Claire Richards releases debut single On My Own and announces album My Wildest Dreams

Steps singer Claire Richards has unveiled her debut solo single, called On My Own. 

The singer is briefly branching away from her Steps bandmates and has signed a solo deal with Sony to release a new album called My Wildest Dreams on November 2. Listen to On my Own below: 

The singer told The Sun that the collection of big ballads is a one-off release ahead of Steps' next album, adding: "I don't feel this is going to take anything away from Steps, it's very much an entity in itself. No single one of us is ever going to be bigger than Steps as a whole, I don't think.

"Everybody's been aware from the very start that this was my plan for the gap during albums. It's actually been very good this time because there hasn't been the shock.

"And we're all old enough and ugly enough to realise now that the only way to make it work is to be honest and be up front about everything." 

Steps reached Number 2 last year with their comeback album Tears On The Dancefloor - the group's first proper studio album in 17 years. 

The five-piece first split in on Boxing Day in 2001, and members H & Claire splintered off to form their own duo.