Simon Cowell ‘desperate’ to lead Spice Girls comeback

SIMON COWELL has always maintained not signing the SPICE GIRLS is the “biggest mistake” of his life.

But 20 years on, he is trying to rectify that.

I can reveal he is leading the race to snap up the girlband for a 20th anniversary comeback.

Simon got his masterplan under way after inviting Scary Spice MEL B to be a guest judge on The X Factor last week.

He made her a formal offer, begging her and the girls to sign with him.

My backstage source revealed: “Simon is desperate to make a new Spice Girls album. He doesn’t want to miss out after the first time around.

“He spent the auditions last week quizzing Mel about the band and said he would do ‘something mega’ if they signed with him.

“He kept asking if they were going to be producing new music and said if so, he wants to do it with them.

“He even went as far as warning Mel that they’d better not talk to any other labels before meeting with him.

“Mel deliberately kept coy and told him they ‘hadn’t finalised everything’, but he wouldn’t leave it alone.”

Simon has masterminded the careers of ONE DIRECTION, LITTLE MIX and WESTLIFE, but the one thing that keeps him awake at night is failing to sign the girls.

Even them performing in a car park couldn’t get him on board.

Mel B previously revealed: “Simon was coming out of work and we kind of hijacked the car park he was in and just sang for him.

“We said, ‘Look, we’re going to be famous one day, can you sign us?’ He said, ‘No, it’s not going to work’.”

He was eventually trumped by music mogul SIMON FULLER, who he later fell out with as a result of legal battles over The X Factor and Fuller’s show American Idol.

I was the first to break the news of the Spice Girls reunion last year and told how VICTORIA BECKHAM has refused to join in.

MEL C is the latest member of the band to drop out of the plans, as I recently revealed.

If anyone can persuade them to come back, it’s Simon.

THE HOSTESS WITH MOSTEST OUTFITS

GIGI HADID raced through an impressive six costume changes while hosting the iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards.

DRAKE was the big winner at Sunday’s event with five gongs, but Gigi’s fella ZAYN MALIK missed out on his two prizes.

Unsurprisingly he didn’t show up for the party in Toronto, a week after pulling out of London’s Summertime Ball citing “anxiety” issues.

In a new interview, he hinted his wild lifestyle may be the real reason, saying: “I’ve not been feeling too well recently because I’ve been partying too much and not looking after myself. I’m just trying to take care of myself.”

Luckily Gigi knows how to cheer him up, as he added: “Netflix and chill. Yeah, we do that a lot.” Too much information.

RITA BACK ON TRACK

FOUR years after releasing her debut album RITA ORA is finally gearing up for her next record.

Yesterday she signed a global deal with Atlantic Records, putting to bed months of uncertainty after falling out with her old label Roc Nation.

I revealed last month how Rita was preparing to put pen to paper with Warner Music, which owns Atlantic, after settling her dispute with JAY Z’s firm.

Here she is with manager Sarah Stennett, president of Atlantic Records UK Ben Cook and Warner boss Max Lousada in New York after completing the deal.

Rita said: “Music is my first love and I am looking forward to getting my new songs released.”

GLASTONBURY: 1 DAY TO GO

A WHOLE 16 years after he last played the festival, the late DAVID BOWIE is getting a Glastonbury tribute.

As my exclusive picture shows, the Pyramid Stage has been decorated with a huge lightning bolt, synonymous with the artwork from his 1973 album Aladdin Sane.

The giant symbol will hang above the festival’s largest stage, which will host headliners MUSE, ADELE and COLDPLAY this weekend.

And on Saturday night its first-ever classical headliner will pay homage to the icon.

PHILIP GLASS’s Heroes Symphony, inspired by Bowie’s historic 1977 album, will be performed on the Park Stage by a 50-strong orchestra.

Event bosses MICHAEL and EMILY EAVIS have announced the festival’s first charity album in tribute to MP JO COX, who was tragically killed last week.

A great touch.

In weirder news, I can reveal that actor BRIAN BLESSED has lent his booming voice to one of three talking loos to promote WaterAid’s Toilets Save Lives campaign.

Glasto will kick off tomorrow and I’ll bring you all of the action in Bizarre over the weekend.