Topsy curvey Geri

It is a discovery which comes as a surprise to nobody except Geri Halliwell herself.

Since giving up her strict diet and regaining her curvaceous figure, men are suddenly much more interested in her.

'When I was skinny, it was like a desert,' revealed 32-year-old Geri. 'And the minute I got a few pounds on me, it changed. I'm quite shocked, actually, with the kind of attention I receive.'

In July, Prince Charles complimented the singer on her appearance when they met backstage at the Party in the Park concert. 'You look great - much better now you've put weight on,' he told her.

Watford-born Geri's love-life and weight have gained more attention than her recording career since she quit the Spice Girls in 1998

She had several failed relationships with men, including Robbie Williams and Chris Evans.

During her time in the band, she was a size ten-12 and weighed around nine stone.

She started to shed the pounds soon after her departure, enduring yoga workouts every day and at one point slimming down to a tiny seven stone, wearing size six clothes.

Over the last year or so she has slowly regained her curves and is now a perfect size ten, weighing just over eight stone. She also appears to have won her battle with various eating disorders including bulimia.

'When I hit 30 I stopped trying to control things,' she said. 'I'm more accepting. I stopped trying to be perfect - that's the big difference. It was so black or white with me. It was either full throttle or nothing. Now I realise life is a bit of both.'

Geri attends regular Overeaters' Anonymous sessions in Los Angeles, where she is now based, and says this helps her maintain a healthy relationship with food.

'For me, it's really important to eat enough,' she told Glamour magazine. 'Sometimes I eat junk food, sometimes I don't. But I don't let it make or break me.

'I try not to have my self-esteem wrapped into what my body looks like. At the moment, it's not bad. I'm grateful for it. It works, I can run, I can jump, I can play.

'Whether I'm as thin as a rake or round as a pudding, I have to walk in this body. I have to live in it, so I may as well appreciate it.'