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Mel B's daughter Phoenix Chi Gulzar recently made her TV debut (Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Mel B’s daughter Phoenix Chi Gulzar has caused uproar after she branded Prince William the “ultimate nepo baby” in her new Channel 4 documentary.
In her new show, Born in the Limelight: Nepo Babies, the 25-year-old examines how society treats different types of ‘nepo babies’, placing particular emphasis on the future King and Brooklyn Beckham.
She also investigates why the public appear more accepting of royal privilege compared to celebrity offspring.
The show reveals a stark contract in public perception, with social media analysis showing 51 per cent of references to Bekham’s career in a negative light. Meanwhile, Prince William faces significantly less criticism, coming in at just 35 per cent.
In the documentary, she asks: “I wonder why society has accepted the ultimate nepo baby in the Royal Family but not in the world of celebrities?”
In her Channel 4 documentary, she banded Prince William the "ultimate nepo baby" (Image: Jordan Peck|Getty Images)
The show explores how aristocratic privilege often escapes the same level of scrutiny faced by children of stars in the entertainment industry.
Brooklyn, also 25, has pursued various career paths including modelling, photography and cooking, with his online cookery show notably requiring 62 people to film him making a sandwich. He currently describes himself as an “entrepreneur” and has recently launched a £29 organic hot sauce business.
In contrast, Prince William’s career path has been much more traditional, serving in the RAF before spending two years as a pilot for the East Anglian Air Ambulance Service.
The Prince of Wales later stepped down from his aviation role to focus on his royal duties and charity work. The 45-minute long special also features Ollie Williams, a former Love Island contestant from an aristocratic background, who shared his thoughts on the difference in visibility between old and new money.
Speaking of the aristocracy, he revealed: “You won’t always see the private jets and the helicopters and the Ferraris. You’re more likely to see tractors and old Land Rovers and labradors.”
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She explored the idea of nepo babies in the royal family compared to celebrity offspring (Image: Instagram)
In a revealing experiment, Gulzar tested the art world’s response to privilege by launching herself as an artist with “deliberately terrible paintings.”
Her debut show attracted a wave of press attention and celebrity guests, with her pieces selling for over £2,000 each despite their intentionally poor quality.
To further demonstrate the impact of family connections, Gulzar and recent Slade School of Art graduate Betty Ogun conducted a test by sending almost identical internship request letters to prominent art world figures.
The only difference was Gulzar’s mention of her famous mother, Mel B. The results were overwhelmingly telling: Gulzar received several responses whereas Ogun received none.
This experiment emphasised how family connections can open doors into creative industries, regardless of merit or qualification.
Gulzar acknowledges her own privilege position in the documentary, insisting that she “can’t deny that having Mel B as my mum has opened a few doors”.
Speaking to the Radio Times, she described the discourse around celebrity children as having become “toxic”, “febrile”, and “poisonous”.
She explained: “Even when nepo babies are great at their job – and any are – they face a backlash fuelled by misunderstanding, jealousy or resentment.”
The documentary struggled to find participants, with only Jack Keating, son of Boyzone’s Ronan, agreeing to take part out of 90 approached nepo babies.
Gulzar noted: “Nepotism is everywhere, no matter what area you work in. It’s just that the entertainment industry is very visible.”
Keating, now a radio presenter, admitted his father’s connections helped him enter the industry but maintained that talent was necessary for career longevity.
English (US) ·