Spice Girl Geri read Jackie Collins novels when she was a teenager

Spice Girl Geri Halliwell-Horner has revealed she read Jackie Collins' racy novels when she was a teenager.

The singer and children's author said she hid from her mother the fact she was reading one of Collins' novels – describing it as being full of “bad words”.

Halliwell-Horner, 51, said she read books by Enid Blyton and CS Lewis as a child, but her choices became spicier as a teenager.

“I remember when I was a little bit older, I was probably in my mid-teens, reading something, I think it might have been something by Jackie Collins – something like that that is a little riskier.

“My mother said to me, 'What are you reading?' and I was like “Nothing” because there were a lot of bad words in it.

“I have always loved books and I always have them in my bag.”

The former pop star, who is married to F1 boss Christian Horner, was speaking at the Hay Festival to promote her children's adventure series Rosie Frost And The Falcon Queen.

The book follows orphan Rosie Frost who is sent to a mysterious island, home to extraordinary teenagers and also a sanctuary for endangered species.

Halliwell-Horner signed a two-book deal and said she hoped it would become a trilogy in the future.

The series follows the success of his Ugenia Lavender series, first published in 2008.

“I’ve always loved the power of words and appreciated this storytelling,” she told the audience.

“You can tell it in three minutes in a song – it’s like an espresso of coffee – or you can tell a story in a novel.

“There are different ways to connect but the power of words, I’ve always loved that.”

When asked why she wrote children's books, Halliwell-Horner replied: “I've always loved books and I've always loved what they do.

“They can keep you company. When I was a kid, we didn't have a lot of money to go on vacation, but when you get a book, it's like you're your best friend.

“A book can take you on an adventure. These characters can fulfill you and you can learn a lot of things.

“I loved reading. Before getting into music, I studied English literature and I always felt great satisfaction from it.

“I always wrote poems and books when I was little and I think around my thirties I wrote children's books.

“For me, if you're creative, it itch so much that you have to scratch. I feel frustrated if I'm not creative.

“For me, it's about the character and if you don't like the character, why bother turning the page?

“I just felt that the character of Rosie Frost is at a difficult age and a turning point. I also felt like the world needed a new hero and someone who wasn't perfect.

“I had this desire in me to do it, I didn't know if I could, I didn't know if I should do it, but I just kept trying.

“With a little perseverance and falling a few times, I got there.”

Halliwell-Horner said she loved being a mother and a writer and was able to raise her children while still finding time to write.

“I have always loved the power of words. No matter who you are, everyone has a story, everyone has something interesting to say,” she said.

“When I had my first child, I had already started writing my first book. The great thing about being a writer is that you can do it anywhere.

“I remember with my first child, Bluebell, I would put her in the playpen, her little play prison, and I would start writing.

“I thought it was really helpful and it gave me autonomy and I could still be creative and still be a mother.

“I want to be with my children – they are the most important thing in the world to me. But I also want to honor myself as a creative human being.