Claire Richards shows off her incredible six-stone weight loss on Lorraine as she teases fans with 20-year Steps reunion plans

CLAIRE Richards sent fans into a frenzy this morning as she showed off her amazing six-stone weight loss on TV.

The Steps star made an appearance on Lorraine today, and viewers were blown away by Claire's stunning new look.

Claire, 38, has spent years battling weight problems, but now feels confident that she can maintain her svelte new size 10 figure.

She opened up about her struggles with yo-yo dieting in her candid chat with Lorraine Kelly, and insists she is happier than ever.

After Lorraine complimented the star on her weight loss, Claire said: "Thank you I feel good I'm really happy - this is the longest I've managed to maintain it and that was always my biggest problem...

"It's not rocket science how you lose weight... [But] that's always been my problem..."

Claire's appearance on Lorraine whipped up a storm on Twitter as fans gushed over her new look.

One fan declared Claire looks virtually unrecognisable and others branded her an inspiration, writing: "Looking fab this morning! Very inspiring..."

Another viewer insisted Claire looks as if she has stepped straight out her Steps hey day as she is sporting the same short haircut.

The follower tweeted: "Loving the hair just need a pair of combats & crop top & we can step back in time! We need another Steps revival please!"

Another wrote: "You look incredible! Utter jealousy from me! This could've been a picture from 1998 for all I could tell..."

Tragedy hit maker Claire, whose dress size has fluctuated between a size 20 and a size eight over the years, changed her diet in a bid to keep the weight off for good.

She recently told Bella magazine: “I hope I’ve broken the cycle but I think I’ve learned my lesson by saying: ‘This time it’s for good’. Portion sizes have always been my downfall.

“I never needed to eat the amount of food I did – I eat a fraction of what I used to now."

Claire, who has two children, Daisy, six, and Charlie, nine, with husband Reece, revealed in December she weighs in at nine-and-a-half stone after an extended period of eating 1,500 calories a day.

During her appearance on Lorraine, Claire also spoke about her plans to launch a solo music career - revealing the time is finally right to branch out on her own.

She also hinted fans may be able to expect another Steps reunion as the band prepares to celebrate 20 years since they first got together.

She said: "Our mantra is never say never... It would be lovely to do something but who knows? But I have been recording my own music which is very exciting and I'm really enjoying it."

The band was formed in 1997 and fans are hoping the group will get back together again next year to mark the milestone.

Claire quit Steps in 2001 along with bandmate Ian 'H' Watkins and their departure was the catalyst for the band's split.

The pair went on to release music as a double act, but their post-Steps career failed to replicate the band's chart success.

Steps reformed in 2011 and went on to score huge sell-out tours and release another album, 2012's Light Up the World.