Steps: Forget 5, 6, 7, 8…we aim to be number one

IT’S a David v Goliath battle as Steps warn Ed Sheeran they will go down fighting in their bid to finally boot him off the top spot in the album charts this week.

Currently outselling Ed, the quintet — who are celebrating their 20-year anniversary — exclusively told Guilty Pleasures they would be ‘ahead by a country mile’ with Tears On The Dancefloor if it wasn’t for streaming.

‘You have to put it in context,’ said Ian ‘H’ Watkins. ‘Ed has had a huge fan base for such a long time. He also has a major record company behind him worldwide.

‘We’ve come back! This is our own baby, so to even challenge his crown is incredible.’

H’s bandmate, 39-year-old Claire Richards pointed out: ‘If you counted just the sales we would be No.1.

‘Because of the whole streaming thing, which we still can’t get our heads around, that’s the thing that will swing it.’

Meanwhile, the 5, 6, 7, 8 singers fondly recalled their days rubbing shoulders with the biggest divas in showbiz.

‘We did Top Of The Pops and signed an album for Madonna’s daughter Lourdes,’ revealed 40-year-old H. ‘She asked us — it goes to show Madonna loves a bit of cheese.’

Faye Tozer, 41, chipped in: ‘Do you remember when Mariah Carey walked through us?

‘We were doing TOTP on tour, we were in a club and Oasis were there. This entourage started storming through our camera rehearsal, then Mariah Carey waltzed on past.’

Steps — the other band members are Lisa Scott-Lee, also 41, and 42-year-old Lee Latchford-Evans — were taking part in the AOL Build Series collection of celebrity interviews.

■ CRAVING a night out with non-stop old skool tunes and massive anthems?

Then look no further — Guilty Pleasures has VIP tickets for you and three mates to hit up KISSTORY’s big gig at the Indigo in London’s O2 on May 27, courtesy of Ticketmaster. Your passes grant access to the VIP lounge and the main stage viewing platform, and a complimentary shot will be thrown in on arrival.

To enter, download the Guilty Pleasures app from the Apple Store or Google Play, then swipe to the competition page. Entries close at 4pm today. Ts&Cs apply, over 18s only. Travel not included. Check out ticketmaster.co.uk.

Author: Andrei Harmsworth