Husband Jimmy Gulzar: "She's just a child of the future man"

Pheonix Chi was born on Friday night three weeks' prematurely, but a spokesman for London's Portland Hospital said both the baby and her mother were doing well.

Spice Dad Jimmy Gulzar is delighted with a "wicked" baby

Mel B, 23, and her dancer husband Jimmy Gulzar celebrated the arrival with the three other Spice Girls.

The proud father announced the news an hour after the birth, which happened at 6.42pm on Friday evening.

He said: "I am very happy to announce that I have a beautiful daughter."

"The birth went just smooth and she sends you all her love," he said.

Mel B has something to shout about

Asked how his wife was, he said: "She is wicked. The baby was 5.5lb and she is the child of the future. She is called Phoenix Chi. Being a dad is a professional career."

The new family will now return to their home in Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire.

The other three Spices issued a joint statement saying: "We are really proud of Melanie - it was true girl power. We are all Spice aunties now."

}Sporty Spice, Mel C, added as she left the hospital: "She's beautiful, I am very proud."

Mel B and Victoria Adams have worked through their pregnancies

She shouted "girl power" to the photographers and well-wishers gathered outside.

Alan Edwards, spokesman for Mel B, explained to reporters that Phoenix meant fire and Chi meant aura. Phoenix Chi was a mixture of both her mother and father, he added.

He said he did not know why the couple had chosen the name but he believed it was a "unisex name which could be applied to either a male or a female".

'Great buzz'

Well-wishers gathered outside the exclusive hospital. American teachers Jackie Deluccio, 56, and Karen Thanasoulis, 30, said they were thrilled at news of the birth.

"We were here for an hour last night but we've got to fly back to New York in a few hours," said Jackie.

"I love the Spice Girls and my favourite is Baby. We missed seeing any of them last night but we're hoping to get Mel's autograph today if she comes out.

New mother Lee Jacobs, 29, of Bushey, Hertfordshire, who gave birth to her daughter Chloe six months ago but stayed at the Portland Hospital last night after going for a check-up, said as she left: "There's a really great atmosphere in there - it's a bit of a buzz."