Claire Richards

Claire Richards

Claire Richards is an English pop singer and television presenter, born in 1977. She is best known as a member of Steps, and also performs as part of H & Claire and TSD.

Early career

Richards begins her recording career in 1995 with TSD, formed with Cossie and Bonnie. The group releases two singles, “Heart and Soul” and “Baby I Love You”, before being dropped by their record company. After Bonnie leaves, Mariama joins the line-up, but the group later splits, with it emerging that the producer only wants to work with Cossie.

Steps

After working as a receptionist for seven months, Richards answers an advert for Steps in Stage. She attends the audition with her younger sister Gemma for support, gets lost on the way, and sings Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High” and The Eternals’ “I Am Blessed”. She is selected for the group, alongside members including Faye.

Steps release “5,6,7,8” in 1997. The single reaches number 14 in the UK and number one in Australia. Over four years, the group achieves 13 consecutive UK top-five singles and sells more than 12 million singles and albums. Richards also appears in the video for “Last Thing On My Mind” wearing the catsuit seen at her audition. During her time with Steps, she also co-presents Steps To The Stars with H in 2000, and presents television shows including SM:tv/CD:UK, Electric Circus, MTV Select and Stars and Their Doubles with Des O’Connor.

Steps score UK number one singles with “Heartbeat/Tragedy” and “Stomp”, and receive a Brit Award in 2000 as the biggest-selling act of that year. After a greatest hits tour in late 2001, the group splits on Boxing Day 2001.

H & Claire

In January 2002, Richards and H make their first television appearance after the Steps split and announce that they will continue as a duo. They sign a £4 million record contract with WEA Records. Their debut single, “DJ”, reaches number 3 in the UK charts. Their album, released in 2002, includes contributions from Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, who rewrite some of the lyrics to “Another You Another Me”, originally recorded by Gemini. Other songwriters on the record include Sam Watters, John Reid, Topham & Twig, Jorgen Elofsson, and Richards and H themselves. The duo also presents SM:tv for five months from April 2002, alongside Tess Daly and Brian Dowling. Richards later takes a break from the duo and marries Mark Webb.

Later personal life

Richards splits from Mark Webb in 2005, later becomes engaged to Reece Hill, and gives birth to her first child, Charlie, in 2007.