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Information about Ian Watkins (steps)

This article is about the actor and singer from Steps. For the lead singer of the band Lostprophets, see Ian Watkins (Lostprophets).


Ian Watkins (born 8 May 1976, Llwynypia, Rhondda, Wales), better known as H from Steps, is a Welsh pop singer, one of the five members of the now defunct pop group Steps. He has said that "H" stands for "hyperactive", describing his character.

As a result of his hyperactive, camp persona and seemingly limited contribution to the success of Steps, he was voted number 8 in a 2003 poll of the 100 Worst Britons.

Career

Before Steps

Before joining Steps, he worked as a redcoat for Butlins holiday parks.

After Steps

After Steps split in 2001, he formed a duo with fellow ex-Steps member Claire Richards and became H & Claire. They released a few singles and then went their separate ways. Watkins then decided to take a musical theatre course at the Royal Academy of Music. He was filmed through the course and it was broadcast as a reality TV series, H-side Story, which followed him as he tries to make a new career in acting. At the end of the course Watkins passed his exam and graduated from the academy. After graduating from the academy Watkins travelled to New York to continue refining his acting skills. Following his extra tuition in New York, Watkins has successfully obtained a job on the West End, and toured the country starring in the production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat in Autumn 2006. In December 2006 he performed at Preston's Charter theatre in the pantomime Cinderella, as the character of Buttons. During summer 2007 he will be performing in the West End version of Fame.

In June 2006, Watkins appeared in a special week of episodes of the BBC Radio Drama Silver Street on the BBC Asian Network. He played the character of former soldier Dave in episodes set in the Welsh countryside.

Children in Need

In November 2006, Watkins featured on the BBC Children in Need Celebrity Scissorhands show, where Michelle cut his hair.

Personal life

Coming out

On 3 January 2007, Ian Watkins came out as gay in an interview with The Sun newspaper.[1] He also revealed that he had been involved in a ten-year relationship with Steps' manager, Tim Byrne, though this had ended several months earlier. Prior to this, Watkins had hidden the fact he was gay from fans, although rumours were widespread.[2][3] His interview was published the same day he entered the Celebrity Big Brother house.

Referring to the well-known catchphrase of Little Britain character Daffyd Thomas, he remarked,
I come from a small valley in Wales and it just wasn’t the thing to do to be gay. It's a bit of a cliché — but I was the only gay in the village.[1]

Celebrity Big Brother 5

Watkins was the ninth housemate to enter the Celebrity Big Brother UK house on the 3 January 2007.[4] On his audition tape for Celebrity Big Brother he referred to his former group Steps as cheesy. He said "I think people know me mostly for being in the group Steps. With cheesy dance routines and cheesy clothes. Everything about it was cheese".[5]

He had complained to Big Brother about fellow housemate Shilpa Shetty being bullied. At times both Watkins and Shetty sat together in 'Nowhere' talking amongst themselves.

Watkins was cheered by the audience when entering the house, despite ranking 8th in Channel 4's 100 Worst Britons list (a list comprising votes from the British public.)

He finished in fourth place on Celebrity Big Brother 2007 and was the first contestant to be cheered by the awaiting crowd on exit that season. Ironically, Watkins was the highest placed British contestant in the show. He was proud to hear Davina McCall announce that he entered the house "as H" and left "as Ian".

References

1. ^ Emma Cox, 'I was only gay in the village', The Sun, 3 January 2007
2. ^ Is “H” from STEPS Gay?. parting.glances. Archived from the original on 2001-04-20. Retrieved on 2007-09-09.
3. ^ 'H' from Steps is gay. Tangential Ramblings (2007-01-04). Retrieved on 2007-09-09.
4. ^ The Sun: Latest news from the Celebrity Big Brother House
5. ^ YouTube Video: Celebrity Big Brother 5 - Ian "H" Watkins VT

External links

 •  • [ e]
STEPS
MembersLee Latchford Evans - Claire Richards - Lisa Scott-Lee - Faye Tozer - Ian 'H' Watkins
DiscographyAlbums: Step One - Steptacular - Buzz - Gold - The Greatest Hits - The Last Dance
Singles: "5,6,7,8" - "Last Thing on My Mind" - "One for Sorrow" - "Heartbeat / Tragedy" - "Better Best Forgotten" - "Thank ABBA for the Music" - "Love's Got a Hold on My Heart" - "After the Love Has Gone" - "Say You'll Be Mine / Better the Devil You Know" - "Deeper Shade of Blue" - "When I Said Goodbye / Summer Of Love" - "Stomp" - "It's the Way You Make Me Feel" - "Here And Now / You'll Be Sorry" - "Chain Reaction" - "Words Are Not Enough / I Know Him So Well" - "Baby Don't Dance"
Related articlesH & Claire - Upper Street - Celebrity Big Brother 2007 - PWL - Jive Records''
"Steps" may refer to:
  • Step, which is movement
  • Steps (group), a pop group.
  • Steps (TVB Series), a 2007 TVB drama series

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Lostprophets (IPA: /lɒstˈprɒfɪts/) are a Welsh alternative metal band formed in 1997. They have produced several demos (none of which are still produced commercially), three studio albums and ten singles.
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Ian David Carslick Watkins (born July 30, 1977 in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales) is the lead singer, and also one of the founding members, of the Welsh alternative rock band Lostprophets.

Biography

Watkins grew up in the Welsh town of Pontypridd near Cardiff.
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May 8 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events

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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1940s  1950s  1960s  - 1970s -  1980s  1990s  2000s
1973 1974 1975 - 1976 - 1977 1978 1979

Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI
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Llwynypia (also spelled Llwyn-y-pia or Llwyn y pia), is a town in Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales, lying in the Rhondda Fawr Valley. Officially it is a sub-district of Tonypandy.
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Places and things named Rhondda include:
  • Rhondda Cynon Taf — a county borough in Glamorgan, South Wales
  • Rhondda (UK Parliament constituency) — a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom

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Motto
Cymru am byth   (Welsh)
"Wales forever"
Anthem
"Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau"
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A singer is a musician who uses their voice to produce music. Often the singer is accompanied by musicians and instruments. While many people sing for pleasure, vocal skill is usually a combination of innate talent and professional training.
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A musical ensemble is a group of two or more musicians who perform instrumental or vocal music. In each musical style or genre, different norms have developed for the sizes and composition of different ensembles, and for the repertoire of songs or musical works that these ensembles
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Steps was a pop group that achieved a series of charted singles between 1997 and 2001. Their name was based around a simple marketing gimmick: each of their music videos were choreographed, and the dance steps were included with most of their single releases.
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100 Worst Britons We Love to Hate is one in a series of "100 Greatest..." shows shown on British TV.

The poll by the British TV station Channel 4 in 2003, was inspired by the BBC series 100 Greatest Britons, though it was less serious in nature.
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Redcoats is the name given to the entertainment staff at Butlins holiday camps.

Uniform

When Billy Butlin opened his first camp, he realised that the entertainment was the very heart of Butlins.
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Butlin's Holiday Camps were founded by (later Sir) Billy Butlin to provide economical holidays in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Between 1936 and 1966, nine camps were built. Three resorts remain in use by the Butlins company today in Bognor Regis, Minehead and Skegness.
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Claire Richards (born Claire Anne Richards, 17 August, 1977, Hillingdon, Middlesex) is an English singer best known for her membership in the pop quintet, Steps.

Early career

Richards began her career as one third of pop trio 'TSD' with Cossie and Bonnie.
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H & Claire were a pop duo, consisting of former Steps members Claire Richards and Ian "H" Watkins. They released one low-charting album and three mildly successful singles in 2002 before disbanding.
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Royal Academy of Music is a constituent college of the University of London, and is one of the world's leading music institutions. It was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French eccentric harpist and composer Nicolas Bochsa and in 1830 was granted a
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For legal meaning of acting, see Acting (law).
For the military sense, see Acting (rank).


Acting is the work of an actor
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New York City at sunset

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West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre in London, England, or sometimes more specifically for shows staged in the large theatres of London's "Theatreland".
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Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat
'

1991 Revivals Logo
Music Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics Tim Rice

Based upon The story of Joseph in Genesis
Productions 1968 Colet Court cantata
1972 Edinburgh
1976 Dublin
1982 Broadway
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Preston, a city and local government district in Lancashire, England, is located on the River Ribble. Preston was granted the status of a city in 2002,[1] becoming England's 50th city in the 50th year of Queen Elizabeth II's reign.
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Cinderella (French: Cendrillon) is a popular fairy tale embodying a classic folk tale myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout Europe.
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button is a small disc- or knob-shaped, typically round, object usually attached to an article of clothing in order to secure an opening, or for ornamentation. Functional buttons work by slipping the button through a fabric or thread loop, or by sliding the button through a slit
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Fame or Famous may refer to:
  • The condition of being a celebrity
  • Fame (musical), a musical
  • Fame (film), a 1980 movie
  • Fame (1982 TV series), a television spin-off of the 1980 movie
  • Fame

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June 2006 : ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- →

Deaths
  • 1: Rocío Jurado
  • 2: Vince Welnick
  • 6: Billy Preston
  • 7: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
  • 7: John Tenta

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Silver Street is a radio soap opera, the first such to be aimed at the British South Asian community, and is broadcast on the BBC Asian Network. It was introduced in 2004 as part of the Sonia Deol show, which was replaced from 24 April 2006 by the Anita Rani show, and until
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BBC Radio Asian Network

Broadcast area UK - National
First air date 1976 BBC Radio Leicester show 1988 as The Asian Network - BBC Radio Leicester & BBC WM 1996 as separate channel on AM 2002 Nationally on DAB
Frequency MW: Various (Restricted Coverage)
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