Mel B is doing "great" since filing for divorce from Stephen Belafonte.

The former Spice Girls singer split from her husband in March and accused him of being abusive, but her friend Louis Walsh - who worked with her on 'The X Factor' in 2014 alongside Cheryl Tweedy and Simon Cowell - insists she's putting the past behind her with the support of her friends and is just as feisty as ever.

Louis, 64, told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "She's not called Scary Spice for nothing.

"We've all been in touch with her. Everybody loves her because her life is an open book. There's no secrets with Mel. She tells it like it is and she's not perfect."

It was previously claimed 'X Factor' boss Simon had helped Mel leave Stephen by giving her the push she needed to walk away from the relationship.

The music mogul and others working on 'X Factor' and 'America's Got Talent' felt there was something "seriously wrong" with the marriage, but the 42-year-old singer would never admit to anything and made various excuses to explain away her bruises.

However, the Syco boss eventually "stepped up" to warn Mel her husband was a "bad guy" and "bad news" and encouraged her to leave.

And the insider claims the 'Viva Forever' singer - who has five-year-old daughter Madison with Stephen, and Phoenix, 18, and Angel, 10, from previous relationships - is giving Simon part of the credit for her finally calling time on her 10-year marriage.

It was also claimed Simon had helped Mel get in touch with a divorce lawyer after she tried to overdose on Aspirin due to stress before 'The X Factor's live finale in 2014.

A source said: "Although no-one was sure what was going on, Simon and the team at Syco really became concerned at 'The X Factor' finale in 2014.

"In the days afterwards, following her release from hospital, they tried to help her leave Belafonte. They introduced her to divorce lawyers to help her to go through with it."