STEPS Uncovered – The Naked TOTP Interview

OK, let’s get personal. What would you say are your best qualities?
Lee: I’m caring and sensitive and I like to look after people, I’m like the big brother of the group – I’m there for the hugs.
Lisa: I’m outgoing and confident. If you’ve got a bit of confidence then you can go far in life.
H: I don’t pretend to be anything I’m not. Lots of people try to be really cool when they’re not – I know I’m not cool. I just like to have a laugh and if people don’t like me, then they can leave me.
Claire: I’m pretty laid-back and loyal.
Faye: I’m very ambitious. If I want something I’ll really go for it and put all my energy into getting whatever it is.

So that’s the good stuff. But what are your worst qualities?
Lee:  (Sighs) I’m caring – sometimes too caring. It works both ways and sometimes people are like, “Just leave me alone!”
Lisa: I’m incredibly stubborn and can cut off my nose to spite my face because I won’t back down.
H: I’m annoying. I don’t know when to stop. People always get their own back on me though.
Claire: Sometimes I’m too easy-going which goes against you because people take advantage. They know that I don’t usually say no.
Faye: I’m not always as confident as I need to be and I miss opportunities. And when I say something stupid I get really embarrassed and dwell on it for ages. I’ll just go over what I’ve said and it’ll be the tiniest thing that no one else thought anything about. I’m crap!

Everything’s going swimmingly for you at the moment but what sort of worries keep you awake late at night?
Lee: Nothing. i’m a hard git! The only time I start worrying is about personal things, like when I’m starting to get involved with someone. That’ll take my mind off work, I’ll be thinking, “Where is she and what is she doing?”
Claire: If we’re doing something important, like a big live performance, that might worry me to the point where I won’t be able to sleep.
H: Dance routines and lines to our songs keep me awake at night. Sometimes I have a song going through my head and I can’t get to sleep. Last night I had Billie’s Because We Want To going round and round in my head – that’s why I’m so tired today. She’s got a lot to answer for, has that Billie!

Who gets on best with who?
Faye: We go to each other for different reasons, I don’t think we’re closer to one member than another.
Lisa: H is great if you’re feeling down, not that we do very often. If you want a good laugh, go to H. And Faye and I are partners in partying. If I need someone to go out with then I’ll say to Faye, “Come out and be my partner in crime for the night!”
Claire: H and I get on really well because we’ve got similar mental ages.
Faye: Lee’s a very cuddly, sensible person to go to.
Lee: I think I’m closest to H simply because he’s another guy in the band and we can talk about guy things together. Having said that, Lisa likes to talk about guy things too! We all get along!

You spend so much time in each other’s company – do you ever get sick of each other?
Claire: Not sick of each other but, if you spend as much time as we do with anybody, you do get impatient every so often. We’ve got the kind of relationship though, where if someone’s feeling fed up with everybody else we know to leave them alone and in a couple of hours they will be fine.
H: We spend so much time travelling together that we try to find things that amuse ourselves so that we don’t get sick of each other. We play I-spy, or me and Claire just talk crap. Because we are all in the same situation and we’re all going through the same things, we are understanding of each other.

There are millions of pop star babies at the moment…
Lee: I’m 36 and married with two kids you know! (But quick to assure TOTP that he’s joking)
… so would you like children in the future?
Faye: Never!
Claire: One day. I think I’ll make a good mum, I’m quite maternal. It won’t be for a while yet, I want to get my career sorted first.
Lee: I think I was put on this earth to be a dad. My parents are the best ever and I like to think I’ll be like them. I’d like to have a daughter and when her boyfriend comes round I’ll really wind him up.
Lisa: I used to be very much like Faye but, maybe because I’m getting older, I’ve come around to the idea a bit now. It’ll be well in the future though!
H: I love kids. My dream is to have kids. I’d love playing with them – I’d be in their toys before they were and I’d buy all the Disney videos to watch myself. But I’ve got no plans yet…

OK, let’s talk naked! Which bits of your body do you hate anyone to see without clothes?
Lisa: I hate my feet! I’ve got dancers feet from doing point work (hardcore ballet stuff) for years and they’re completely wrecked.
Lee: The bottom of my legs. I’ve got quite a strong upper body but my legs are dead skinny. All through my life I’ve been called chicken legs.
Claire: I hate mine as well.
Faye: My hips. If you turn me round you can see the lamb chops on the side of my hips – yuk!
Lisa: Lamb chops? I’ve never heard of that one before!

Does it worry you that an ex might sell a saucy story to the tabloids?
Lisa: It’s something that has always been on my mind because it happens a lot. All my boyfriends have been long term and I’m still in touch with them now. They’ve all said that if anyone did approach them for a story they’d just say what a nice girl I am.
Claire: I haven’t had a boyfriend for long enough for them to be able to say anything much about me. The worst they’d be able to come up with is, “She was really horrible, she never rang me back.”
Faye: The thing that worries me is that people are going to make stuff up and that other people will believe it. I’ve led a really good life and I don’t want anyone to tarnish it by making stuff up.

Would you do a naked centrefold for a raunchy mag?
H: They wouldn’t want me. They’d have to pay me a lot of money. Or I’d have to pay them.
(CR.net: H later went on to do a naked-ish shoot where he got his bum out!)

How much cash would persuade you to bare all?
H: A lot! Not because I think my body is worth a lot but just to get me to do it.

Are we talking millions?
H: We’re talking hundreds of millions.

What about the rest of you?
Faye: No way.
Lisa: Never, never, never. Not for a million pounds. I don’t even fancy doing a bikini-type shot. I think that your body is for you and the person you love, not for the rest of the world to gawp at. There are plenty of page 3 girls out there. They don’t need me.
Claire: I don’t think I could, even if I was paid a million pounds. I’d be too embarrassed.
(CR.net: Claire later went on to do a nude-ish shoot for Closer magazine where she went global talking about the importance of confidence in your body.)

Lee: Hmmm, I don’t know. Maybe if there was money involved. I think it depends where you are in your life. If you need the money and you’ve got the body, then why not?

(CR.net: Lee later went on to do a nude-ish shoot for Attitude magazine.)

Do you ever wander around your house with not very many clothes on?
Claire: I do when I’m getting ready to go out. I always get dressed last. I usually sit down to do my make-up, which takes ages, so my clothes would get all creased.
Lisa: Us girls share rooms a lot and we always do our make-up in our underwear!
Lee: I think that in your house you should be able to do whatever you want and no one’s got any right to interfere, so I’ve got every right to walk around the house naked. I don’t lie there naked watching the TV or anything but maybe I’ll just pop into the kitchen quickly…

Have you ever had a friends style Ugly Naked Guy experience?
Lee: I don’t think so. i’m just wondering if anyone’s ever caught a glimpse of me naked.
Lisa: No, and I wish I had. My house is on the top floor so I can’t really look into anybody’s windows!
Faye: My house has got plain, glass windows and no net curtains, so not only can I see into the houses opposite but when a double-decker bus comes past the entire top deck can see into my front room. You’ll be walking around in your underwear, getting ready and it’s like – ooh the number 97’s outside!
(CR.net: Pretty sure that’s the East London bus route that was a night-bus we used to take!)
H: We had a nosy neighbour across the way from us when I was a kid. We called her Mrs Mangle (a nosy character in Neighbours aeons ago) and we watched her undress. It wasn’t a pretty sight, let me tell you!