Victoria Beckham explains why she didn’t used to smile on the red carpet

Victoria Beckham has said she was “happy” in old pictures where she was told she looked “grumpy and stern” at the time, as she addressed her reputation of “being such a miserable cow”.

The former Spice Girl celebrated her 50th birthday with an extravagant star-studded bash at the exclusive private member’s club Oswald’s in Mayfair, London on Saturday (20 April).

She has since reflected on her decades long career following the milestone occasion and insists she was happy in red carpet pictures, in which she was often called out for not smiling enough.

“I looked at some pictures of myself recently and was really struck by how happy I looked,” she told The Sunday Times.

“In the past I’ve always looked at those red carpet pictures of me and seen a woman who looks nervous and insecure.”

She said her expressions as a woman were misconstrued by the media as she continued: “Everyone else saw a woman who looked grumpy and stern — I suppose that’s how I got the reputation of being such a miserable cow.”

Victoria and David Beckham at the Met Gala in 2008 (Getty Images)

However, she has since been far more free-spirited as she recently led a rendition of her band’s hit classic “Stop” at her birthday party.

The former singer and fashion mogul’s birthday celebration in London was attended by all four of her former bandmates: Geri Horner, Emma Bunton, Melanie Chisholm and Melanie Brown.

Former England footballer David Beckham was seen recording a selfie video of the group as they sang the song in his direction and delighting fans.

A-List actors Tom Cruise and Salma Hayek, Desperate Housewives’ Eva Longoria, musician Marc Anthony, and filmmaker Guy Ritchie were in attendance at the party estimated to have cost a staggering £250,000.

The fashion designer took part in a Netflix series on her family life last year, leading to a flurry of memes and nostalgia. Beckham, saw the eponymous couple open up about their class backgrounds and marriage difficulties.

Victoria told the ST that she found it difficult to watch the last episode of the series until public reaction had settled.

“It was on a flight to Miami that we finally watched it,” she said. “David suggested we get a bottle of wine. It was a nice moment — we both felt really proud.”

She added: “I don’t get nervous when I’m playing myself but it was certainly a real process.”

From news to politics, travel to sport, culture to climate – The Independent has a host of free newsletters to suit your interests. To find the stories you want to read, and more, in your inbox, click here.