Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
It’s Cowgirl Power, Mel
Star’s Wild West trip to honour Isabelle
MEL B saddled up for the ride of her life in the Wild West to mark the achievements of 19th century English explorer Isabella Bird.
The intrepid Spice Girl joined forces with comedians Ruby
Wax and Emily Atack on the epic journey.
Bird travelled solo for more than 800 miles across America on horseback in 1890, after being prescribed “mountain air” for her depression and malaise.
She scaled mountains, foraged for food and slept outdoors, sometimes in snow.
Wax, 69, came up with the idea of following in her footsteps for the BBC show Trailblazers, after feeling dismayed
Bird had been forgotten by history.
Mel, 47, said: “Isabella’s right up there with her charisma and determination.
“I would like to think I could aspire to have the drive she had. What she did was incomprehensible, in her time, with the limited access to food and clothing.”
Mel, Ruby and Emily tried their hand at rodeo riding and tried to climb one of Colorado’s 14,000ft mountains.
Bird’s travels in the Rocky Mountains were carried out during the danger days of the gold rush.
Wax said: “Isabella is my heroine. We were seeing what a woman could do more than 100 years ago, wearing nothing, sleeping in the snow and being so brave around men, who were killers. She’s the beginning of the feminist thing and we never hear about her.”
Inbetweeners star Emily, 32, said the experience helped her uncover her own strength. She added: “I’ve been labelled a bit of an airhead for a lot of my life, but it’s just not the case.”
■ Trailblazers, BBC2, Monday at 9pm.