Geri Horner defiantly declares she 'belongs to no man' while reading scathing poem on stage and warns: 'I think at least one person in here tonight needs to hear this'

She found herself embroiled in a scandal after her husband was accused of sending inappropriate messages to a female colleague.

But in an ultimate display of Girl Power Geri Halliwell took to the stage at the Royal Albert Hall to defiantly insist that she ‘belonged to no man’ after fears the allegations against Red Bull boss Christian Horner would destroy her.

Reclaiming her power on stage on Thursday night, Ms Halliwell appeared poised and confident as she chose to read ‘All My Life I’ve Belonged to No Man’ by 1800s radical feminist, Flora Tristan, during a star-studded edition of Letters Live.

As the only reader to make an opening speech, she described Flora as an ‘inspiration’ before reading the ‘delicious’ letter that she ‘couldn't wait to share.’

‘I think at least one person in here tonight needs to hear this letter,’ the 52-year-old told the packed Royal Albert Hall audience.

Dressed in a crisp white shirt and black bow tie, the Spice Up Your Life singer read aloud: ‘A superior woman must be superior with everyone and in all circumstances.

‘As for declarations of love, I received hundreds of them, I have the huge misfortune of being a pretty woman.’

She concluded: ‘I no longer get cross with those who behave badly, though it pains me,’ a statement that seemed to hint at the scandal which embroiled her personal life this year.

It comes just months after hundreds of alleged WhatsApp exchanges between her Red Bull racing boss husband Christian Horner, 51, and a female colleague were released via an anonymous email account.

Mr Horner, was accused of sending intimate late-night texts to a woman in her 40s, who took her concerns to HR at the Formula 1 team.

He has since been cleared of misconduct following an internal investigation which has allowed him to keep his £8million-a-year job.

At the time friends of the ex-spice girl warned the scandal would ‘destroy’ Ms Halliwell after she was left ‘extremely humiliated’ by the embarrassing fall out.

The couple, who married in 2015 and share a seven-year-old son, are said to be putting the furore behind them, despite fears this year that their marriage was on the rocks.

At the time, sources claimed Ms Halliwell was ‘mortified and angry’ as she stood resolutely by him throughout the allegations, which he always denied.

The accuser was later suspended following the findings of the investigation, which sparked fury from campaign groups who claimed ‘women just don’t have confidence that their complaints will be investigated properly.’

The spotlight on Horner is said to have impacted the couple's home life this year, which they split between their Oxfordshire farmhouse and a home in London.

While other stars made multiple appearances at the Letters Live event last night, Ms Halliwell later made a surprise disappearance and notably skipped the curtain call.

Benedict Cumberbatch was a dominant presence, as he took on three letters.

Dressed in a sleek black suit and tie, the Sherlock star at one point threw a leg onto the lectern and drew laughter with an animated reading of a letter by Ross Beeley.

As in 2023, the 47-year-old took centre stage during the curtain call as he led the cast to link hands.

Alan Carr was another comedic highlight, bringing his signature flamboyance to a reading of Joe Lycett’s letter which recounted a mortifying experience at Euston Station.

The 47-year-old strutted on stage and giggled through lines describing ‘a cascading waterfall of post-masala s***,’ which earned him some of the night’s loudest laughs.

The tightly kept secret lineup also included Ian Wright, Jameela Jamil, and Bella Ramsey.

Returning to London’s Royal Albert Hall for a special one-off show last night, Letters Live marked the 200th anniversary of the RNLI with calls to support the lifesaving organisation.

This year’s event follows in the footsteps of past editions, which have featured stars such as Colin Firth, Carey Mulligan, Olivia Colman, Jude Law, and Peter Capaldi.