Bang Showbiz

Mel C credits her daughter for helping her to become "more confident and courageous".

The 38-year-old singer – who split from her three-year-old daughter Scarlet's father, Thomas Starr, earlier this year after 10 years with him – admits she experienced "difficult times" when she first became a mum, and is surprised at just how much her life has changed since giving birth.

She said: "I'm so much happier, more confident and courageous and it's all thanks to her.

"There were difficult times. In the middle of the night when she'd cry, then I'd start crying – but the rewards are fantastic.

"I knew when I got pregnant that things would never be the same again, but I didn't realize just how much things would change for me."

Mel admits she found it "really tough" being away from Scarlet to tour musical 'Jesus Christ Superstar' – in which she played Mary Magdalene – and while she always feels "guilty" when she is away from her little one, she admits work is like a break because she is "so exhausted" from looking after her daughter.

She told Britain's OK! magazine: "I had to go away for two weeks with the 'Jesus Christ Superstar' tour. It was really tough. I don't want to do something like that again.

"Being a stay-at-home mum is probably the hardest job because it's so exhausting looking after children.

"Sometimes coming to work feels like a break! But when you go to work, you do have this guilt. It's hard".