Mel B has discussed her decision to get a tattoo tribute to her ex-husband Stephen Belafonte cut off her body, revealing she now keeps it in a jar. 

The Spice Girl had the message “Stephen, until death do us part, you own my heart” inked up her ribcage, until she had it surgically removed last year. 

Detailing how she took the drastic step to “cleanse” her body after ending the relationship, Mel told the ‘Loose Women’ panel she still has the skin that was removed at home.

She said on Tuesday’s show: “What I went through was so horrific and this one particular tattoo that my ex forced me to have was, ‘Stephen until death do us part, you own my heart’.

“So I convinced a good friend of mine, a doctor – ‘can you just cut it off my body?’ I wanted [Stephen] removed from my body.”

“I’ve saved it in a jar. It’s at the top of my wardrobe. I know it’s there,” she added. “It’s like a rape victim, the first thing you want to do is get in the bath and scrub every part of your body to get that person off you, so in essence that was kind of what I did with some of the surgeries that I had.

“Just to make myself feel clean and new again. I didn’t want to have any remnant of him on me.”

Mel and her ex-husband split last year, and had their divorce finalised a full 16 months after she first filed papers.

She has accused him of physical and emotional abuse during their 10-year marriage, and has recounted her experiences in new autobiography ‘Brutally Honest’. 

Mr Belafonte has vehemently denied all of the allegations made against him.

Earlier this year a judge in Los Angeles ruled that Mel would have to pay her ex-husband’s legal fees of $350,000 (£270,000), as well as £3,800 a month to him in child support.

She recently claimed she was left with just £800 and a suitcase of clothes when she walked out of her marriage, but admitted the upcoming Spice Girls reunion was helping her get through the difficult time. 

‘Loose Women’ airs weekdays at 12.30pm on ITV. 

• Refuge– Domestic violence help for women and children – 0808 2000 247
• Visit Women’s Aid– support for abused women and children – or call the National Domestic Violence Helpline, run by Women’s Aid and Refuge, on 0808 2000 247
• Broken Rainbow– The LGBT domestic violence charity – 0845 2 60 55 60
• Men’s Advice Line for advice and support for men experiencing domestic violence and abuse – 0808 801 0327