Claire Richards has revealed she is struggling to conceive after years of yo-yo dieting.

The Steps star – who is already mum to son Charlie, eight, and six-year-old daughter Daisy – has lost and gained between four and six stone six times over the last 14 years and revealed to the Daily Mirror doctors have told her she may have to resort to IVF to have another child, as dieting has damaged her hormone levels.

Claire, 37, said: “I feel I only have myself to blame, so it would be unfair to go down that road when there are so many couples who have not been blessed with any kids and it is their only option – and when they haven’t done it to themselves like I have.

Claire Richards entering the Big Brother house in 2013 at nearly 16 stone
Claire entering the Big Brother house in 2013 ( Ian West/PA)

“I guess maybe I feel I don’t deserve to be third time lucky. IVF just doesn’t feel like the right thing to do to my body.

“And even though I have always wanted three children, and my children want a brother or sister, I now have left it to nature.

“We are not going to stop hoping, but we are not trying as intensely as we were. I am a strong believer that if it’s meant to be, fate can always find a way.”

Claire Richards with husband Reece Hill and children Charlie and Daisy
Claire with husband Reece Hill and children Charlie and Daisy (Ian West/PA)

The singer married long-time partner Reece Hill in 2008 and they were booth keen to have more children.

But she said: “My husband is in the same mind as me, really, he said to not blame myself. When the doctor first told me, I was annoyed at myself and then upset and horrified I might have caused the problem. But I have become calmer about things and we are counting our blessings.”

When she appeared on Celebrity Big Brother in 2013 Claire’s weight was reaching 16 stone. The 5ft 6in star is now a szie 10 and closer to nine-and-a-half stone.

She said: “I have accepted people will always want to know what my weight is. It has dominated so much of my life.

Steps stars Ian 'H' Watkins, Lisa-Scott Lee, Lee-Latchford Evans, Claire Richards and Faye Tozer in 2001
Claire with Steps bandmates Ian ‘H’ Watkins, Lisa-Scott Lee, Lee-Latchford Evans, and Faye Tozer in 2001 (Yui Mo/PA)

“When I lose weight, people come and tell me I’ve inspired them. I really like that. But when I gain weight, I get trolled online by keyboard warriors who think they have the right to judge what my scales say.

“You can’t win, so I stopped trying to please people, apart from my family, a long time ago. I am who I am and I weigh what I weigh. It just happens to change a lot.”