By Hanna Flint and Sarah Fitzmaurice

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Thigh-skimming dresses, outlandish fur coats and towering heels have often been considered the Essex girl uniform.

And Geri had the look down to a Tee when she arrived to give Rylan Clarke a dancing masterclass.

The X Factor contestant couldn't hold back his excitement when the Spice Girl began to show him a thing or two on the dancefloor.

Essex girl: Geri Halliwell looked like a cast member from TOWIE as she surprised X Factor contestant Rylan Clarke during rehearsals for the live shows

Essex girl: Geri Halliwell looked like a cast member from TOWIE as she surprised X Factor contestant Rylan Clarke during rehearsals for the live shows

As one fifth of the country's biggest girl band it comes as no surprise to see Geri lending her support to the talent show this week.

The theme is Best of British, and after performing at London 2012 closing ceremony, the Spice Girls definitely fit under this category.

Surprise! Rylan looks ecstatic when Geri crashes his dance practice to give him some top tips

Surprise! Rylan looks ecstatic when Geri crashes his dance practice to give him some top tips

Bear hug: Geri gives Rylan a big hug moments before ditching her jacket to give the X Factor contestant a dance lesson

Bear hug: Geri gives Rylan a big hug moments before ditching her jacket to give the X Factor contestant a dance lesson

Rock the mic: Rylan gets some top performance tips by veteran singer Geri who is happy to help the Essex lad

After losing her thick coat, Geri got down to teaching Rylan some of the performance tips she had picked up over the years from touring with the girl group.

This was a return to The X Factor for Geri, who was a guest judge during the audition stages of the competition.

And according to Ginger Spice, girl (or boy) power starts from the stomach, as she placed her hand on her midriff whilst singing into an imaginary microphone.

Mentor: Years of performing with the biggest girl band on the planet, made sure Geri had a lot of advice to offer Rylan

Mentor: Years of performing with the biggest girl band on the planet, made sure Geri had a lot of advice to offer Rylan

Hands in: Ginger Spice and her student enjoyed a bit of friendly playtime as they get to know each other in the dance studio

Hands in: Ginger Spice and her student enjoyed a bit of friendly playtime as they get to know each other in the dance studio

Following suit, Rylan got into position but pointed his free arm in front of him as Geri looked on to give comments and critique.

Rylan and Geri seemed to bond very quickly, as they held hands and laughed at each other during the masterclass.

Speaking to MailOnilne at the Kardashian Kollection launch party on Thursday night, Rylan revealed that Saturday night's theme on the X Factor.

Best of British: The theme this week on The X Factor means contestants will pick songs from legendary British acts like the Spice Girls

Best of British: The theme this week on The X Factor means contestants will pick songs from legendary British acts like the Spice Girls

Break time: Teacher and student have a rest and a chinwag after some intensive performance training

Break time: Teacher and student have a rest and a chinwag after some intensive performance training


When asked if he might slip into Geri's famous Union Jack dress Rylan giggled but failed to answer and said: 'I can't say anything'.

With Geri making a surprise visit to the Essex boy's dance rehearsal, it's likely Rylan will perform a classic Spice Girl's track.

So after being saved by Tulisa last week in the Sunday night sing-off, the Essex boy will be hoping Geri's top tips will help get him the public vote.

He told MailOnline: 'I'm just so happy to be in the competition, I'm just enjoying every minute of it.'

Rylan also revealed that he plans to take Nicole Scherzinger on a night out in his home town of Essex.

He said: 'Oh yes I will be taking her to Faces, she would love that.'

Union Jack? Rylan refused to say if he would be wearing Geri's most famous dress for The X Factor live show on Saturday

Union Jack? Rylan refused to say if he would be wearing Geri's most famous dress for The X Factor live show on Saturday