British girl band The Spice Girls (L-R) Victoria Beckham, Melanie Chisholm, Gerri Halliwell, Emma Bunton and Melanie Brown pose for the media as they arrive at the Greenwich Royal Observatory in London, June 28, 2007. [Photo: Reuters]

Talk of a Spice Girls reunion has swirled for weeks - boosted by Sporty Spice herself - and on Friday the vivacious five said they would make “an announcement to the world” next week.

Gossip took a major leap, and suddenly old film clips of the 1990s pop sensations were all over British television.

The statement issued by the quintet’s management company seemed designed to move the rumors up a notch and stretch them out for a good week.

Victoria (Adams) Beckham (Posh Spice), Melanie Chisholm (Sporty Spice), Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice), Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) and Melanie Brown (Scary Spice) formed the Spice Girls in 1994. They became a global hit before splitting in 2001.

Chisholm, who had opposed a reunion, recently told the British Broadcasting Corp. she had changed her mind.

The Spice Girls’ 2000 album, “Forever,” had weak sales, and they began concentrating on their solo careers.