Mel B praises GMB's Susanna Reid for queuing to see Queen after Holly and Phil row

Spice Girl Mel B has weighed into the row over celebrities "queue-jumping" to see the Queen lying in state during an interview on ITV.

The singer was invited on to Good Morning Britain (GMB) following Her Majesty's funeral to reflect on her own encounters with the Royal Family.

But she used the opportunity to express her views on the controversy surrounding high-profile figures who have been criticised for apparently dodging the lines to see the Queen's coffin as it lay in state at Westminster Hall.

While speaking to GMB host Susanna Reid from her home in Leeds, Mel pointedly drew attention to the debate, saying: "Before I forget, Susanna, you queued for seven hours. My gosh, I have so much respect for you. I did anyway, but even more so now. What was that like?"

Apparently caught off guard by the question, Reid thanked the singer for asking and said it "felt like a pilgrimage" and that it was "an honour to be with all the other people in the queue".

Mel, who was given an MBE for her services to domestic violence victims, interjected: "No queue-jumping for you!"

Reid – in an apparent defence of some of those who have been criticised – said: "Some people had to work, of course. I was there with my mum."

Mel B's comments come after Reid's fellow ITV presenters, Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, faced a huge social media backlash after they were pictured in Westminster Hall on Friday without having taken part in the public line.

On Tuesday's episode of This Morning, Willoughby denied they had jumped the queue, saying: "Like hundreds of accredited broadcasters and journalists we were given official permission to access the hall.

"It was strictly for the purpose of reporting on the event for millions of people in the UK who have not been able to visit Westminster in person."

She added: "Please know that we would never jump a queue."

An estimated 250,000 people saw the Queen lying in state over the five days before the state funeral.

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