TSD – THREE SEXY DAMES?

Two years before Claire was picked to be part of the pop phenomenon STEPS, she was part of a three piece girl band called TSD. Formed in 1995, Claire, Cossie and Bonnie (her TSD counterparts) were hoping to be the next big thing in an industry saturated with boybands. Their name came from picking three letters from scrabble and TSD stuck! It doesn’t have any real meaning, but Chris Rogers (the then Newsround presenter) thought it should stand for Three Sexy Dames.

TSD toured with many of the huge acts of the time, among them, Boyzone, Eternal and Pj & Duncan (Ant’n’Dec), trying to make a name for themselves – they even took part in the Smash Hits tour. This was Claire’s first big taste of fame and she admits she found it very strange when people began to ask her for her autograph, but she liked it.

They did have a fan base but it wasn’t big enough to please their record company, Avex. After releasing two singles, Heart and Soul which reached number 69 in the UK singles chart and Baby I Love You which peaked at 64, the group were dropped from their label, a decision which left Claire devastated.

She and Cossie initially decided to carry on together, and were joined by Mariama (who later went onto join Solid HarmoniE). Collectively they began working with a new producer but in the end, that producer decided they wanted only to work with Cossie. Bet they feel stupid now!

After being styled on the Clothes Show, touring in arena’s with 12,000+ people and living the pop star life for a year, Claire was forced to return to normality and fell from the dizzy heights of fame to the ground with a thud.

In-between TSD and STEPS, Claire had one main ‘normal’ job working as a temp receptionist in London for 7 months. And in May 1997, Claire won “Temp of the Month” proving that she puts 110% into everything she does.

TIME FOR A BIG BREAK – STEPS

Fans ought to be very grateful to Claire’s little sister Gemma… Our shy little Clara was so apprehensive about the STEPS audition, in Epsom, Surrey, that it took her little sister and her mum and dad to persuade her to go. That wasn’t the last hurdle she had to overcome either. Gemma and Claire got lost on the way to the audition and only just made it in time. But she made it in the end and was picked to be one fifth of one of the UK’s most successful pop groups.

The first photo of STEPS ever taken, after their audition. Source: Barry Upton / Facebook

STEPS enjoyed four highly successful years at the top, becoming the most successful British band second in line to the Beatles, and winning numerous awards. Kicking off releasing a line-dancing single that many people believed would be a one-hit-wonder in 1997, it went on to be the best selling track of the year despite never reaching higher than number 14 in the charts. Two singles later and the track that showcased just what Claire could really do was released – One For Sorrow.

Claire told TOTP, “It wasn’t actually supposed to be a single, it was just gonna be an album track. It was one of the last songs we did and we were running out of time (and) I did it about 4 o’clock in the morning. It was probably one of the best vocals I’ve ever done, I just done it really quickly as well, it didn’t take hours to do it and for that reason it was really special and because it was, at the time, the highest position we’d ever had and it was in the summer and it was just a nice summery song and we got to go to Italy to do the video too!” 

It narrowly missed out on reaching number 1, being pipped to the post by Manic Street Preachers – If You Tolerate This, but it cemented STEPS as a pop force to be reckoned with and kicked off their string of top 5 hits.

Whilst she was in STEPS, Claire got to fulfil a lifelong ambition, appearing as Karen Carpenter on Celebrity Stars In Their Eyes, having applied years before where she’d put Cher down a second option! Her performance as the talented drummer from Carpenters was sensational, and she also gave some quick advice to a future contestant who was appearing as herself…

Yes, that’s Claire talking about the nose wrinkle that is loved by fans and activates her super-powers:

But did you know she almost broke that perfect nose? Whilst she was at school she was being a good student, helping her German teacher carry his bags up the stairs but, as she tells it, “it was snowing and all the school corridors were wet and slippery. I slipped on the steps and fell flat on my face, right in front of a bunch of sixth formers. I thought I’d broken my nose!”

Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes wasn’t the only unique experience Claire had as part of STEPS, performing not just for tens of thousands of people in sold out arenas but also for Prince Charles:

In 1999 STEPS were up for a Brit Award for Best British Newcomer – an award voted for by the fans which they should have been a shoe-in to win. However, the award went to Scottish indie outfit Belle and Sebastian under a cloud of apparent vote-fixing – a claim that was investigated and denied by the BRITS show-runners. They made up for it in 2000 awarding STEPS a BRIT for Best Selling Live Act after their sold out arena shows around the UK.

All in all, STEPS sold 12 million albums, had 18 hit singles and even entertained Her Majesty’s best in Oman and they truly were at the top of their game when they decided to call it a day on that fateful day in December 2001 (26th).

WHAT ABOUT H & CLAIRE?

Exactly a month after the STEPS split was announced, Claire and H appeared together on television for the first time in an interview with CD:UK. They were interviewed by Cat Deeley and announced their plans to form a duo. So, no solo deal for Claire it seems. Instead, she had decided to team up with best mate H and “continue the STEPS sound”. Shortly after, their brand new website went live run by none other than the previous STEPS official webmaster, Jack. They then signed a £4 million pound 4 album deal with WEA London Records, part of the Warner Music Group, a deal exclusively broken to you by this very website.

On Monday May 6th Claire and H released their debut single DJ which entered the charts at number 3 continuing the line of top five hits they had with STEPS. However, not happy with dominating the charts, H & Claire decided it was time to dominate Saturday morning TV too and began a stint presenting SMTV with Tess Daily and Brian Dowling.

After the release of second single, Half A Heart, which sold just over 30,000 copies, and final single All Out Of Love the duo released their first album Another You, Another Me selling just 38,000 copies. Unfortunately, WEA London were unhappy at the returns their investment was producing and decided not to pursue options on additional album releases by the duo, leaving Claire devastated and heartbroken Claire fans up and down the country!

FAMILY, BABIES & LOTS OF TV

Thankfully, Claire had other things to occupy her mind and In August 2003 Claire walked down the aisle to become Mrs Mark Webb. Pictures were released on her official site for a few days, and the blushing bride looked stunning in a strapless ivory dress with her hair all tied up carrying white lilies in her bouquet.

Mark and Claire subsequently split up a year or so later with Claire reuniting with the “love of her life” Reece Hill – the man who was STEPS TV plugger when they were signed to a Sony Music subsidiary (and didn’t he do a great job?!). They got engaged at the end of 2005 and then in 2007, she had her first bubba, Charlie.

Later that year, Claire then took part in Celebrity Masterchef, showing how her cooking skills had advanced from the days of old, cooking Pasta a la Clara for the rest of her STEPS crew. She made it to the quarter finals with a dish that was described by one of the presenters as “nigh on perfection”.

2008 was a big year for Claire as she appeared for the first time on her own singing Tragedy on Everybody Dance Now – a performance that left fans wanting more, more, more! Claire was also preparing to get married to Reece and was determined to lose some weight for the wedding and threw a TV show in as part of it. My Big Fat Wedding drew an audience of over 700,000 people, showing that Claire was popular beyond the previous STEPS fans and that viewers all over the country could relate to her as the fabulous woman she is.

Recognising that people did relate to her, and wanted a fun, healthy way to stay in shape, Claire released a fitness DVD called Five Step Fat Attack, on 26th Dec 2008. Five Step Fat Attack was designed to be easy to understand and be able to be done from anywhere. It worked to a soundtrack of some of STEPS biggest hits and showed variations on different moves, intended to be used by anyone from beginner to advanced level. It went on to become the best-selling fitness DVD of 2009. Not content with dominating the fitness DVD chart, Claire also had a stint back in the Celebrity Masterchef kitchen again, this time cooking up a Thai Green Curry.

Claire, Reece & The Kids

Most importantly in 2009, Claire, Reece and Charlie welcomed an addition to their family, in the form of a bouncing baby girl called Daisy. Due on Christmas Day, Daisy was a few days late, arriving on 29th December instead.  [Editor’s note: Speaking as someone whose birthday is at Christmas-time, this will serve Daisy in good stead in years to come so that she gets a day all to herself, just as she deserves!]

In 2011 Claire took part in the ITV show called Popstar to Operastar, showcasing popstars trying to take on some of opera’s biggest and most challenging pieces. Claire proved her vocal chops, demonstrating a vocal range that surprised even her, and finished in 3rd place, losing out to Cheryl Baker and Joe McElderry.

Around the same time she was approached by Closer magazine, who wanted to do a naked photoshoot as a celebration of her curves. She’d previously said she’d never pose naked, telling TOTP Magazine, “I don’t think I could, even if I was paid a million pounds. I’d be too embarrassed.” However, she decided to go ahead with it, the photos turned out great, and she went viral, being interviewed on E! Tonight in the USA about her decision to take and publish the photos. 

BACK IN STEP

Then came the news STEPS fans worldwide had waited 10 years for – STEPS were reuniting to promote the upcoming release of The Ultimate Collection, released to mark the 10 year anniversary of the split of the band. They announced that they would be touring the subsequent year in 2012.

Fans got lucky in 2012, with not one but two tours happening, one in April and one happening at Christmas, alongside the release of a new album that featured one brand new STEPS song – Light Up The World. Not only that, but they released their first ever fragrance, called Guilty Pleasures. You can still get the fragrance from sellers on eBay but it probably doesn’t smell quite so good after 6 years!

In 2012 Claire published her own tell-all, releasing an autobiography that was deemed “searingly honest” by The Sun and went on to become a best-seller. It’s a great read, and you can buy a copy here. 

CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER

After many years acting in the SM:tv sketch Big Bovva, and once voicing the Big Bovva voice-over man, Claire finally got her shot at being in the real house in 2013. She spent 23 days in the house, being evicted in the final night and finishing in 4th place.

Whilst in the house she met new friend Rylan Clark, who had previously been in X Factor, and famously declared before she entered the house “I’m not being funny, but OMG it’s Claire from STEPS!”. And right he was to be so enthusiastic – she’s a bloody legend, so it’s no wonder the public continued to vote for her.

By the time 2014 rolled around Claire had become a regular panelist on UK Talk Show Loose Women and was embracing her good looks and sparkling personality by launching her own fashion line with Fashion World, a vintage-inspired collection that was designed for “women with boobs and bums!” She told the Daily Mail Online – “There’s nothing more feminine than seeing a woman in a fabulously figure-hugging frock showing off her shape.”

The next year saw Claire finally release her first ever solo material, in the form of a version of Deeper Shade of Blue that was recorded with one Mr Steve Anderson (remember that name, he’s important later…).

Then in 2016 Claire put her fame to good use and became the ambassador for UK charity Save The Children, promoting a campaign called ‘Den Day’:

#20YearsOfSTEPS

On New Years Eve 2016/2017 Claire and the rest of STEPS appeared at London hot spot G-A-Y to bring in the new year, and announce #20yearsofSTEPS – a celebration they were planning of 20 years since their first ever single release. This was welcomed with open arms by fans, who had wanted nothing more than the five-some to reunite, tour and give us all some more great music – taking most of us back to the heady days of our youth!

After being so well received on the gig at G-A-Y, they released a new single, Scared Of The Dark, in April 2017, which charted at number 37 on the UK Charts – not bad for a 20 year old pop-band who were around long before streaming music became a thing. They went on to release a brand new album, Tears On The Dancefloor, which was full of upbeat but lyrically melancholic pop tunes. The album spawned 4 singles which the group accompanied with music videos, the final video for Dancing With A Broken Heart ending on a black screen with “To Be Continued…” written on it – giving fans hope that there would be more.

Not happy with just a great STEPS comeback album and tour, Claire made a cameo appearance on Scottish soap River City in 2017. Surrounded by all those Weegie accents, it made her sound all the more posh, speaking the Queen’s English if you will… Not sure a girl from Hillingdon has ever been accused of that! 😉

DEBUT SOLO ALBUM – MY WILDEST DREAMS

In the summer of 2018 the group did a second tour in 9 months, going up and down the country with their Summer of STEPS tour. These were outdoor shows that were great for soaking up some sun, having a few wee shandies and dancing like no one was watching. Then, directly after the shows were done, Claire then made the announcement in August 2018 that made fans absolutely ecstatic:

She was releasing a solo album!!

Called My Wildest Dreams, it’s a 15 track extravaganza that you can buy now (info all available via our My Wildest Dreams page), from which she released a few songs before – On My Own, Deep Waters, End Before We Start and Shame On You.

The album was put together with producer Steve Anderson (with whom she previously recorded Deeper Shade of Blue in 2015) and came to life because of End Before We Start, which Claire recorded about 3 years ago, and then played to her manager on a trip to India.

As she told us in August this year, “Making this album has always been a dream of mine which I don’t think I was ready for until now. So 40 definitely has been a great age for me!”

The album was initially supposed to be released at the start of November but was pushed back to the following February – making that anticipation ever stronger for fans around the world.

THE SOLO TOUR 2019

This delay gave Claire the perfect opportunity to take the album on tour around the country – doing 4 dates in December in Glasgow, Birmingham, Liverpool and London. It was a very different show from a STEPS show – in much littler venues that made the show a lot more personal and no dance routines (unless you count the One For Sorrow hand moves that we may have inadvertently started in Glasgow, or the cute little air punching that came with River Deep Mountain High).

To make up for the album not having been released and fans not knowing many of the songs, Claire included a couple of STEPS tracks, a cover or two and a fully live performance of H & Claire’s All Out of Love which was incredible.

If you missed out on seeing her you can get the low down on what happened in our cross-country tour diary here.

THE ALBUM COMES OUT

If you think there was a bit of a comedown after the most amazing solo tour ever you’d be right, but it didn’t last long because on February 2nd 2019 Claire’s first ever (and we hope to be first of many) solo album was released. She was excited, we were excited, the whole damn world was excited!

As an added extra, Claire put together a fan listening party, where she invited people to enter a baking contest, and the winners were the lucky few who got an exclusive first listen to the album whilst getting baking tips from Claire herself. If you’ve seen any of her creations on Instagram, you’ll know she’s a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen.

It reached the iTunes top 10 in its first week of release and was BBC Radio 2 ‘Album of The Week’, setting her up nicely for a followup… 😉

SUPPORTING HER IDOL

If releasing her first solo album wasn’t enough, 2019 is the year that Claire’s wildest dream came true and she supported Celine Dion at Hyde Park British Summer Time event. She’s been a Celine fan for years (even performing her version of River Deep Mountain High for her STEPS audition) so it’s no wonder she was thrilled.

She talked at length in interviews about how she was considering baking Celine a sticky toffee pudding (it’s Celine’s favourite) and waiting outside her dressing room but she wasn’t too sure about whether it’s a good idea to meet her idol or not.

She might have been nervous but pulled off a fantastic performance, adding a few new tracks into her set, including Laura Brannigan’s Gloria – an 80s classic!

Claire has two confirmed solo shows left in 2019: Wild Live Safari at York Wildlife Park on August 10th and Pride in Newry on August 31st. Perhaps if we’re lucky there might be a Christmas repeat at Union Chapel in London – we’d like to see it! If you agree, send her a message on Twitter and start the campaign now!

Still hankering for more? Then checkout our 2019 Claire gallery and go buy Claire’s autobiography – it’s a great read and goes to a great cause – her!