Former Steps singer, Claire Richards has revealed that she lost six stone over a period of 12 months.
Richards had apparently doubled her body weight to more than 16 stone after the group broke up in 2001.
"I looked like I was wearing a fat suit. I can't believe that was me. It's like a bad dream. But it did happen. I never want to go back to that size again," she told The Mirror.
"Two years after the band ended I decided to take a break from showbusiness. I went from being on my feet all day to sitting on the sofa. It was also the first time I'd been able to eat what I wanted and stuff the consequences. I hadn't learned how to control myself."
Richards confessed that her weight became a factor in her split from husband Mark Webb in 2005, but managed to shift the excess pounds before she wed record executive Reece Hill last year. "There was no way I was going to be a fat bride. I knew that if I was fat in our wedding pictures I'd never want to look at them," she said. "I'm more secure now. I've still got a pair of size 20 jeans which I keep in my kitchen near the fridge, and that's where they're staying!"
