Spice Girls’ hit song ‘Spice Up Your Life’ is now being censored by radio stations.
The group’s classic track was first shared back in 1997 and went on to be one of the most recognisable tracks from Mel B, Melanie C, Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell and Victoria Beckham. Upon its release, it stayed in the charts’ Top 20 for six weeks, and then remained in the Top 40 for 12.
However, a controversial line in the song has led to the track now being censored by numerous radio stations.
The original lyric read: “Yellow man in Timbuktu. Colour for both me and you,” although radio stations including BBC Radio 2 are now playing an amended version of the hit with the word “Yellow” removed.
Controversy around the lyric goes back to 2019 too, when reports emerged that the group were considering replacing the word “Yellow” with “Happy” for their reunion tour that year. This decision was later thrown out, and they played the song with the original lyrics.
Metro also highlights that a censored version of the hit song was played during an episode of Doctor Who back in 2023, when characters spoke over the lyrics.
A representative from BBC Radio 2 has shared a statement with The Sun, saying that the edit was not made by them, but is rather an amended version that is being played by numerous stations.
