Geldof axes Spice Girls from Live 8
Campaigning rocker Bob Geldof has axed the Spice Girls from this summer's star-studded Live 8 charity concert - because he fears they aren't popular enough.
The Wannabe stars hoped to reform the band for the gig and perform together for the first time since 1998, when Halliwell quit the group.
But Geldof has ended weeks of speculation about whether the pop fivesome are being reconsidered for the historic event, by confirming they have been dropped from the line-up, because they have lost their huge fanbase.
He explains: "I can't afford to have bands who won't pull the crowds. This is a political event, not a cultural one.
"If I get people who are currently selling 15 million albums, then there's an audience of at least 15 million people for the concert. It's a question of who is popular right now; that's the way it is.
"The whole thing with the Spice Girls isn't about my personal taste - my kids sing their stuff. But there just aren't enough people out there who would want to watch them."
