Claire & Gemma Talk to Now Magazine

Sisters share their most intimate secrets and borrow each other’s clothes. But what happens when one becomes famous? Claire Richards, a singer with the pop phenomenon Steps, and her younger sister Gemma, a sales administrator, reveal all…

Gemma on Claire:

When I see Claire up on the stage with Steps, the spotlight on her and the audience chanting her name, I feel a huge sense of pride. It’s not everyone who can boast that their big sister is part of a successful pop group, or benefit from the perks that go with it. How many other 21 year olds go backstage at concerts, dine at fancy restaurants, hobnob with famous people and have access to her sister’s designer wardrobe? But it’s more than that.

We’ve always been close and I feel like I’ve been with Claire on her rise to stardom, ever since we dressed up as a cauliflower and a carrot for a local vegetable show. I was four and Claire was five at the time, but even in the early days you could tell she was destined for fame. We both did ballet and tap until I was nine and we were always prancing around the house, performing little shows for our mum and dad. I was the actress and Claire was the singer.

She’s got a wonderful voice and was often chosen to sing in school assemblies and shows. But apart from our love of the stage and our similar looks, we were actually quite different. I was the confident one and Claire was the quite shy. That was until she stepped on stage – then she really came alive. There’s only 16 months between us, but Claire definitely took on the elder sister role. She felt she always got the blame for everything and says I was a great little actress, throwing tantrums and play-acting to get my own way.

By the time we got to our early teens we went through a phase of really hating each other. Looking back we were just going through the teen adolescent thing together. When I left school at 16 I trained to be a hairdresser, while Claire stayed on to do her A-Levels. At 17 she had thoughts of becoming a PE teacher, but she never gave up her dream of being famous. She’d always get ‘The Stage’, a weekly newspaper for actors, on the look-out for her big break, so it wasn’t a surprise when she announced she was going to be in a new pop band.

I’ll never forget the day of her audition four years ago – she was so nervous, I went too, to give moral support. We almost didn’t get there because we got lost on the journey to Epsom, Surrey. But we found the place in the end and then her only hurdle was beating off the strong competition from the hundreds of other wannabes desperate for stardom. It was a day-long audition during which Claire had to sing and dance. By the end of it all I was absolutely exhausted, never mind Claire! But it was all worthwhile when at the end of the day they said Claire had been chosen to be a member of Steps. We were thrilled – and the rest if history.

But fame doesn’t come without it’s drawbacks. Claire is the same as ever, but inevitably the way others treat her has changed. We used to love nothing more than a day out shopping, but these days it’s difficult because Claire is constantly recognised and people can’t resisit coming up to her in the street and saying, “You’re in Steps, aren’t you?” Claire doesn’t really mind because it’s all part of being famous. And there are still a few local pubs and clubs that we’ve been going to since we were teenagers where everyone knows Claire and don’t bat an eyelid when they see her.

I don’t tell many people my sister is a singer with Steps because in the past I’ve always been bombarded with questions about her personal life. Everyone at the computer firm where I work knows, though, and I’m forever having to get autographs for their friends and family. Claire’s known my boyfriend Jonathan, a 21 year old car valeter, since our school days, so he isn’t awestruck by the fact that I have a famous sister. Luckyily our taste in men is quite different – Claire tends to go for tall, dark and handsome, whereas I’ve always preferred men who are muscular and blonde.

It’s hard for Claire because she never knows if men like ehr for her personality or just because she’s famous. She hasn’t got a boyfriend at the moment but I think she’d like to find someone special. Like most sisters, we’ve had our share of squabbles, normally over thinsg liek wearing each others clothes. Now Claire has the most fantastic wardrobe and, as we’re the same size, I’m never short of something nice to wear. I always return the favour, anyway, by cutting and colouring her hair. we’re constantly arranging surprises for each other, some bigger than others. For Christmas this year, she gave me a nodding dog to put in the back of my old Fiesta, but when I went outside, she said, “No,not that one, this one!” I turned to see a brand new Fiat Punto full of balloons.

There are advantages to being famous, but I don’t envy Claire’s hectic life. Being so close I’ve realised just how hard she works. I was the bridesmaid in Steps Tragedy video and our parents were in it too. It was incredibly tiring, shooting from very early in the morning until late at night. Sometimes Claire goes to bed really late and still gets up at the crack of dawn to travel and I don’t think I could cope with that. To the outside world it must seem like a glamourous lifestyle, but I know as much as she loves going to celebrity parties and meeting famous people, it really is exhausting work. And even though I know she enjoys travelling, Claire always looks forward to coming home. It has made me appreciate my quite life. We speak on the phone virtually every other day and I really look forward to claire’s calls. Sometimes I can tell immediately how she is feeling.

Life in our household is always buzzing with Claire around. She still lives at home, although instead of sharing a room together as we did when we were growing up, now she’s in the loft conversion. I really miss her when she’s away on tour, so as soon as she gets home we get together with Mum for a gossip, talking into the early hours of the morning. It made me realise that despite her fame, and the fact that we probably don’t see each other as much, we’re closer than ever. To me she’s just Claire, my big sister. And in that way her being a pop star hasn’t changed us at all.

Claire on Gemma:

If you’d asked me years ago what I wanted to do I’d reply, “I want to be rich and famous”, but I never dreamed that it would happen. When we were young most people would think that Gemma would end up on the stage, not me because I was always the quite one. being in Steps has given em loads of confidence and changed my life in many ways, but Gemma is my only sibling and our friendship is as strong as ever.

Before I go on stage I often see a good luck text message from Gemma flash up on my mobile. It always put a smile on my face and makes me realise how lucky we are to have eahc other. After a non-stop week of concerts and after-show parties, it’s great to get home. I love my life and I wouldn’t want a nine to five job, but I do envy Gemma and her privacy.

I also realise that I am very lucky to be earning a lot of money for doing something I love as well as being able to travel the world at such a young age. Gemma and I did have petty squabbles when we were younger, but as we got older we calmed down and now I turn to Gemma for advice on everything – I know she’ll always tell me the truth. Sometimes I look at Gemma and her boyfriend jonathan and think how nice it would be to have a relationship like theirs.

I don’t believe you can plan life – five years ago I never dreamed that my life would be like this – but I hope that within ten years or so I’ll marry and have children. At the moment I’m single and, ironically in my position, it can be difficult to have a relationship.

It’s harder to meet someone being in the limelight because I never know if they like me or the fact that I’m a pop star. Gemma’s a brilliant confidante and although she isn’t blunt, she lets me know what she’s thinking by the tone of her voice. But I think I’m probably the same with her. I really value her opinion – after all, I know she has my best interests at heart. Our lives are very different. My typical day might involve rehersals for Top Of The Pops, while Gemma’s revolves around a day at the office. But simple things like our sense of humour will never change.

I suppose I could move out of home and buy a house, but are things that money can’t buy. I couldn’t be away from Gemma for long – I’d miss her too much. That’s why I chose to stay at home with the people I love around me. Going home and seeing her and my family keeps me sane when life gets hectic. I don’t have to be the glamourous Claire from Steps.

I can just be myself because Gemma never treats me any differently. She really is my best friend.

To read the interview with Claire and her Mum from OK! magazine, click here.