Singer Claire Richards joins Happiful’s podcast to discuss a year of career celebrations and the confidence she’s developed in her personal life

Claire Richards and the rest of Steps, are in a slight state of disbelief. This summer they’re celebrating 25 years as a band, with a heady tour schedule and the release of The Platinum Collection, an album crammed full of their greatest hits from 1997 to 2022.

“I actually can’t believe that we’re 25,” Claire says beaming. “It's a lifetime almost! We did an interview with someone the other day who was born 25 years ago, they weren’t even around when we started...”

Claire's keen to acknowledge the band's achievements and is clearly looking forward to the tour and upcoming appearances. “It’s a massive milestone and we want to celebrate it,” she says. “We’ve put together a setlist for our show that’s relentless, it will be like 25 years are flashing by everyone’s eyes, not just ours!”

Along with her stellar career to date in Steps, Claire has embarked on an incredible amount of solo projects including releasing her own music, presenting and appearing on a number of TV shows and most recently appeared on The Great British Sewing Bee: Celebrity New Year Special, which she loved.

Claire also has two children, who are now teenagers, and has acquired an improved sense of self and clarity when it comes to her personal life. This, she explains, came about after she turned forty.

“Someone once said to me that other people’s opinions of you are none of your business,” Claire notes. “I have taken that on board a little bit. I don’t know what happened when I turned 40, I think I felt I’d earned my place rather than still trying to get approval from everyone.

“I thought, I’ve got my kids, my husband, I’m happy, I’ve got a good career, I’ve got nothing to apologise for anymore. I think that’s what I did quite a lot, apologise for either what I had, what I was trying to do, the way I looked whether that was positive or negative. The one thing I’ve stopped doing as much is looking for approval from people who don’t matter.”

Listen to Claire’s episode of I am. I have

A full interview with Claire Richards will feature in Issue 66 of Happiful Magazine. Subscribe to receive the magazine through your door every month.

Check out Steps’ Platinum Megamix

Steps’ Platinum Collection is available to pre-order now in various formats including Standard CD, Deluxe 2CD, Vinyl, Cassette and Digital. There will also be 5 very special solo editions, each with unique bonus tracks of the band’s favourite songs from across their career.

Find the right therapist for you at Counselling Directory