Spice Girls tipped for chart domination after selling out show in 38 seconds

The Spice Girls are widely tipped to have a Number One single by the end of the year after tickets for their hometown reunion show sold out in just 38 seconds.

Bookmakers Ladbrokes are offering odds of 1-4 that the group will be at the top of the charts before the New Year, and 3-1 that the group records this year's Christmas Number One.

Three new dates - December 16 and 18 and January 2 – have been added to their London schedule, and the singers have released another promotional picture to mark the successful comeback.

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New mother Emma Bunton, who is thought to have been pregnant at the time of the shoot, looks more slender than ever in the photograph, perhaps with the help heavy-handed airbrushing.

Typically, a scantily-clad Victoria Beckham did her best to command the most attention by throwing both hands thrown in the air while the rest of the group kept their poses more demure.

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The five Spices, now all in their thirties, start their global tour in the United States on 7 December, nearly 10 years after they last performed in public together.

Fans were asked to register their interest when the tour was announced this summer, with more than a million applying in the UK alone.

Around 20,000 people were picked randomly for the London concert and emailed with the news they had been successful.

All 20,000 responded in just over half a minute to accept their tickets.

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The Spice Girls say on their website: "It's been fantastic to see how strong girl power still is in 2007, and we want to thank you for your support."

During their peak Sporty, Ginger, Posh, Scary and Baby sold more than 55m records.

Geri Halliwell left the band in 1998, citing differences, and Emma Bunton, Melanie Brown, Victoria Beckham and Melanie Chisholm disbanded in 2001.

With the exception of Mel C, all are now mothers.

Their decision to reform is expected to net them £10m each.