'Peter Andre was my secret crush'

Claire Richards on her new solo album, the truth about life in Steps and coping with perimenopause symptoms

- TONY COWELL

Claire Richards is best known as one fifth of the band Steps, the pop superstars who are still topping the charts after 26 years, having sold more than 22 million records worldwide.

Catching up with new to chat about her latest venture, the singer is eager to talk about the fabulous female artists who have inspired her second solo album, Euphoria.

But there was a certain male celebrity who also made a huge impression on her. Claire, 46, was recently back on our TV screens competing on ITV’s Cooking With The Stars alongside one of her idols, Peter Andre. She laughs as she confesses it brought back memories of unrequited love.

“The last time I saw Peter properly was in the 90s. He won’t remember this, but we were all on a Smash Hits tour and staying in the same hotel. I was in love with Peter, I really was,” she says smiling. “He was my secret crush. But he was a few years older than me, so he probably thought I was just a kid.

“I used to wait backstage for him and hope he’d notice me, but he never did. In those days, I always wore a crop top and combat trousers. One day, I bumped into him in the corridor and he just bent down, gave me a little peck on my tummy and walked off. During the filming of Cooking With The Stars, we had some time to catch up and talk about the old days – but I didn’t have the heart or the courage to remind him of that kiss!”

Last year, Steps celebrated 25 years of making hit records. After their split in 2001, Claire and her band members – Lee Latchford-Evans, now 48, Ian “H” Watkins, Lisa Scott-Lee and Faye Tozer, now all 47 – went their separate ways, pursuing careers in musical theatre, reality TV and presenting before reforming in 2011.