'I'll never yo-yo diet again': Steps star Claire Richards reveals how desire for a third baby and her new solo career have helped her keep the pounds off
- Former Steps singer is launching her own solo career
- Says that she's been trying for a third baby since early 2013
- The blonde star hoped her weight-loss would help her conceive
- Admits she'll always 'struggle' with her weight
Unlike most women, Claire Richards has had to share her weight losses and gains over the years with a huge audience.
Her ongoing battle with keeping the pounds off has occasionally overshadowed her music as the Steps singer has seen her figure oscillate between a slender size 8 and a fuller figured size 20.
Claire, who has two children, Daisy, five, and Charlie, eight, with husband Reece, currently weighs in at nine-and-a-half stone after an extended period of eating 1,500 calories a day.
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Slimmer: Claire has revealed that she would love to have another child with husband Reece but so far she hasn't conceived naturally despite her more slender frame
Curves: As recently as 2013, Claire sported a much fuller figure when she appeared on Celebrity Big Brother
The 37-year-old singer, who's poised to launch her own solo career, admits that she's never going to be a 'size zero' but has told Closer magazine that the chance to get back to the top of the charts and the desire to try for another baby has kept her motivated.
'I'm watching myself at the moment as I've just gained around 5lbs and it's a slippery slope. It's still a struggle to maintain my figure.'
Last year, she spoke out about the desire to have another child, saying that she hoped a steadier weight would help her to conceive.
Claire, who is performing as a solo artist at A Life in Song, a celebration concert of Pete Waterman's music at the Royal Festival Hall next week, says that so far she hasn't managed to conceive naturally and that she hasn't ruled out IVF.
Slimmed down: Since 2014, Claire has cut a lithe figure, pictured here co-presenting on ITV's Loose Women
Super slim but riddled with insecurities: Claire admits that she would have considered cosmetic enhancement had it been offered during her Steps days. Pictured far right with band mates, from left: Lisa Scott-Lee, Faye Tozer, Ian Watkins and Lee Latchford-Evans
According to Claire, her years of yo-yo dieting could have caused an issue with her hormones, which may mean she finds it harder to get pregnant than she might have done with a more constant weight.
Earlier this year, Claire revealed to Star magazine that she had been happy, even at her heaviest. 'I’d got to a point where I felt happy at a size 16,' she said before adding: 'But it is nice to be presented with a skintight, lacy catsuit as my costume and not worry about how big I’m going to look in it!'
The star has also lifted the lid on how she feels about cosmetic surgery, saying she understands some of the pressures that young pop stars experience when they're in the spotlight and why they might turn to Botox and fillers to try and smooth away insecurities.
She says: 'When I was in Steps, I was crippled with insecurities. That probably explains why I didn't eat anything. If someone had offered me Botox and fillers to look perfect, I would probably have accepted.'
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