Mel B's family are "worried sick" about her

Mel B's mother Andrea has spoken about her concerns over the singer's relationship with Stephen Belafonte.

The Spice Girl did not tell her family members that she had married the film producer at a secret ceremony in Las Vegas on June 6. Andrea Brown only discovered the news when it was finally confirmed to the press this week.

A report in yesterday's Mirror newspaper revealed that Stephen was once convicted of assaulting his ex-lover Nicole Contreras. Andrea has admitted that she and Mel's father Martin are now "worried sick" about the singer.

"I've had her dad on the phone constantly, he's panicking. It's awful," Andrea told The Mirror. "Me and Martin are worried sick after reading what was in The Mirror. I've been reading stuff about him on a Hollywood gossip internet site and it's frightening. There were all these comments about his past from so-called friends which were shocking. I've tried to contact her but couldn't."