Could 90s pop sensations Steps - featuring Ellesmere Port's very own Lee Latchford Evans - be making a comeback?
This year marks 20 years since the band released their debut single 5,6,7,8, and teasers on social media seem to point that something big is in the pipeline.
Steps is made up of members Faye Tozer, Ian “H” Watkins, Lee Latchford Evans, Claire Richards and Lisa Scott-Lee.
Lee was born in the Countess of Chester Hospital and brought up in Ellesmere Port. He studied musical theatre at the Cheshire School of Music and Theatre before finding fame with Steps.
He had his first taste of fame as a youngster, performing in a pantomime of Robinson Crusoe at the town’s Civic Hall.
After Steps split Lee appeared in Grease in the West End and took part in a number of reality TV shows. He also formed and fronted his own band, The Latch.
The band also has several links to North Wales - Lisa Scott-Lee grew up in Rhuddlan and attended Ysgol Emrys Ap Iwan High School in Abergele.
Although H is from Rhondda Valley in the south, his partner Craig Ryder is a West End star from Llanwrst. The couple recently welcomed twin boys .
The popular five-piece enjoyed huge chart success in the late 90s. Their singles Tragedy and Stomp both reached number one, along with 14 consecutive top five singles and two number one albums to boot. The band went their separate ways in 2001.
After previously promising that 2017 would be "the year of Steps", the stars took to the stage at London’s G-A-Y on New Year’s Eve, indicating that a reunion may be imminent.
Claire was the first to drop a hint, via a cryptic tweet via Twitter last night - with the number five and the #20yearsofsteps hashtag.
H was soon to follow, with another tweet saying “So excited! Think I’m going to burst!” - with the same hashtag and tagging all other members of the group.
At the moment, no-one seems to know what the announcement is going to be, but there is lots of speculation - most pointing to a new music release or an up and coming reunion tour.
It is believed an Amazon pre-order was available for a new Steps album named Tears on the Dancefloor - although it seems this is no longer available.
News of the announcement has generated a lot of excitement on social media, with many fans believing that the number five points to a countdown - and are expecting the big secret to be revealed on Monday.
A source told The Sun: “This reunion has been in planning for a long time with various ideas thrown about.
“But the one thing everyone could agree on was it’s time for Steps to release new music and inject some fun back into the scene.
“Obviously the band have all matured in the two decades since they found fame, and so has their music.
“But die-hard fans won’t be disappointed – especially not when they’ll still be wheeling out their cheesy hits on stage.”
