How British pop icon makes thousands from 'obsessive' side hustle

Metro

03-05-2025

Steps star Claire Richards has an impressive side hustle selling her old clothes.
The 47-year-old singer joined Steps in 1997, with the band going on to achieve two number one albums in the UK, 14 consecutive UK top 5 singles including two number ones, selling over 22 million records worldwide.
They were also nominated for best newcomer at the 1999 Brit Awards and were the opening act for Britney Spears on her debut American tour the same year.
They officially disbanded in 2001 but re-formed a decade later. Their most recent release – compilation album Platinum Collection – debuted at number 1 in the UK in 2022.
Clare has also released two solo albums of her own and has also appeared on Celebrity Big Brother and The Masked Singer.
But away from the spotlight, Claire has been raking it in on Vinted.
The singer has been selling pieces on the platform that include clothes she's worn on stage, as well as costumes from her music videos.
Operating under the account name princessclarabella, her profile reads: 'I am 47 years old mother of two and I sing for my supper. I love clothes but never seem to throw any of them away when I should. So, it's time to make space x'
With nearly 5000 followers, Claire has 588 reviews, with The Sun estimating that past items she's sold amount to over £10,000 in sales.
Most of her items are priced between £15 and £100.
She currently has 79 items live, including a gold dress for £50 that she wore on the 2012 Light Up the World Xmas tour.
Another item listed is an embellished black evening dress for £60, which she wore to a charity event.
A customised House of CB top and skirt she wore in the music video for Heartbreak in this City that featured Michelle Visage is also available for £250.
She's also selling a pair of pink platform heels from Charlotte Olympia for £150 which she explains she has only ever worn 'on set'.
Aside from clothes, Claire is also advertising teddies, kids' toys and kitchenware.
In 2023, she posted on Facebook about how she was 'obsessed' with selling her items on Vinted.
'I've got myself on VINTED!! It's AMAZING! I'm OBSESSED Lots of lovely pieces added today. Women's and kids,' she wrote.
In 2023, Claire spoke about how pursuing a career in the music industry affected her body image.
Just before joining Steps, Claire struggled with anorexia after record bosses commented on her weight.
Originally part of The Scan-Dolls, Claire revealed her battle with her eating disorder began at the very start of her career when she was told to lose pounds despite weighing a UK size 10-12.
'It happened when I was in TSD. They did it to all of us because we were all quite curvy girls. I was probably a [size] 10 or a 12 and wasn't big at all…'
'But in the music kind of world and at that time, that whole Kate Moss, heroin-chic, was a thing and they wanted everyone to be really, really skinny…
'So, we were all put on a diet. That diet was interesting because we were encouraged to eat fish fingers, peas and baked beans and have like a 900-calorie diet,' she added when speaking to Vicky Pattison on her show The Secret To.'
Then, in 1997, when she auditioned for Steps, Claire was told she 'had to lose weight' in order to be selected.
'It set me on a pathway of not really eating for 4-and-a-half years,' she shared. More Trending
'I still haven't managed to [regain my confidence]. I think I'm much better than I was. But I don't think I ever will get rid of it completely because it's played such a massive part of my life for such a long time…
'And I think I probably was anorexic. You know, I managed to kind of stop what I was doing to myself but that went from not eating at all, to overeating.'
She had previously spoken about how she faced being 'dangerously thin' to weighing 16.5 stone.
A version of this article was originally published on April 15, 2025.
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