A more interesting question would be ‘how did this happen’

Don’t know, but perhaps Mel picked up the cheque (isn’t that how you spell it in Americaneese ? Or are your fingers frozen in your Cold remote corner of the world?)

"isn’t that how you spell it in Americaneese ?" Nope. ;-) That's how you Limeys insist on spelling it and only since the 19th century. :D We the People, still retain the older spelling originally used by our British cousins. "Check is the standard American English spelling."