Girls in the Showbiz

ITV and the BBC are locked in a battle to get the Spice Girls on their primetime Saturday night shows. The X Factor and the Beeb's Strictly Come Dancing have both approached the re-formed band to bring Girl Power to their series. An ITV source said: "There have been discussions, but it would be difficult to get them on the final X Factor because they are playing a gig in London that night. "The solution is to do a live feed from their concert. They could also do a masterclass with the finalists and advise them on how to deal with fame. It would be a ratings winner for sure." But Emma Bunton competed in the last series of Strictly and Mel B is taking part in the US version. So with two of the girls already dedicated fans they may be tempted to make an appearance on the dancefloor. A BBCinsider said: "The girls could perform a song or simply come down for the evening and give a few comments on the performances of the celebrity dancers. "We would love them to make an appearance in some capacity." A tv source said: "The shows are such bitter rivals it would be impossible for the girls to appear on both." Last night the Spice Girls had not committed to either show and a spokesman declined to comment.