H READY FOR LIFE
H E’S spent the past 19 months dealing with the demands of being a new dad to lively twin boys rather than recording or performing on stage.
The busy world of fatherhood came after years in the spotlight with Steps for Ian “H” Watkins.
But as one fifth of popular ’90s pop band Steps he is back performing again and will kick off a reunion tour with his bandmates today.
His life recently has been more about nappies than dance steps as he’s embarked on fatherhood with his husband Craig Ryder.
They are the proud parents of twin boys Macsen and Cybi, who are now 19 months old, and 41-year-old H admits it’s been an emotional whirlwind.
Add a new album and comeback reunion tour with Steps to the mix and you can see why H is still pinching himself at the prospect of getting back on stage.
H, from Llwynypia, said: “It’s incredible. We knew we always wanted to celebrate our 20th anniversary but we’d all gone off and moved away, done different things, had families, and so there was really no guarantee that any of this would work out.
“But, honestly, the response has been incredible. Nothing is ever guaranteed in the music world but we honestly couldn’t believe the response we had to the album and then to the announcement of the tour as well.
“I think we sort of looked back and worried that perhaps we’d been overrated the first time round, that people would have lost interest in Steps, but that didn’t seem to be the case.”
The group released their current album Tears on the Dancefloor which even gave Ed Sheeran’s Divide a run for its money at the top end of the charts.
And the band once again teamed up with Abba musical legends Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, who wrote a song for their very first album.
Then it was announced that the five-strong band, who broke hearts when H and Claire left on Boxing Day back in 2001, will be touring around the country – including a visit to Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena on Wednesday, November 29.
And that meant H had to get back into shape with visits to the gym after pretty much being a stay-at-home dad since the boys were born.
And it’s a job he’s found massively rewarding, albeit tiring, as he deals with two very energetic toddlers at his home.
He said: “We moved to Cowbridge and the boys go to nursery a couple of days a week which gives me a chance to catch up. Honestly, they are so much fun but it’s so exhausting.
“They are called Macsen and Cybi and are non-identical and have really different personalities. One of them really reminds me of my brother and the other one is like me.
“We are thoroughly enjoying them but who knew it could be so manic? We moved to Cowbridge because we wanted to be in a lovely area with good schools and they love going to nursery.
“I don’t get a chance to sit down though as I use that time to catch up with everything else!”
H is also a keen artist and horse rider but he admits that he hasn’t done either since the boys arrived.
“I don’t have time for anything like that now. They are my main priority and they come first.
“My spare time now is made up of washing babygrows! I’ve absolutely loved being a stay-at-home dad. It’s been amazing and we have so much fun together.
“And even though I’m about to get back on stage with Steps they will always come first.
“Once I knew we were going back on tour I got myself to the gym, prepping for it mentally and physically. There is a gym nearby that has been working me very hard with cardio work. I’m 41 now so not getting any younger.”
Any working parent knows that planning is vital and H admits it’s a military operation just getting out of the door some mornings. But he has Craig and lots of friends and family nearby who will help out when the tour kicks off in Belfast tonight.
“I’ve found it all very humbling to be honest. I think we are all very grateful that people still seem to like our music.
“And it’s great that those that were kids when we were around first time might now have got kids of their own who will be coming to watch the show. It’s about a celebration of what we did then and what we are doing now.”
Old classics like One For Sorrow and Last Thing On My Mind will be getting an airing from Faye Tozer, Claire Richards, Lisa Scott-Lee, Lee Latchford-Evans and H but in brand new ways.
There will be medleys and mashups of new and old hits as well as new twists on old favourites.
It will be nostalgia, giving people a chance to reminisce, but also enjoy the new songs like Scared of the Dark and Story of a Heart.
And, of course, it’s also been an opportunity for the band to look back on the glory days of Steps which saw them release four albums and 17 singles.
They had a string of hits between 1997 and 2001 including two number one singles, two number one albums, 14 consecutive top five singles and a