FAYE Tozer still can’t get over the reception the Steps reunion concerts received earlier this year.

The pop group which split in fairly acrimonious circumstances a decade ago got back together again with a series of arena dates which sold out within minutes.

“It was both overwhelming and humbling,” said Faye. “We really didn’t know what to expect, we didn’t even know if we still had an audience to be honest. But the repsonse was fabulous.”

This week the band – which has had a string of top 10 hits – released a new album, Light Up The World and next month will play a series of intimate dates with a festive theme including a show at Manchester Apollo.

“The shows are our way of saying thank you to the fans,” said Faye, “a little Christmas present for them.”

The Light of the World album features a series of festive songs chosen by the band plus a new song, the title track.

“We wanted to give the fans some new material,” said Faye. “They’ve waite4d long enough.

“I think we’ve realised that you can’t stay young forever and that we had to start doing songs which were more age appropriate if you like.”

The return of Steps, rather like the band’s early career, has been a very public affair, with TV crews documenting every move the fivesome has made.

“I think we were all a little concerned about the TV show at first,” said Faye, “but we have worked through the issues we had and issues we had and got on with it.We have learned a lot and aren’t perhaps as caught up in the bubble of showbiz as we  once were.”

For Faye, the reunion has meant that she has had to put her career in musicals on hold.

“After the six Christmas shows we will all be taking a break and I will going into a new show Tailor Made Man,” she said.

“There has been all sorts of speculation about what 2013 holds for Steps but at the moment honestly don’t know what that will be.

“We really have sat down and discussed anything in detail so I would juist ask the fans to be patient and we will let them know as soon as we can.”

  • Steps, Manchester Apollo, Monday, December 3. Details from  0844 4777 677