Keeley Hawes has revealed she tried to convince her childhood pal Emma Bunton that she should quit The Spice Girls. The actress, 50, lived with the singer while they attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School, and has shared how Baby Spice struggled with the challenges of preparing to perform with the band.
Keeley insisted she had 'nothing against' the band, but grew concerned that Emma was struggling with being away from home. Reflecting on the early years of her career, The Durrells star admitted it could be 'really tough' while starting out.
Keeley said: 'Emma was at boot camp training to be a Spice Girl and she came home one weekend feeling very homesick. She said she wasn't sure she wanted to go back and I said, "Just leave. Stay here with me, I'll look after you."'
Keeley went on to tell The Times: 'It can be really tough when you're young and starting out. Sometimes you're working hard without sight of the end goal and it's daunting being away from people you love.'
Emma herself previously shared her struggles while at theatre school, telling The Mirror in 2020: 'I did have my days when I'd get very homesick. I'm very, very close to my family. My mum travelled with me, and having her there was wonderful. I've learnt so much from my parents and I want to support my boys too. I want them to find their passion.'
Keeley herself previously shared that whilst she loves working with her husband Matthew Macfadyen, they definitely do not consider themselves a 'power couple'. The couple met on the set of BBC show Spooks in 2002 and will celebrate their 22nd wedding anniversary this year.
To the excitement of fans, they teamed up again for the 2023 show Stonehouse, and Keeley has gushed that she is keen to continue their onscreen partnerships. 'I'd love to work with my husband!' Keeley, 50, told Grazia. 'I love my husband. I love working with my husband,' adding that the Succession star has 'got excellent taste' in scripts.
Between them they have seven BAFTA nominations, two Emmy wins and fifty years of acting experience, but Keeley insisted they are not a power couple, musing: 'Do you ever feel like a power anything? Not really. You just feel like two people talking about who's going to get the dry-cleaning.'
Keeley is mum to 25-year-old son, Myles with her ex husband Spencer McCallum and she and Matthew, 51, share daughter Maggie, 21, and son Ralph, 19. The actress has revealed though that only her youngest son wants to follow in his parent's well-trodden footsteps, proudly gushing that 'he's just got into drama school. I've got a primary schoolteacher, a hair and make-up artist and – hopefully – an actor.'
Whilst she has an acting family, the TV star also cryptically revealed in the interview that there are some fellow stars who are an immediate red flag. Keeley founded her own production company in 2019, which has headed up the likes of black comedy Finding Alice and BBC thriller Crossfire.
Admitting that the producing side of her job 'is not glamorous,' she explained how picking scripts is based on instinct. '[I look for] readability. You start reading it like a book. It's almost like having a chemical reaction.' She added though that 'there are a couple of actors…' who are red flags in determining if she will say yes.
Keeley and Matthew are lauded for having one of the strongest marriages in Hollywood after meeting on the set of Spooks 24 years ago in 2002. In October 2025, the pair celebrated 21 years of marriage, with Keeley taking to Instagram with a selection of loved up snaps, in what became one of her most liked posts, as she penned: '21 years. No notes. Love you with all my heart.'
Speaking to You Magazine she said: 'It doesn't feel like 21 years, by any means. We just sort of have a nice time. And also, you become more relaxed [as you get older]. It would be weird to have a marriage where things don't go up and down occasionally in 21 years, but we're very happy.'
Explaining it is the simple things that have resulted in their lasting relationship, she said that now their children have left home they make sure to do things together, particularly travelling and spending time with each other.
