Claire Richards talks 'Popstar to Operastar'

She topped the charts as one-fifth of pop group Steps and went on to enjoy some brief success with duo H & Claire, but after a lengthy period out of the limelight, Claire Richards has returned to primetime TV. Competing on ITV's Popstar to Operastar, the 33-year-old is putting her vocal talent on show as she swaps 'Tragedy' for opera. With two shows under her belt, we caught up with Claire to find out how she is coping with her nerves, working with Katherine Jenkins and the reaction to her recent nude shoot.

You must be busy with rehearsals now, can you tell us anything about this week's performance?
"I'm a bit all over the place today. I've just had a vocal session and I'm about to go over the road and have another session. I've had choreography this morning - it's all very exciting! [This week's performance] is very different from last week."

Are you enjoying being back in the public eye?
"Yeah, I am a little bit. It's kind of a whirlwind. I'm going along in a little bit of a daze. I think that's fine, otherwise if I thought about it too much, I think it would freak me out. [These programmes] make my job better in a way because it gives you more scope to do different things. It wasn't like that 10 or 12 years ago really - you were in a pop group and that was it."

Is it enjoyable being part of the competition?
"I am enjoying it. I think the worst thing for me is actually having to do it in front of people. If I could stay in the little rooms and sing with the vocal coaches all day, I'd be fine. I've got to get over actually having to do it for an audience."

Is it not nerve-wrecking performing for Katherine Jenkins and Rolando Villazón in rehearsals?
"It is a little bit nerve-wrecking, but they both make you feel really at ease and want to help you. I don't feel like I'm going in there and that they are trying to trip me up and make me sound rubbish or anything."

What is it like being back on stage and performing again?
"It's a little bit weird because I've never done it on my own. I'm used to having four other people with me and bouncing off them I suppose. It's weird. I've not done it on my own since I was a kid."

Has it given you the itch to get back into the music industry?
"It's a little bit like that. It has made me realise... I always knew that I loved singing and I had missed it. I've realised how much I do enjoy it. I don't know how, but whatever way - because I've got two kids - I would like to do more. It'd be a shame to finish this and go back to what I was doing before and not singing for another ten years."

How does performing opera compare to the type of music you are used to performing?
"It's so different! Pop songs, you have to sing them so differently anyway and you don't have to get any weight behind it or anything. It was always a little bit of just getting in the studio and doing whatever you could to get a good recording of it I suppose. This is so much more controlled and you have to know where the sound is going to come from and have faith that it is going to come. You need it to. It was all very hit and miss, with me especially, before with Steps. And obviously on TV, we never actually sang live very often."

What do you think of your competition on the show?
"It's really tough. You need to watch everybody. I'm not counting any chickens, I don't think anybody should. Everybody is taking it really seriously and really, really wants to do well. It's not a joke to any of us, I don't think."

There are endless reality shows out there which you could have done, did you do this because it was the singing?
"Definitely. I have been offered others before and always said no, really because of the time it takes away from the family and stuff. Because this was singing, and I really wanted the challenge and to have a go, I didn't have to think about it too much at all."

Have you heard from any of your former Steps bandmates?
"Yeah, they've all texted me and been tweeting and stuff. Hopefully they are going to come down but I don't know when actually. Let's hope I stay in another week and they can come next week!"

Are your nerves calming a bit now that you've got through a couple of shows?
"I feel a bit better since last Sunday. I don't think I'm ever going to get out on stage and not have any nerves at all. I'd be surprised. I'd love it, but I'd be surprised if that ever happened. I do feel a little bit more confident. This week the song is so different, I'm hopefully going to get a chance not to have to concentrate too much on the nerves. We'll just have to wait and see on Sunday - it could all go to pot again!"

You stripped off for Closer magazine this week, what has the reaction been?
"I didn't expect to be in the bloody centrepages of The Sun! Everybody has been really nice actually. I was expecting to get a lot of abuse and grief about it, but I've had lots of positive."

You mentioned that you decided to do the shoot so that it was all out there, do you just want people to focus on your talent?
"Well, that's what I was hoping. I didn't want to have to get distracted by all of that, especially while doing this."