Claire Richards: Weight Loss, Diet, and Steps Career

Any fan of 90s pop knows the feeling: a Steps song comes on and suddenly you’re back in the living room, dance routine rehearsed. Claire Richards, one of the group’s two female lead singers, has lived that nostalgia in full — but her story goes far beyond the choreography, as she has been unusually candid about the pressure to stay slim, revealing a 900-calorie-a-day diet that helped her lose three stone before her wedding.

Date of birth: 17 August 1977 ·
Age: 47 ·
Years active: 1997–present ·
Group: Steps (since 1997) ·
Steps album sales: 15 million+ ·
Heaviest weight: 13 st 7 lb (86 kg)

Ten key facts, one pattern: Claire Richards built a pop career on vocal talent, but her public image has repeatedly intersected with weight conversations — from the Steps audition to her wedding-day makeover.

How did Claire Richards lose her weight?

The 900-calorie-a-day diet

1. Claire Richards disclosed in a 2023 interview that she followed a 900-calorie-per-day diet before her wedding, calling it “very restrictive” (The Independent (UK news outlet)).
2. She lost approximately 3 stone (19 kg) in preparation for the wedding (GoodTo (lifestyle publication)).
3. A BBC documentary Claire Richards: My Big Fat Wedding followed her effort to go from “overweight couch potato” to a size 12 (BBC (public broadcaster)).

Exercise routine and lifestyle changes

• Richards has said she adopted portion control and mindful eating after the initial diet (GoodTo).
• She fluctuated between a dress size 10 and 20 over the years, indicating a long-term pattern of weight management.
• Exact exercise details are not consistently reported, but she mentioned walking and home workouts in interviews.

Heaviest weight before weight loss

• According to a 2020 report, Richards’ heaviest weight was 16.5 stone (approx. 105 kg) (GoodTo).
• Earlier reports from her 2009 wedding period stated 13 st 7 lb (86 kg) as her peak before that event.
• The discrepancy may reflect different phases of her life; she has spoken openly about yo-yo dieting.

The implication: extreme short-term diets can achieve rapid results but require medical oversight.

Is Claire from Steps still married?

Current marriage to Reece Hill

• Claire Richards married Reece Hill in 2012 (some sources list 2008 as the ceremony date) (IMDb).
• They have two children together (Angie Greaves (interview platform)).
• As of 2025, the couple remain married and she has described herself as “happily married.”

Previous marriage to Mark Hollings

• Richards was married to Mark Hollings (also referred to as Mark Webb in some databases) from 2006 to 2009 (IMDb).
• The marriage ended in divorce.
• She has not publicly discussed the reasons in detail.

What this means: public figures often compartmentalize family life to protect their children.

What is Claire Richards famous for?

As a member of the pop group Steps

• Steps formed in 1997 after a series of auditions. Richards was chosen as one of the two female leads (Claire Richards official site).
• The group has sold over 15 million records (the official site states 20 million) and scored 14 top-five singles and four number-one albums (Claire Richards official site).
• Steps took a hiatus in 2001 and reunited in 2012 for a comeback tour and new music.
• Their 2022 Platinum Collection earned a number-one album, making Steps one of the few UK acts to top the charts in four consecutive decades (Claire Richards official site).

Solo music career

• Richards released her first solo studio album, My Wildest Dreams, in 2019 (Claire Richards official site).
• Her second solo album, Euphoria, followed in 2023 (Claire Richards official site).
• Both albums lean into dance-pop and showcase her vocal range outside the Steps dynamic.

Television appearances

• Richards appeared on The X Factor as a contestant in the “All Stars” series and on Dancing on Ice in 2020.
• She also featured in the BBC Three documentary about her wedding (BBC).
• Her television presence has kept her in the public eye between Steps projects.

The pattern: her fame rests primarily on Steps, but solo work and reality TV have extended her career.

Is Claire Richards related to Rylan?

The rumor and the facts

• There is no evidence that Claire Richards is related to Rylan Clark-Neal (often known simply as Rylan).
• The confusion may stem from the shared surname “Richards” (Rylan’s full name is Rylan Clark-Neal, and his mother’s maiden name is also Richards in some contexts).
• Claire Richards’ immediate family includes her husband and two children; no celebrity siblings or cousins are documented.

The catch: surname coincidences often fuel unfounded celebrity gossip.

How old is Claire Richards?

Birthdate and age

• Claire Richards was born on 17 August 1977 in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire (IMDb).
• She is 47 years old as of 2025.

Early life and career beginnings

• She grew up in Hemel Hempstead and attended school locally.
• Before Steps, she worked as a receptionist and sang in local clubs.
• According to a 2008 interview, she was asked to lose weight for the Steps audition or she could not join the band (YouTube (interview transcript)).

The implication: early career pressures shaped her relationship with weight.

What we know and what remains unclear

The catch: even well-reported facts can have gaps when based on self-disclosure.

What Claire Richards has said

“I was eating just 900 calories a day, which is very low. I was on a strict regime.”

— Claire Richards, speaking to The Independent (UK news outlet)

“Steps have sold over 20 million records worldwide.”

— Claire Richards’ official site

She also told GoodTo that she lost 3 stone and felt amazing, but that quote is paraphrased here to preserve source variety.

The takeaway

Claire Richards’ weight loss story is one of determination, but it also exposes the pressure pop stars face to conform to industry standards. For anyone following a restrictive 900-calorie diet, the implication is clear: consult a medical professional before making drastic changes, or risk long-term health consequences. Similar profiles of 90s pop stars, like Carol Decker: What She Does Now, Hits, Husband & More, show the enduring appeal of these artists. For more on UK pop groups, see Marvin Humes in 2025: His Family, Net Worth, and Career.

For more on her personal transformation, see the Claire Richards biography and weight loss.

Frequently asked questions