Five years after conquering her weight demons, the Steps star tells Closer why it’s a constant battle to stay slim
She famously battled with her weight for years in the spotlight, yo-yoing between a size 8 and a 20, but it took turning 40 and shedding 6st to finally make Claire Richards feel comfortable in her own skin.
And Steps singer Claire – who suffered from anorexia and bulimia in her twenties – says while she will never let her weight spiral out of control again, she thinks about food daily.
“I think about the impact it’s had on me in the past, and it is a daily struggle,” she admits.
“There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t think about food. But I’ve got to a point where I’ve managed to maintain my weight for nearly five years now, so I feel like I’ve got to a place where I’m all right."
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1 of 401952
Al Martino - 'Here in My Heart'
2 of 401953
Frankie Laine - 'Answer Me'
3 of 401954
Winifred Atwell - 'Let's Have Another Party'
4 of 401955
Dickie Valentine - 'Christmas Alphabet'
5 of 401959
Emile Ford and The Checkmates - 'What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For?'
6 of 401958
Conway Twitty - 'It's Only Make Believe'
7 of 401957
Harry Belafonte - 'Mary's Boy Child'
8 of 401956
Johnnie Ray - 'Just Walking in the Rain'
9 of 401960
Cliff Richard and The Shadows - 'I Love You'
10 of 401961
Danny Williams - 'Moon River'
11 of 401962
Elvis Presley - 'Return to Sender'
12 of 401963
The Beatles - 'I Want to Hold Your Hand'
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The Beatles - 'I Feel Fine'
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The Beatles - 'Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out'
15 of 401966
Tom Jones - 'Green, Green Grass of Home'
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The Beatles - 'Hello, Goodbye'
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The Scaffold - 'Lily the Pink'
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Rolf Harris - 'Two Little Boys'
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Dave Edmunds - 'I Hear You Knocking'
20 of 401971
Benny Hill - 'Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)'
21 of 401972
Little Jimmy Osmond - 'Long Haired Lover from Liverpool'
22 of 401973
Slade - 'Merry Xmas Everybody'
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Mud - 'Lonely This Christmas'
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Queen - 'Bohemian Rhapsody'
25 of 401976
Johnny Mathis - 'When a Child is Born'
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Wings - 'Mull of Kintyre/Girls' School'
27 of 401978
Boney M - 'Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord'
28 of 401979
Pink Floyd - 'Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)'
29 of 401980
St. Winifred's School Choir - 'There's No One Quite Like Grandma'
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The Human League - 'Don't You Want Me'
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Renée and Renato - 'Save Your Love'
32 of 401984
Band Aid - 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'
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Shakin' Stevens - 'Merry Christmas Everyone'
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Jackie Wilson - 'Reet Petite'
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Pet Shop Boys - 'Always on My Mind'
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Cliff Richard - 'Mistletoe & Wine'
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Band Aid II - 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'
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Cliff Richard - 'Saviour's Day'
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The Flying Pickets - 'Only You'
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Queen - 'Bohemian Rhapsody/These Are the Days of Our Lives'
“I was always small, but I got big after Steps split up. That’s when I struggled. I overate, and that was why I became the size I was. I don’t eat that much any more.”
However, she admits she’s still not at the stage where she feels comfortable using public changing rooms.
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She says, “I never try on clothes in changing rooms. I’ll always buy them and then try them on at home. It’s a habit I got into when I was bigger.”
Despite conquering her weight demons and embracing her body, Claire admits that she initially found turning 40 last year a huge struggle.
She says, “For the two years leading up to it, I was terrified and having panic attacks, thinking, ‘Oh my God, it’s all over.’ But it’s so weird, I woke up a couple of weeks after my birthday, and I thought, ‘I feel really good.’
"Now, I accept my flaws and I’m happy with myself."
Claire's first solo album My Wildest Dreams is out 1 February. She tours the UK in December.
Read more of Claire's story in this week's Closer magazine - out now.