54 > 0:16:55Goodnight.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57The Word was for my generation.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59It had energy and attitude.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02It was great to see the spirit on morning television too.
0:17:02 > 0:17:06- Hello.- Hello.- It's me. How are you?
0:17:06 > 0:17:08The ethos of the production company was
0:17:08 > 0:17:10that we put so much work into it,
0:17:10 > 0:17:14every individual show was so carefully crafted
0:17:14 > 0:17:15and had so much in it,
0:17:15 > 0:17:17and, I think in TV terms,
0:17:17 > 0:17:20it actually changed the way TV was made.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23Let's see the carpet!
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Like most teenagers, I wanted to be famous.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Ideally, a pop star like Madonna.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Or even a cool TV presenter.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34So when I saw an ad to present The Big Breakfast,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36I grabbed the opportunity.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39- Here's Chris and Paul.- No, I'm Gaby!
0:17:39 > 0:17:41Peter!
0:17:41 > 0:17:43I had all these motivational things, like,
0:17:43 > 0:17:45there was a picture of Charlie Persons,
0:17:45 > 0:17:47look what he's done.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50I had, you know, things like, "persistence beats resistance."
0:17:50 > 0:17:54My first encounter with Geri was when she sent an audition tape
0:17:54 > 0:17:56to a strand we had on The Big Breakfast
0:17:56 > 0:17:57called Trash Store,
0:17:57 > 0:18:01which kind of encouraged people to be wannabe presenters.
0:18:01 > 0:18:03OK, coming up, we've got news, reviews and...
0:18:05 > 0:18:06Girls, you're in for a treat.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08I don't think it got very far and I've got a feeling
0:18:08 > 0:18:10Gaby was a little bit rude about it.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13It was in a whole series of things and we just had a bit of fun.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16We've got that quarterback, Dan Marino, coming over.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18OK, 100%...
0:18:18 > 0:18:21OK, I'll see you right after the break.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Gaby Roslin, she took the mickey out of me and she went,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26"Blah-blah-blah-blah-blah." And I was like, "Oh, my God."
0:18:26 > 0:18:29And I really liked her. I was so gutted.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33It was like, "Oh, that's my first go."
0:18:33 > 0:18:34Never mind.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38It was a bit of a setback.
0:18:38 > 0:18:39But I didn't give up.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44I soon got work on Live TV's Fashion Police.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46Maria, what are you wearing?
0:18:46 > 0:18:48You're in serious need of a makeover.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51And had a Madonna cameo appearance on Dance Energy.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Strike a pose!
0:18:53 > 0:18:55But my first proper TV success came
0:18:55 > 0:18:57when I appeared in front of millions in Turkey.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01Hard to believe now, but I recorded many shows over there.
0:19:01 > 0:19:05And became one of the glamour girls of Turkish television.
0:19:05 > 0:19:06Hug that pillow, Geri.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08It's a bit like The Price Is Right.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10But this was called Let's Make A Deal.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12In Turkish it's Sec Bakalim.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16And so I had to wear a gown and love that television and, like,
0:19:16 > 0:19:18I signed my first autograph.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21It was a great job at the time.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24But I wanted to focus on my music and go back home.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27Since my parents divorced,
0:19:27 > 0:19:31Dad had lived on a high-rise council estate in Watford.
0:19:31 > 0:19:33I'd always remained close to him,
0:19:33 > 0:19:35and I'd visit him whenever I could.
0:19:35 > 0:19:41My dad, he had, like, this massive collection of books
0:19:41 > 0:19:45that he would share with me, and also a big record collection.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48He was just like a real character, a real character.
0:19:48 > 0:19:51And he was also one of these people that, you know
0:19:51 > 0:19:54when someone doesn't quite fulfil their potential
0:19:54 > 0:19:55but had so much of it?
0:19:55 > 0:19:58For various reasons, we all get dealt stuff in life,
0:19:58 > 0:20:01and you just think, "Aw, I feel for him."
0:20:01 > 0:20:05You know? Cos, you know, deep down, he was a good man.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15But in late 1993, while I was writing songs
0:20:15 > 0:20:18and determined to have a career in music, everything changed.
0:20:20 > 0:20:22I was just in my little zone and then what really threw me,
0:20:22 > 0:20:24I think...
0:20:24 > 0:20:27It was in the November period, my father died.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35I was so... I was almost paralysed by grief.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37I didn't have the tools to process it.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42I have this theory, and I don't know if it's true,
0:20:42 > 0:20:47but I think success comes from three places. One is preparation.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50One is opportunity. And one is need.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53And I think my father's death gave me that need,
0:20:53 > 0:20:55it's like a death energy.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02It drove me into sort of really militant work.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04OK, I'm going to do this.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06And that went on to, you know, suddenly,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09I met, you know, the girls in the band.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12And suddenly I found something that I could belong to
0:21:12 > 0:21:15and sort of distract myself from what, you know,
0:21:15 > 0:21:19all that sort of pain and grief that I just didn't understand.
0:21:20 > 0:21:25In March, 1994, I answered a small ad in The Stage newspaper.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28They wanted five streetwise girls to join a new band.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32No prizes for guessing the ringleader.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35This would be the beginning of my greatest adventure.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38The launch pad for an all-conquering girl gang.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40We are so lucky.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43We are doing exactly what we want to do. We are pursuing a dream.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45I tell you what,
0:21:45 > 0:21:47there's millions of kids out there that want to be pop stars.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50THEY SCREAM
0:21:50 > 0:21:53I love you, Jason, I love you!
0:21:55 > 0:21:57# Help me escape this feeling
0:21:57 > 0:21:59# Of insecurity... #
0:21:59 > 0:22:02But success was still two years away.
0:22:02 > 0:22:03# I need you so much... #
0:22:03 > 0:22:09In the meantime, five Northern lads began to drive teenage girls wild.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12# But if we all stand up in the name of love... #
0:22:12 > 0:22:14I mean, the thing I always liked about Take That
0:22:14 > 0:22:16was that they were Northern
0:22:16 > 0:22:19and there is a charm to their Northernness, I think.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21The great appeal of Take That?
0:22:21 > 0:22:25Teenage girls, hot boys, good songs,
0:22:25 > 0:22:28and it had been a while since anybody came along
0:22:28 > 0:22:30and tickled their fancy.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33# Relight my fire
0:22:34 > 0:22:37# Your love is my only desire
0:22:37 > 0:22:39# Relight my... #
0:22:39 > 0:22:42They were approachable and they were funny, you know?
0:22:42 > 0:22:44I think especially after something like, say,
0:22:44 > 0:22:46New Kids On The Block, they just seemed miles away, you know?
0:22:46 > 0:22:52Whereas Take That looked a bit more like somebody you might know.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55# With the lights out, it's less dangerous
0:22:55 > 0:22:57# Here we are now... #
0:22:57 > 0:22:59So while Take That were wowing teenage girls,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02the Teen Spirit of Nirvana and American grunge
0:23:02 > 0:23:04was dominating rock music.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09I wasn't into the grunge scene. Too dark for me.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12But I liked the way young British guitar bands responded.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16Britpop was genuinely a bit of reaction to grunge, really.
0:23:16 > 0:23:21And it was also a kind of magazine conceit.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23They put them all together and said, "Hurray, here we are.
0:23:23 > 0:23:27"It's a new British invasion. We are just as good as grunge."
0:23:29 > 0:23:33To me, Britpop was fresh, vibrant with cool and clever bands
0:23:33 > 0:23:37like Pulp, Suede and particularly Blur.
0:23:37 > 0:23:38They drew on the sound and spirit
0:23:38 > 0:23:41of British music from the swinging '60s.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Well, when I think of Blur's early music,
0:23:43 > 0:23:48I kind of think of me and Graham and Damon staying up all night
0:23:48 > 0:23:52and going insane just making, like, sonic terrorism.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55# There's no other way
0:23:55 > 0:23:57# There's no other way... #
0:23:57 > 0:24:02I remember the record company coming down and absolutely freaking out...
0:24:02 > 0:24:03Spitting nails, just going...
0:24:05 > 0:24:09"British... British pop? You're mad."
0:24:09 > 0:24:12"British pop, it's never going to work."
0:24:12 > 0:24:15# All the people
0:24:15 > 0:24:19# So many people... #
0:24:19 > 0:24:22We were young, what? 20? 21?
0:24:22 > 0:24:25And being in the thick of it as it happened
0:24:25 > 0:24:28just made us feel quite proud to be British,
0:24:28 > 0:24:33and I think we kind of knew we were onto something.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35# Parklife... #
0:24:35 > 0:24:37Blur had their own way at the start,
0:24:37 > 0:24:39so things got really interesting
0:24:39 > 0:24:42when Oasis crashed the Britpop party.
0:24:42 > 0:24:46Sparks flew, and there was laddish rivalries in the pop playground.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48Take pictures. Don't ask questions.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52# Is it my imagination
0:24:52 > 0:24:58# Or have I finally found something worth living for?... #
0:24:58 > 0:24:59They themselves said,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02"There's nothing that complicated about our group.
0:25:02 > 0:25:03"It's about cigarettes and alcohol
0:25:03 > 0:25:05"and having a good time with your mates."
0:25:05 > 0:25:08I think that's pretty much the verbatim Noel quote from that time.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11But they were just very different. They weren't art school.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14# Cigarettes and alcohol.... #
0:25:14 > 0:25:17The extraordinary ordinary person was very much to the fore
0:25:17 > 0:25:19in that time and it really, really made a difference
0:25:19 > 0:25:23because it just generally makes people think, "I could do that.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25"I don't have to have any privileges."
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Boys being boys, it was bound to happen.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34I remember how, in 1995, the two heavyweights of Britpop
0:25:34 > 0:25:37squared up in the battle for number one.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40# Don't let anybody get in your way... #
0:25:40 > 0:25:43'The Manchester band Oasis and their archrivals, Blur,
0:25:43 > 0:25:45'have released new singles today,
0:25:45 > 0:25:48'each hoping to reach the number one spot next week.
0:25:48 > 0:25:49'The music industry hasn't seen anything like it
0:25:49 > 0:25:51'since the Beatles fought it out
0:25:51 > 0:25:53'with The Rolling Stones in the '60s.'
0:25:53 > 0:25:57But despite their swagger, those northern upstarts, Oasis,
0:25:57 > 0:25:59came off second best.
0:25:59 > 0:26:03But tonight, there's no denying, Blur are Top Of The Pops.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07I think it's easy to overlook
0:26:07 > 0:26:11what a tribal thing music was.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13# City dweller
0:26:13 > 0:26:14# Successful fella
0:26:14 > 0:26:16# He thought to himself
0:26:16 > 0:26:17# Oops, got a lot of money... #
0:26:17 > 0:26:20I don't know where it went wrong, really.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22But, boy, it did, didn't it?
0:26:22 > 0:26:23# He lives in a house
0:26:23 > 0:26:26# A very big house in the country
0:26:26 > 0:26:29# He's got a fog in his chest so he needs a lot of rest... #
0:26:29 > 0:26:31Pop culture was still about the boys.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35Britpop became the soundtrack to the new lad culture.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37And now all-day drinking was legal,
0:26:37 > 0:26:40the party seemed to never end.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43Being in the band in the '90s was basically
0:26:43 > 0:26:48a licence to misbehave, get drunk, tell everyone to fuck off
0:26:48 > 0:26:50and shag their girlfriend.
0:26:52 > 0:26:53Happy days.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58For me, you know, Blur were cheeky chappies, Oasis,
0:26:58 > 0:27:00great songs, really good songs,
0:27:00 > 0:27:05but what they were emanating was a little bit too aggressive for me.
0:27:05 > 0:27:08You know, and that was sort of that whole ladette culture.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10I couldn't connect with that.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12# I need to be myself... #
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Lots of girls got in on the action too.
0:27:15 > 0:27:18On one hand, lads and ladettes got bad press in the tabloids.
0:27:18 > 0:27:19But on the other,
0:27:19 > 0:27:22there were celebrated by new magazines like Loaded.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25Loaded became like a rock star.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28And actually, I think that the way women were portrayed
0:27:28 > 0:27:32in the women's magazines which were all about hair and beauty
0:27:32 > 0:27:34and relationships, like that's all that women care about,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38didn't represent a lot of the women I knew.
0:27:38 > 0:27:39# Drive boy dog boy
0:27:39 > 0:27:41# Dirty numb angel boy... #
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Lads was the first cover line used on Loaded magazine.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46So if you were involved at all in that scene,
0:27:46 > 0:27:50and you expected to be taken as seriously as any of those men,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52then somehow you became a ladette.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54# You had hands girl boy and steel boy... #
0:27:54 > 0:27:57Loaded gets historically misrepresented.
0:27:57 > 0:28:01You know, "It's full of naked women." And it genuinely wasn't.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04We were just honest about the fact that we fancied women.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06And I think then somebody came up with the phrase ladette,
0:28:06 > 0:28:09and it was just like, you mean, lasses?
0:28:09 > 0:28:15To be honest, lads mags or the ladettes, it was just a tag.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17A media tag, as far as I was concerned.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19And actually, I thought these women were great.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22The likes of Zoe Ball and Sara Cox that went out there and they did,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25they stayed out late, but they were still at work on time the next day.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28So what? And they were hot. And?
0:28:30 > 0:28:33The lads had ruled the charts for too long.
0:28:33 > 0:28:38In the summer of 1996, everything was about to change.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42The time was right for the world to be conquered by girl power.
0:28:42 > 0:28:44# Yo I'll tell you what I want What I really, really want
0:28:44 > 0:28:46# So tell me what you want What you really, really want
0:28:46 > 0:28:48# I'll tell you what I want, What I really, really want
0:28:48 > 0:28:51# So tell me what you want, What you really, really want... #
0:28:51 > 0:28:52Whenever Wannabe comes on the radio,
0:28:52 > 0:28:55you just want to hear it over and over again. It's just great.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58That is a great pop single.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00You know, you can't really pull it apart and say,
0:29:00 > 0:29:02"Hey, if I want to make a great pop single
0:29:02 > 0:29:04"I'm going to make this song called Wannabe."
0:29:04 > 0:29:06But it's a brilliant pop single and the video is hilarious.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10If you don't like Wannabe, you've got a dead soul.
0:29:10 > 0:29:11# Get your act together,
0:29:11 > 0:29:12# We could be just fine... #
0:29:12 > 0:29:15They were ideal kind of pop fodder, I suppose, really.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17And, you know, they had all the things
0:29:17 > 0:29:18that you have with a great band.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22They had really good tunes, they had one for somebody to fancy,
0:29:22 > 0:29:24that's, you know, which one do you like the best?
0:29:24 > 0:29:26# You've got to get with my friends... #
0:29:26 > 0:29:28And everybody was saying, "Well, what's a zigazig ah?
0:29:28 > 0:29:30"What does that mean?" Well, who cares?
0:29:30 > 0:29:34Who knows what a-wop-bop-a-loo-bop a-wop-bam-boom means? Nobody.
0:29:36 > 0:29:40Top Of The Pops magazine gave them all their little Ginger Spice,
0:29:40 > 0:29:43Scary Spice, Baby Spice, Sporty Spice and Posh Spice monikers
0:29:43 > 0:29:45and that's all kind of stuck.
0:29:45 > 0:29:50It's a very British record, so you've got this diverse group and
0:29:50 > 0:29:53then halfway through, it's got this patois bit.
0:29:53 > 0:29:55# Slam your body down and wind it all around... #
0:29:55 > 0:29:57Slam your body down and wind it all around.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00That's from a reggae record, what's that doing there, right?
0:30:00 > 0:30:03Well, the answer is, it's got the full multicultural glory of Britain
0:30:03 > 0:30:05is kind of in there somewhere. It's clever.
0:30:05 > 0:30:06# Friendships never ends
0:30:06 > 0:30:08# If you want to be my lover. #
0:30:13 > 0:30:17Wannabe was number one all over the world but it hadn't been an
0:30:17 > 0:30:18overnight success.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22We'd worked two hard years to write the music and gain control.
0:30:22 > 0:30:27The spirit of the '90s had empowered us to become international stars.
0:30:27 > 0:30:30I think the word "girl power" existed before, you know,
0:30:30 > 0:30:33it was ever said by the Spice Girls
0:30:33 > 0:30:36and what I think was good about it was it felt...
0:30:36 > 0:30:39It felt less harsh than the word feminism.
0:30:40 > 0:30:42At that time feminism was,
0:30:42 > 0:30:48for me, felt like a very harsh bra-burning word.
0:30:48 > 0:30:52Sometimes in life you have to hide vegetables in chocolate.
0:30:52 > 0:30:55You have to wrap it up so it's much easier to digest.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58I think it is first base feminism and any form of feminism
0:30:58 > 0:31:02is fine by me, so if you've got young women saying to other young
0:31:02 > 0:31:05women, "You can do what you want, wear what you want, go out,
0:31:05 > 0:31:08"enjoy your friends, they're just as important, if not more
0:31:08 > 0:31:10"important than blokes," that is fine by me.
0:31:10 > 0:31:12And they did that all the time.
0:31:14 > 0:31:19Then came the 1997 Brit Awards which I was really proud to be part of.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23It was a great moment to celebrate our country and girl power
0:31:23 > 0:31:25had made the front pages.
0:31:25 > 0:31:31I remember I got given a black Gucci dress by this stylist and I
0:31:31 > 0:31:34said, "I'm going to stitch a flag onto it."
0:31:34 > 0:31:37And she went to me, "No, that's National Front."
0:31:37 > 0:31:39And I just thought, "No, that's not how I feel."
0:31:39 > 0:31:42I love all different kinds of races and I think most of us do.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44That's what's brilliant about Britain.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46And so just because of what she said,
0:31:46 > 0:31:49I stitched on the back a peace sign, just to say...
0:31:49 > 0:31:53To rebalance it. Just to make sure. And that's all that was about.
0:31:53 > 0:31:58It was just saying, "Britain is great and it includes everybody
0:31:58 > 0:31:59"and I want to celebrate it."
0:31:59 > 0:32:02And I think it was how everyone else was feeling.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08Something patriotic was happening in Britain and it wasn't just
0:32:08 > 0:32:11me in my Union Jack dress.
0:32:11 > 0:32:16There was Noel Gallagher with his Union Jack guitar,
0:32:16 > 0:32:18David Bowie with his Alexander McQueen coat.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21Without a doubt, the Jack was back.
0:32:23 > 0:32:28It was interesting because we used the Union Jack and the Union Jack,
0:32:28 > 0:32:32for a long time, had had really odd connotations.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35Only a few years before that, the British flag is still
0:32:35 > 0:32:41associated with the right wing, with National Front, with skinheads.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45For me, this is finally a time when it's your ability to
0:32:45 > 0:32:50reinterpret what Britain is that suddenly starts to count.
0:32:55 > 0:33:02I think mid '90s really made its mark as Cool Britannia.
0:33:02 > 0:33:07Music, fashion, culture. It was just a fantastic place to be.
0:33:09 > 0:33:15Cool Britannia spread throughout, capturing the public imagination.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18Everyone was just about doing stuff, getting stuff done,
0:33:18 > 0:33:23getting stuff made and it made for this tremendous flowering of creativity.
0:33:24 > 0:33:28On that basis, it's an important concept because it gave
0:33:28 > 0:33:33legitimacy and status to all these young creative people who otherwise
0:33:33 > 0:33:37might just have remained on the margins of society or culture.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40The really key thing that happened
0:33:40 > 0:33:45in the '90s was there was a massive art revolution.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47Art was still something totally new.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50Nobody knew what the boundaries were, how rich you could get,
0:33:50 > 0:33:53how stupid you could be. I mean, it was brilliant.
0:33:53 > 0:33:58# I could've stayed at home and gone to bed... #
0:33:58 > 0:34:02There is Tracey Emin's bed which is
0:34:02 > 0:34:06fantastically controversial because it's an unmade bed.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08That's what it looks like, anyway.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11It's actually a comment on all the ways that women have been
0:34:11 > 0:34:13portrayed in art.
0:34:13 > 0:34:15I don't think there's any point in me making
0:34:15 > 0:34:20a painting that was already painted 50 years ago by someone else.
0:34:20 > 0:34:23There's no point in making art which has already been made.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27For example, you won't have a scientist reinventing penicillin.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29It just won't happen.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34The young British artist movement made stars out of working class
0:34:34 > 0:34:37talent who captured the public's attention with their
0:34:37 > 0:34:42upfront attitude and provocative images
0:34:42 > 0:34:45Obviously, you have Damien Hirst and his shark which becomes the
0:34:45 > 0:34:48iconic work of the '90s.
0:34:48 > 0:34:53It's a beautiful, powerful, problematic and puzzling piece
0:34:53 > 0:34:56of work so these figures, Damien especially, Tracey Emin,
0:34:56 > 0:34:58become household names.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02They go from being young, at some point impoverished art students,
0:35:02 > 0:35:04to becoming fabulously famous.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09At the beginning of the '90s, modern art was a complete joke.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11It was written in italics or inverted commas whenever it
0:35:11 > 0:35:14was referred to in the newspapers.
0:35:14 > 0:35:19By the end of the '90s, Tate Modern was the most visited tourist
0:35:19 > 0:35:20attraction in Britain.
0:35:22 > 0:35:26Greater opportunities for everyone allowed Kate Moss to emerge
0:35:26 > 0:35:29as one of the most successful supermodels.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31Kate Moss is a prime example.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34She's an absolutely brilliant model but she's not
0:35:34 > 0:35:35a conventional model by any means.
0:35:35 > 0:35:38Kate Moss is pretty much the icon of the '90s.
0:35:38 > 0:35:41I think it's one of the few decades where it doesn't pay to be posh.
0:35:44 > 0:35:48A fantastic journey for a working-class girl from Croydon.
0:35:48 > 0:35:51Even from the day you start, it just takes a long time to realise that
0:35:51 > 0:35:55you've got the option to say yes or no, to choose what you want to do.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58And like me, she'd worked really hard to get there.
0:36:01 > 0:36:03I just remember being a Watford girl,
0:36:03 > 0:36:07just coming into London as a treat,
0:36:07 > 0:36:11and driving in and thinking, wow, this is an amazing place.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14And so I feel pretty, looking back,
0:36:14 > 0:36:18pretty proud to have experienced being part of that.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21# It's coming home It's coming home
0:36:21 > 0:36:24# It's coming Football's coming home.
0:36:24 > 0:36:27# We'll go on getting bad results Getting bad results... #
0:36:27 > 0:36:31But Cool Britannia didn't just influence art and fashion and music,
0:36:31 > 0:36:34it even found its way onto the football field.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37# It's coming home It's coming
0:36:37 > 0:36:40# Football's coming home. #
0:36:40 > 0:36:42By some tremendous stroke of luck,
0:36:42 > 0:36:45the European Championships arrived in England.
0:36:47 > 0:36:49Everybody liked it, didn't they?
0:36:49 > 0:36:51"Three Lions on a shirt, Jules Rimet still gleaming."
0:36:51 > 0:36:54I mean, the lyrics were quite well turned.
0:36:54 > 0:36:56And it was, by association, it was kind of a Britpop record.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59MUSIC: Three Lions by The Lightning Seeds
0:36:59 > 0:37:01'Tony Blair that autumn, I guess,
0:37:01 > 0:37:06'when he makes his conference speech, just shamelessly takes it.'
0:37:07 > 0:37:09Labour's coming home!
0:37:09 > 0:37:10LOUD APPLAUSE
0:37:12 > 0:37:1817 years of hurt never stopped us dreaming Labour's coming home!
0:37:21 > 0:37:24By that point, it's like he was in power.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28People look back and they forget that John Major lingered on.
0:37:31 > 0:37:36In May 1997, with New Labour's landslide victory,
0:37:36 > 0:37:38Tony Blair found himself in Number Ten.
0:37:38 > 0:37:40We were away on tour at the time
0:37:40 > 0:37:43but there was a real feel-good factor back home.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46'I remember there were all those people,
0:37:46 > 0:37:50'lots of Labour Party supporters waving little mini Union Jacks.'
0:37:50 > 0:37:54And it just had this sense of something different,
0:37:54 > 0:37:55something fresh, something new.
0:37:55 > 0:37:59- CHANTING:- Labour, Labour!
0:37:59 > 0:38:03And this new Labour government will govern in the interests
0:38:03 > 0:38:08of all our people, the whole of this nation, that I can promise you.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:38:10 > 0:38:13'I mean, it was absolutely amazing when Tony Blair was elected,
0:38:13 > 0:38:15'it really was.'
0:38:15 > 0:38:18We suddenly got someone who was young, whose family was young,
0:38:18 > 0:38:19who seemed quite young.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24'It felt like an old generation had gone.'
0:38:27 > 0:38:29Regardless of your politics,
0:38:29 > 0:38:32one great thing about the new government was the number of women.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35Girl power had arrived in Parliament.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38'Suddenly, you know, 101 Labour women MPs,
0:38:38 > 0:38:42'it was such a large number.'
0:38:42 > 0:38:45And I suppose it was going to happen that they'd try and find
0:38:45 > 0:38:47some way to give a badge to this.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50And so the badge was Blair's Babes.
0:38:52 > 0:38:55I have to say, at the time, I wasn't that fussed about it.
0:38:55 > 0:38:59I was so over the moon about us winning a general election,
0:38:59 > 0:39:04and it really spoke to women outside of politics as well.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08And it was part of that sense that anything could happen.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12I mean, obviously, going down to Parliament was so exciting.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14It was like starting some sort of school
0:39:14 > 0:39:16but it was like no school I'd ever been to.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20It was like Hogwarts-plus sort of thing like this, that building.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23And, at that time,
0:39:23 > 0:39:26my favourite was the Texas song Say What You Want.
0:39:26 > 0:39:29So, every time when my husband and I were driving into Westminster
0:39:29 > 0:39:32in those first few weeks, we had the tape set up just for that track.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36And, as we got round the corner of Parliament Square, we'd put it in
0:39:36 > 0:39:39and that would be our theme tune as we went into Parliament.
0:39:39 > 0:39:43# Well, you can say what you want But it won't change my mind
0:39:43 > 0:39:46# I'll feel the same about you. #
0:39:46 > 0:39:48- TV:- 'The man who likes to hang around at number one
0:39:48 > 0:39:50'reached Number Ten today.'
0:39:50 > 0:39:53- REPORTER:- Is Government going in the right direction, Noel?
0:39:56 > 0:39:58'In the summer of 1997,
0:39:58 > 0:40:02'their Britpop party reached Downing Street.'
0:40:02 > 0:40:06Having Alistair Campbell who came from a newspaper background
0:40:06 > 0:40:09to manage his spin, if you like, as it was called later,
0:40:09 > 0:40:13was very, very important in both his victory and the way he performed.
0:40:13 > 0:40:15I think one of the differences between the '90s
0:40:15 > 0:40:20and maybe the '70s and '80s was the machinations of government
0:40:20 > 0:40:21became more apparent.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25There was a lot more visibility, there was much more transparency
0:40:25 > 0:40:28in the way that politics was spun.
0:40:28 > 0:40:33'Part of the spin thing is that we had had
0:40:33 > 0:40:35'pretty much of a battering from sections of the media.'
0:40:35 > 0:40:38So there was, if you like, message discipline
0:40:38 > 0:40:43but it was from trying to make sure we did everything we could
0:40:43 > 0:40:46to enable Labour to be seen as credible
0:40:46 > 0:40:49and confident in what we were doing in government.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52# I need some love like I've needed love before
0:40:52 > 0:40:55# Wanna make love to ya, baby. #
0:40:55 > 0:40:58'It was a time when everyone began to recognise
0:40:58 > 0:41:00'the power of positive publicity.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02'And it didn't do us any harm.'
0:41:03 > 0:41:06'It was an amazing adventure for the Spice Girls
0:41:06 > 0:41:09'who were travelling the world, constantly touring and promoting,
0:41:09 > 0:41:12'rubbing shoulders with royalty
0:41:12 > 0:41:15'and becoming the biggest selling girl group of all time.'
0:41:15 > 0:41:19I'd joined Smash Hits as an editor.
0:41:19 > 0:41:22And we'd get the charts faxed over, because it was the '90s,
0:41:22 > 0:41:26and it would be, they were number one in 39 territories.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28And you just go, what?!
0:41:28 > 0:41:32They were having hits in countries they'd probably never heard of.
0:41:32 > 0:41:33It was phenomenal.
0:41:36 > 0:41:41For me, when I got my first fat cheque,
0:41:41 > 0:41:45there was one thing that really epitomised, you know,
0:41:45 > 0:41:51OK, freedom, optimism, and that was the little red car
0:41:51 > 0:41:54that I'd envisioned when I was a child,
0:41:54 > 0:41:56if you had that open-top car,
0:41:56 > 0:41:58and that was one of the first things I went and bought.
0:42:05 > 0:42:09The first thing I did was go and buy this very car
0:42:09 > 0:42:12and I was like, wow, I've arrived!
0:42:12 > 0:42:15And, for me, money represented freedom as well.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17This car was like, yeah, you know,
0:42:17 > 0:42:20I can have a say in my own destiny, this is it.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23Whoo! SHE LAUGHS
0:42:24 > 0:42:30MUSIC: Fastlove by George Michael
0:42:35 > 0:42:38With Britain at the centre of the world
0:42:38 > 0:42:40at the height of Cool Britannia,
0:42:40 > 0:42:43tragic events in Paris reminded us of our own mortality.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47- TV:- 'Diana, Princess of Wales, has died after a car crash in Paris.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51'She was taken to hospital in the early hours of this morning.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54'Surgeons tried to save her life for two hours
0:42:54 > 0:42:56'but she died at four o'clock.'
0:42:56 > 0:43:01One of the things that really struck me when Princess Diana died
0:43:01 > 0:43:04was the outpour of grief.
0:43:04 > 0:43:07And, you know, there was a huge amount of grief
0:43:07 > 0:43:10that sort of flooded the nation.
0:43:14 > 0:43:19Obviously, she embodied so many qualities that we all admired.
0:43:19 > 0:43:24And the only thing I think that came positive out of it is that,
0:43:24 > 0:43:27as a nation, everyone came together and was incredibly supportive
0:43:27 > 0:43:31and very affectionate with each other in grieving.
0:43:37 > 0:43:41'I mean, it was just, just so inexplicable, really.'
0:43:42 > 0:43:48And, of course, a lot has been said since, but I think Tony,
0:43:48 > 0:43:54the words he found on that day just seemed to speak to the country
0:43:54 > 0:43:57and very much reflect people's sorrow
0:43:57 > 0:43:59at what happened to this young mum.
0:43:59 > 0:44:04And I was a young mum, and I could identify with that as well.
0:44:07 > 0:44:12She was a wonderful and a warm human being.
0:44:13 > 0:44:19Though her own life was often sadly touched by tragedy,
0:44:19 > 0:44:24she touched the lives of so many others
0:44:24 > 0:44:29in Britain, throughout the world, with joy and with comfort.
0:44:30 > 0:44:36She was the People's Princess. And that's how she will remain,
0:44:36 > 0:44:41in our hearts and in our memories forever.
0:44:49 > 0:44:54'Princess Diana's death had a huge impact on everyone, including me.
0:44:54 > 0:44:58'It was this, followed by a visit to South Africa
0:44:58 > 0:45:00'for an inspiring meeting with Nelson Mandela
0:45:00 > 0:45:03'that made me reflect on my own path in life.'
0:45:03 > 0:45:05'I think meeting Mandela, it was one of those,
0:45:05 > 0:45:08'an absolute privileged moment.'
0:45:08 > 0:45:13He was charming and gracious and humble and welcoming.
0:45:13 > 0:45:18So, to be able to have met that man of that stature was just amazing.
0:45:18 > 0:45:21You're as young as the girl you feel, and I'm 25!
0:45:21 > 0:45:23LAUGHTER
0:45:23 > 0:45:25'So, when I got back to the UK,
0:45:25 > 0:45:28'I made the biggest decision of my young life.'
0:45:28 > 0:45:30After days of speculation, Geri Halliwell,
0:45:30 > 0:45:33otherwise known as Ginger Spice, has confirmed
0:45:33 > 0:45:35that she has left the Spice Girls.
0:45:37 > 0:45:40'At the age of 25, it was hard leaving the band.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43'It had been an incredible experience for a Watford girl.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46'But my Spice Girl journey had come to an end.'
0:45:48 > 0:45:49I've found in life,
0:45:49 > 0:45:52when you're going through a series of challenges,
0:45:52 > 0:45:54you find out two things.
0:45:54 > 0:45:56One is what you're made of,
0:45:56 > 0:46:00and who really are your good, true friends.
0:46:00 > 0:46:01And I think, you know,
0:46:01 > 0:46:04there was a period of time after I'd left the Spice Girls,
0:46:04 > 0:46:08and I was really needing a little support and direction,
0:46:08 > 0:46:13and I found a really good friend, and that was George Michael.
0:46:15 > 0:46:19'He said to me, "Do you want to come to my house for the weekend?"'
0:46:19 > 0:46:21And I'd met him a few times and, by then,
0:46:21 > 0:46:23I'd realised I'm not his kind of girl,
0:46:23 > 0:46:25I'm not for him, it wasn't going to happen.
0:46:25 > 0:46:27But instead he became a really good friend.
0:46:27 > 0:46:28And he said, "Come and stay with me."
0:46:28 > 0:46:31So I did, and I stayed quite a while.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34I don't know if I overstayed my welcome but I did stay.
0:46:34 > 0:46:40# Oh, but I need some time off from that emotion
0:46:40 > 0:46:44# Time to pick my heart up off the floor. #
0:46:44 > 0:46:47They always say, be careful about meeting your idols
0:46:47 > 0:46:50because they never can live up to what you think.
0:46:50 > 0:46:52But actually he became something better.
0:46:55 > 0:46:58'For me, there's one track that really captures George at his best.
0:46:58 > 0:47:02'It has to be Freedom. I really love this song.'
0:47:02 > 0:47:05# I will not give you up
0:47:05 > 0:47:08# Gotta have some faith in the sound
0:47:08 > 0:47:10# It's the one good thing that I've got
0:47:10 > 0:47:14# I won't let you down So please don't give me up. #
0:47:14 > 0:47:16'During the making of this documentary,
0:47:16 > 0:47:20'I heard the sad news that George had passed away.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24'As well as a great artist,
0:47:24 > 0:47:27'he was kind and generous,
0:47:27 > 0:47:30'he loved his family, and was a good friend.
0:47:30 > 0:47:32'I'll never forget him.'
0:47:34 > 0:47:37MUSIC: Freedom by George Michael
0:47:45 > 0:47:47'In the summer of 1998,
0:47:47 > 0:47:51'I started to take decisions about life after the Spice Girls
0:47:51 > 0:47:55'and sell off some of my most treasured possessions to charity.'
0:47:59 > 0:48:01I was moving on from the band,
0:48:01 > 0:48:04and I wanted to say, "This is a fresh start."
0:48:04 > 0:48:06And I thought maybe we could do some good
0:48:06 > 0:48:07about all the things I'd accumulated,
0:48:07 > 0:48:11so I sold off some of my clothes for charity, and that car.
0:48:11 > 0:48:15And it was one of those things, you know, it felt, yes, very cleansing.
0:48:15 > 0:48:19But, I think, I was always a little bit nostalgic
0:48:19 > 0:48:22and a little bit regretful, if I'm honest.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25And I would always harp on about it and think,
0:48:25 > 0:48:27"Oh, that was such a cute car."
0:48:30 > 0:48:32'I accepted the invitation to become a goodwill ambassador
0:48:32 > 0:48:35'for the United Nations,
0:48:35 > 0:48:39'educating young women around the world on sexual health.'
0:48:39 > 0:48:42I believe that everybody deserves to have control of their life,
0:48:42 > 0:48:46and that means having control over your fertility.
0:48:46 > 0:48:51'What I learnt was that most people want to be heard,
0:48:51 > 0:48:52'and we all deserve education.
0:48:52 > 0:48:56'And when you give people education, it gives them choices.'
0:48:56 > 0:48:58And you can bring the world's press with you and go,
0:48:58 > 0:49:01"Look, I don't know the answers but look at this."
0:49:01 > 0:49:04And suddenly I saw the government might change a policy
0:49:04 > 0:49:08for some school kids that wanted education on reproduction.
0:49:08 > 0:49:11So I was very proud to be able to do something positive.
0:49:11 > 0:49:14- TV:- 'The issues raised by Geri Halliwell today
0:49:14 > 0:49:17'will be discussed at a special UN conference later in the year.'
0:49:19 > 0:49:22'And I was incredibly honoured and extremely nervous
0:49:22 > 0:49:25'when asked to sing at Prince Charles' 50th birthday.'
0:49:25 > 0:49:30# Happy birthday to you
0:49:30 > 0:49:35# Happy birthday to you
0:49:35 > 0:49:41# Happy birthday, your Royal Highness
0:49:41 > 0:49:46# Happy birthday to you! #
0:49:46 > 0:49:48APPLAUSE
0:49:48 > 0:49:51'When you're a young age, it's very enchanting to meet royalty.'
0:49:51 > 0:49:56So, singing to him, I just felt privileged and delighted to do it.
0:49:56 > 0:49:59Of course, you know, it makes your mother proud!
0:50:01 > 0:50:04He was fantastic.
0:50:04 > 0:50:07First, because I have always loved the Royal Family,
0:50:07 > 0:50:09because it's stability in the country.
0:50:09 > 0:50:14So, when she did that and she saw in her mind it was Marilyn Monroe,
0:50:14 > 0:50:18I thought, I don't know about Prince Charles, what he thought he was,
0:50:18 > 0:50:20it's Kennedy, I suppose.
0:50:20 > 0:50:24But, in the fantasy world, it was fantastic.
0:50:24 > 0:50:28I'll never ever forget about that, it was very good.
0:50:28 > 0:50:32MUSIC: Jumpin' Jumpin' by Destiny's Child
0:50:32 > 0:50:36'The '90s might be best remembered for the Spice Girls,
0:50:36 > 0:50:40'rave, boybands, Britpop and Cool Britannia,
0:50:40 > 0:50:45'but it also saw the emergence of many strong female artists.
0:50:45 > 0:50:48'Independent women in charge of their own destinies.'
0:50:48 > 0:50:53I think society goes through waves. It's like a pendulum that swings.
0:50:53 > 0:50:58And suddenly we had a real flush of great female artists.
0:51:01 > 0:51:04And normally when it comes out, it comes out very proud.
0:51:04 > 0:51:09The Spice Girls opened the barn door for other women to come through.
0:51:09 > 0:51:12And you really can't underestimate what they've done in terms of
0:51:12 > 0:51:16just allowing other women to find a voice, have a voice.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22'Deep down, I was scared to go solo.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24'With a clutch of new songs I'd written,
0:51:24 > 0:51:28'in 1998, I joined up again with producers Paul and Andy
0:51:28 > 0:51:31'from Absolute who'd worked with me in the Spice Girls.
0:51:31 > 0:51:34'I wrote and recorded my debut solo album
0:51:34 > 0:51:36'back at the old studio on the Thames.
0:51:36 > 0:51:38'It's now a windows factory.'
0:51:38 > 0:51:40Oh, my God!
0:51:40 > 0:51:43- Do you remember any of it?- Yeah, I do, but obviously it's changed.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48- There used to be a pool table there. - Pool table, yes.
0:51:48 > 0:51:50It's like the chill-out bit with everyone hanging out.
0:51:50 > 0:51:52We used to have all our discs on the wall there.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54- That sounds pretentious, but, yeah! - THEY LAUGH
0:51:54 > 0:51:56Didn't we used to have all our platinum discs there!
0:51:56 > 0:51:58'We had a blind optimism that
0:51:58 > 0:52:01'she would be accepted because of who she was.'
0:52:01 > 0:52:04And that people would accept what she did musically.
0:52:04 > 0:52:06And it turned out we were right in that respect.
0:52:06 > 0:52:09- This is where we used to do all the writing.- Yep.- Oh, my God.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11We had a computer down there, a mixing desk there,
0:52:11 > 0:52:13speakers at the back. Sofa.
0:52:13 > 0:52:17- OK, I'm being transported back. - Are you?- Yeah, oh, my God.
0:52:19 > 0:52:23Every day, we'd just go to the studio, write,
0:52:23 > 0:52:28and it was just a really liberating, freeing thing to do.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30She would come in and go, I want a bit of this, a bit of this,
0:52:30 > 0:52:32listen to this, listen to this, listen to this!
0:52:32 > 0:52:35- You'd usually want it all in one song, about 35 different ideas.- Yes.
0:52:35 > 0:52:38The reality is, we'd be going, how the hell are we going to do this?
0:52:38 > 0:52:40Hence the title of the album became Schizophonic because it changes,
0:52:40 > 0:52:43- it was all over the place. - It was so all over the place.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45The album was called Schizophonic.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48And it kind of meant, it means split sound.
0:52:48 > 0:52:52But actually it was saying, there's two sides of me.
0:52:52 > 0:52:57And Look At Me, the first song, was very much about saying,
0:52:57 > 0:53:00look at me, but actually can we really see?
0:53:00 > 0:53:03Really look at me. Not just on face value.
0:53:03 > 0:53:06# Look at me
0:53:06 > 0:53:12# You can take it all because this face is free
0:53:12 > 0:53:16# Maybe next time use your eyes and look at me. #
0:53:16 > 0:53:19'I think my most creative memory of that whole album
0:53:19 > 0:53:22'was just the production of Look At Me.'
0:53:22 > 0:53:25It was like a revolving door of musicians and ideas.
0:53:25 > 0:53:30# I can even do reality. #
0:53:30 > 0:53:33It was just the track we all fell in love with off the album,
0:53:33 > 0:53:35and got the most excited about writing.
0:53:35 > 0:53:37'Then we got to the middle eight and thought,
0:53:37 > 0:53:38'I don't know what we're going to do.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41'Geri was like, I do know what I'm doing in the video.
0:53:41 > 0:53:44'I'm going to kill Ginger Spice.
0:53:44 > 0:53:47'I want the middle eight to be all about the death of Ginger Spice.'
0:53:47 > 0:53:50LAUGHTER
0:53:50 > 0:53:52- Wow!- That's the vocal booth.
0:53:52 > 0:53:55This is where I would have my emotional moment, "I'm scared."
0:53:55 > 0:53:57I'm sure I made you cry a few times.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59Yeah, I'm sure I cried a couple of times.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02Because you feel vulnerable when you're singing
0:54:02 > 0:54:05and putting yourself out there.
0:54:07 > 0:54:11You know, I was scared. There was always a little bit of scepticism.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15And so when it did well, it was just so validating
0:54:15 > 0:54:20and brilliant to feel that connection with people.
0:54:20 > 0:54:24This next lady took a huge risk going solo, but what a result.
0:54:24 > 0:54:30She's just done the treble, she's back on top, it's Geri! See ya.
0:54:30 > 0:54:34# Take me back to my sweet lavida
0:54:34 > 0:54:39# Find my love, my dolce vita. #
0:54:39 > 0:54:42'I was thrilled by the success of the album.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45'Mi Chico Latino was inspired by my Spanish roots.
0:54:45 > 0:54:50'Thank God I followed my heart. It got me four number one records.'
0:54:50 > 0:54:53Geri burned really brightly really quickly
0:54:53 > 0:54:55and she did some really smart videos,
0:54:55 > 0:54:58in a time when video really mattered.
0:54:58 > 0:55:02'She was really good at making herself relevant the whole time.'
0:55:02 > 0:55:03And she Geri'd it up.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08FIREWORKS EXPLODE
0:55:09 > 0:55:14When a new millennium arrived, Britain celebrated in style.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20Looking back on the '90s, the world had changed so much
0:55:20 > 0:55:25in so many different ways, it had been a magical decade for me.
0:55:25 > 0:55:28One of real opportunities, and I still feel that, in many ways,
0:55:28 > 0:55:32it was such a positive time to be young and British.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35The '90s for me were incredibly exciting
0:55:35 > 0:55:38because a lot of alternative, interesting, artistic people
0:55:38 > 0:55:40came through and made their mark,
0:55:40 > 0:55:42and they changed things, they really did change things.
0:55:42 > 0:55:46The values involved at that time were all about possibility,
0:55:46 > 0:55:48were all about openness.
0:55:48 > 0:55:54I think, for those reasons, it's important to celebrate the '90s.
0:55:54 > 0:55:57It was probably the last great opportunity to be ridiculous
0:55:57 > 0:55:59and get away with it.
0:56:06 > 0:56:09'What better way to end my decade,
0:56:09 > 0:56:15'celebrating femininity, and with humour, at the 2000 Brit Awards.'
0:56:16 > 0:56:18'I don't think we knew much about the actual Brit performance.
0:56:18 > 0:56:20- 'We were invited. - She did tell us a bit about it.'
0:56:20 > 0:56:23She said, "You're going to be quite surprised what I'm going to do."
0:56:23 > 0:56:25I think she kept it from us, yes, so it was like...
0:56:25 > 0:56:28I don't remember, but kind of going, look, a big pair of legs,
0:56:28 > 0:56:30and Geri's going to come flying out of a vagina!
0:56:32 > 0:56:34On top of that, she's pole dancing.
0:56:34 > 0:56:37So, it's like... It wasn't subtle, that's for sure.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40# Cos men are from Venus And girls are from Mars. #
0:56:40 > 0:56:44# Bag it up, don't drop the baby Boot it up, no buts or maybe
0:56:44 > 0:56:48# Wind him up, and make him crazy Whoa! #
0:56:48 > 0:56:51I think it's important to be able to have humour.
0:56:51 > 0:56:55I think it's a very British way to sort of get through
0:56:55 > 0:56:57some of the painful stuff, to laugh at yourself.
0:56:57 > 0:57:00You think, "Oh, God, you're taking yourself way too seriously, love,
0:57:00 > 0:57:01"get over it."
0:57:01 > 0:57:07So, I think, that album, for me, was a really good reminder that,
0:57:07 > 0:57:10just be honest, be yourself, get on with it.
0:57:10 > 0:57:14It was a good end to that decade.
0:57:16 > 0:57:18'We've come a long way.
0:57:18 > 0:57:20'That little kid with a red car.
0:57:20 > 0:57:22'The little girl who became Ginger Spice.'
0:57:24 > 0:57:26It is absolutely, it is nothing like anyone imagined.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29It's not glamorous at all.
0:57:29 > 0:57:33'But I've realised, however much we've changed over the years,
0:57:33 > 0:57:36'we're still the same people at heart.
0:57:36 > 0:57:40'I guess this journey back in time has helped me look forwards too,
0:57:40 > 0:57:42'towards the road ahead, and the next stage of my life,
0:57:42 > 0:57:45'and making more music.
0:57:45 > 0:57:48'And, if there's one thing that will always remind me of the '90s,
0:57:48 > 0:57:53'it's this, the little red car I dreamed of as a child.'
0:57:53 > 0:57:54On my birthday,
0:57:54 > 0:58:00my lovely husband found the very car.
0:58:00 > 0:58:04I think it was 17 years later since I sold it.
0:58:05 > 0:58:09The guy that had bought it in Yorkshire had still got it.
0:58:10 > 0:58:14I swear to you, I started crying when I saw it.
0:58:14 > 0:58:15I couldn't believe it.
0:58:19 > 0:58:23'This car represents a '90s dream, the freedom.'
0:58:23 > 0:58:28And this little MGB Roadster is me. I just love it.