The group performed late on Thursday in the Norwegian capital Oslo as a quartet, having also appeared without Halliwell on Wednesday night in London for BBC Television's National Lottery show.

On Thursday, a band spokeswoman said Ginger Spice's absence was caused by a stomach bug, and that she was resting.

But a spokesman for the Spice Girls on Friday said he could not comment on reports in The Sun tabloid that the red-haired singer had walked out, possibly for good. He said: "All I can say is, she's having a couple of days off. Where it goes from there I don't know. I am sure that will be figured out soon. It is hard to be more specific than that."

The mass-market Mirror reported that the other four members of the all-female band -- known as Scary Spice, Baby Spice, PoshSpice and Sporty Spice -- did not believe that Halliwell was seriously ill.

They claim that she has become a prima donna in recent months and refused to carry out some of their more unglamourous commitments, the daily said.