The former Spice Girls singer – who already has two daughters, Phoenix Chi, 10, and two-year-old Angel Iris, from two previous relationships – wants to extend her brood in 2010 with husband Stephen Belafonte.

She said: 'We definitely want to have kids at some point in 2010 or the beginning of 2011, because this year's going to be pretty busy. Stephen has twins in his family and I would love to have twins. I think there's something nice about having two babies, and they're there for each other their whole entire life. That would be ideal for me. But just one healthy baby would be more than fine. That's all you can wish for.'

Mel – who raised Phoenix and Angel alone before she married Stephen in 2007 - believes sharing parental responsibilities has stopped her from being a 'super strict' mother.

She explained to Britain's Hello! magazine: 'Before Stephen was part of our family, I was super strict, because it was just me being mum and dad all in one. Now, I think I've gone a little bit softer because I can. We share the responsibility of raising the kids. So it's nice to be able to go, 'Oh Stephen, you tell her about her homework today!'

'As parents we're very routine-based. Bedtime's at a certain time every night. They have to tidy their rooms. That's what I grew up with, and I think that gives them responsibility and respect for their things.'