Claire Richards is "worried" about the impact social media will have on her daughter.

Claire Richards

Claire Richards

The Steps singer - who has battled eating disorders and seen her weight fluctuate between a size 8 and a 20 in the past - thinks Instagram shows "warped" images that give young girls feelings of "hatred" towards their own bodies and she hopes it doesn't cause nine-year-old Daisy issues as she gets older.

She told Closer magazine: "The obsession with body image today is brutal, it really is.

"Social media has been the biggest culprit. It's constantly in our faces and fuels us with body hatred.

"The amount of people on Instagram with these warped bodies... It's not real, none of it is real.

"And it's really scary for my daughter. I am worried for her - I worry what it's going to be like when she's a teenager.

"I don't want her to go through some of the stuff I did."

The 41-year-old star - who has Charlie, 12, and Daisy with his and Reece Hill - credits her spouse for helping her to feel comfortable in her own skin.

She said: "Reece loves me whatever my weight and he's always said that.

"Whatever size I've been, he's never been any different in his attitude towards me and how much he fancies me.

"I'm really lucky - I was in a relationship before where I didn't have that support."

The '5,6,7,8' hitmaker recently admitted she learned not to care about what other people say about her.

She said: "A wise friend once gave me some advice that has really stayed with me.

"They said, 'Other people's gossip about you isn't your business.' It's so true.

"It's really stopped me from worrying what other people will say.

"Of course, everyone will have an opinion and if they say it to my face, I can confront it. But there's no point worrying about what other people think of you."