My wildest dreams are coming true says Claire
weight is the only thing anybody wants to talk to me about and that’s annoying,” she sighs, the smile fading from her face for the first and only time during our chat. “Because of the world we live in today it’s about what everyone looks like, isn’t it? But I’ve been the same size for about five years now and I have no intention of going back to how I was.”
Her exercise of choice is walking around the lake near her home in Virginia Water, Surrey.
She also enjoys cooking healthy meals so does husband Reece pitch in? The smile is back as she says: “I don’t let him in the kitchen because he likes to put everything in a frying pan with eggs.”
Claire and Reece, a former publicity manager, tried for another baby but having failed to conceive she says now: “It wasn’t meant to be and I’ve accepted that. I do think whatever life throws at you is for a reason. I’ve got my career back, I’ve got two amazing kids whom I adore and they think I’m great still.”
Born in Hillingdon, Middlesex, Richards was in a short-lived girl trio called TSD before joining
Steps at 19. After the band split she and band member Ian “H” Watkins released records as
H & Claire and she later went on the ITV talent show Popstar To Operastar, but this is the first music on her own.
Why has it taken so long? “As
H & Claire we had three hit singles but when the album didn’t do well I took it quite badly. To be honest I suppose I was embarrassed that it didn’t work out the way I’d hoped. Then life happens. I got married [to first husband Mark Webb], got divorced, had a baby, got married again, had another baby. But now just feels like the right time.”
IT WASN’T daunting when she was recording the album because she’s used to being in the studio alone. When Steps, who reformed in 2011, make a record they lay down their vocals separately. “So the process of recording was quite similar, but now getting up on stage and everything is me feels a bit weird, even down to silly things like the chat between the songs. I avoid that as much as possible when we’re putting together a Steps show. I’m always the last one to volunteer to do the between-songs banter.”
And, no, this isn’t the end of Steps. They’re now working on their sixth studio set and are planning more live dates. “We try and make our shows as entertaining, exciting and fun as possible because when you go to a concert you want to forget about everything for a couple of hours. Everybody goes away with a smile.”
Before that, though, Claire will be supporting Céline Dion in Hyde Park on July 5 and is hoping to meet her idol before the show. “I remember years ago we were at the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party and when we were stood in the wings Céline was there too and she said to Faye ‘I love your hair’. I was so jealous that she spoke to Faye and not me.”
Richards doesn’t have any backstage diva demands. “All I need is a kettle, that’s it. With Steps we always have a bit of prosecco too but only after a show, never before.”
After coming fourth on 2013’s Celebrity Big Brother would she ever do more reality TV? Strictly Come Dancing maybe, giving how well Steps’ Faye Tozer did on the show last year?
Claire’s not sure. “You watch it and think ‘It looks amazing’ but having seen Faye go through it you realise that it’s really hard work.” She laughs. “Plus whenever I’ve had to dance with another person, rather than doing dance moves in a Steps line-up, it’s never gone very well. I just end up getting picked up and plonked down so I’m not sure I’d be a good Strictly candidate.”
My Wildest Dreams is out now