# Faye Tozer
**Faye Tozer** (full name Faye Louise Tozer Smith) is an English singer, dancer and stage actress, best known as one fifth of the British pop group Steps, and for a parallel career in musical theater that has run alongside the band since 2004. Born in 1975 in [Northampton](https://www.edgepedia.org/northampton) and raised in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, she trained in dance from childhood, joined Steps at its formation in 1997, and has since appeared in West End and touring productions including *Tell Me On A Sunday*, *Singin' in the Rain*, *42nd Street*, and *Everybody's Talking About Jamie*.[1](https://generationsteps.co.uk/steps/biography/faye.php) • [2](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/20-questions-with-faye-tozer_971/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1975, Northampton; grew up in Dunstable, Bedfordshire[1](https://generationsteps.co.uk/steps/biography/faye.php) |
| Steps role | One of five members selected from about 5,000 applicants to an open audition advertised in *The Stage* in spring 1997[3](https://generationsteps.co.uk/steps/story.php) |
| Steps totals | 14 UK Top Five singles, four UK Number One albums, 22 million record sales, more than 500 million streams, 11 sold-out national arena tours[4](https://www.fascinationmanagement.com/steps) |
| Theatre debut | *Tell Me On A Sunday* (Andrew Lloyd Webber's one-woman musical), 2004[2](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/20-questions-with-faye-tozer_971/) |
| Strictly Come Dancing | Series 16 (2018), partnered with Giovanni Pernice; joint runner-up, finishing second[5](https://strictlycomedancing.fandom.com/wiki/Faye_Tozer) |
| Recent stage work | Maggie Jones in *42nd Street* (2023 UK tour), Cruella De Vil in *101 Dalmatians* (2024), Miss Kitty LeRoy in *Diamonds and Dust* (2025), and three roles in the *Mean Girls* UK tour[6](https://www.curtaincallreviews.co.uk/syndicated-interview-with-faye-tozer-42nd-st) • [7](https://norwichtheatre.org/a-chat-with-faye-tozer/) • [8](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/dita-von-teese-faye-tozer-and-tosca-rivola-on-how-musical-theatre-meets-burlesque-in-diamonds-and-dust_1684893/) |
| Family | Son Benjamin, born 2009; lives in West Boldon, Tyne and Wear, with her husband, Sunderland-born businessman Michael Smith[9](https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2021-07-02/steps-star-and-honorary-mackem-to-perform-in-darlington-pantomime) |
## Early life and training
Tozer started dancing at the age of three, and singing followed through the shows and competitions she entered as a child.[2](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/20-questions-with-faye-tozer_971/) She trained at the Anne Gale School of Dance, gaining advanced qualifications in ballet, tap and modern dance, and after her A-levels danced professionally with the Belinda King Dancers for two years and sang at the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane in London.[1](https://generationsteps.co.uk/steps/biography/faye.php) Before Steps, she worked at a holiday camp, where her duties included calling bingo.[3](https://generationsteps.co.uk/steps/story.php) She has said that musical theater, not pop, was her original ambition: "I wasn't looking to be a pop star. I actually wanted to go into musical theater."[10](https://norwichtheatre.org/its-october-3rd-talking-to-faye-tozer-about-mean-girls/)
## Steps
Steps formed in the spring of 1997, when about 5,000 applicants answered an advert in *The Stage* for a five-piece line-dancing pop group; the audition process in Surrey took six months to reduce the field to Tozer, Claire Richards, Lisa Scott-Lee, Ian "H" Watkins and [Lee Latchford-Evans](https://www.edgepedia.org/lee-latchford-evans).[3](https://generationsteps.co.uk/steps/story.php) Their debut single "5,6,7,8" was released on 7 November 1997, and although it peaked outside the top 10 it became a durable seller and led to a deal with [Jive Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/jive-records).[3](https://generationsteps.co.uk/steps/story.php) • [11](https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/inside-the-hit-factory-steps-biggest-singles-revealed-__4426/) The group's run of hits included the UK Number One singles "Heartbeat"/"Tragedy" and "Stomp", alongside "One for Sorrow", "Last Thing on My Mind", "Deeper Shade of Blue" and "Chain Reaction".[4](https://www.fascinationmanagement.com/steps)
The original line-up split in 2001. The members reunited in 2011 for the Sky documentary series *Steps Reunion*, the channel's highest-rated original program of that year, and reformed permanently in 2017.[4](https://www.fascinationmanagement.com/steps) • [12](https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/faye-tozer-on-mean-girls-musical-steps-and-turning-50/) The 2017 comeback album *Tears on the Dancefloor* reached Number 2 on the Official Albums Chart, its lead single "Scared of the Dark" placed in the [Top 40](https://www.edgepedia.org/top-40), and the group sold 200,000 arena tour tickets behind it.[13](https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/steps-faye-tozer-interview-another-steps-album-none-of-us-are-against-it__20808/) • [14](https://www.musicweek.com/interviews/read/back-to-the-future-inside-steps-plans-to-take-things-to-the-next-level/082003) More releases came next: *What the Future Holds* (2020) plus its second part (2021), and the *Platinum Collection* (2022). Reaching Number 1 upon debut, that last record placed Steps in a select company of just four acts, together with ABBA, The Rolling Stones, and [Stereophonics](https://www.edgepedia.org/stereophonics), who have landed chart-topping albums in four straight decades.[4](https://www.fascinationmanagement.com/steps) Tozer has described the band's later work as deliberately unapologetic pop: "We make joyful music that helps people to escape their worries."[15](https://celebmix.com/interview-faye-tozer-on-new-music-chart-success-and-her-love-of-being-a-member-of-steps/)
A Steps stage musical, *Here & Now*, co-produced by the band with ROYO and their original producer [Pete Waterman](https://www.edgepedia.org/pete-waterman), premiered at The Alexandra in [Birmingham](https://www.edgepedia.org/birmingham) and began a UK and Ireland tour in 2025.[16](https://www.in-common.co.uk/2025/12/06/interview-steps-talk-about-here-now-ahead-of-tour-to-mayflower-theatre/)
## Solo work after the 2001 split
Tozer was the first member of Steps to perform publicly after the split, duetting with the tenor [Russell Watson](https://www.edgepedia.org/russell-watson) on "Someone Like You", a top 10 hit that led to an arena tour in the UK and New Zealand where she sang to audiences of more than 140,000.[1](https://generationsteps.co.uk/steps/biography/faye.php) She also built a presenting record during and after her Steps years, with credits including *The Big Breakfast*, the *Pepsi Chart Show*, *SM:TV Live* and *Entertainment Today*.[1](https://generationsteps.co.uk/steps/biography/faye.php)
## Musical theater career
Her theater debut came in 2004 in *Tell Me On A Sunday*, Andrew Lloyd Webber's one-woman musical, a booking she credits to the producer [Bill Kenwright](https://www.edgepedia.org/bill-kenwright).[2](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/20-questions-with-faye-tozer_971/) Subsequent UK touring roles included Bonnie in *Love Shack* (2005), Sally in *Me and My Girl*, Sheila Wendice in *Dial M for Murder*, Eva Cassidy in *Over The Rainbow*, and Annie in *Rhinestone Mondays*; she also played Jubilee Climax in *Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens* in the West End and [Marion Davies](https://www.edgepedia.org/marion-davies) in *The Tailor-Made Man* at the Arts Theatre.[1](https://generationsteps.co.uk/steps/biography/faye.php) • [17](https://officiallondontheatre.com/news/tozer-steps-into-new-musical-161796/)
**A turning point.** Tozer identifies her performance as Lina Lamont in *Singin' in the Rain*, first in 2014 and repeated at Sadler's Wells and on tour, as the moment her theater career changed: "It brought me so much joy, and the reviews were fantastic. I think it was me letting down my guard and saying 'I am allowed to be here'."[7](https://norwichtheatre.org/a-chat-with-faye-tozer/) She has since taken character and comedy roles rather than leading-lady parts, saying she now chooses jobs "for satisfaction rather than being a lead character because that would look better on my CV".[10](https://norwichtheatre.org/its-october-3rd-talking-to-faye-tozer-about-mean-girls/)
In 2019 she played Miss Hedge in *Everybody's Talking About Jamie* at the [Apollo Theatre](https://www.edgepedia.org/apollo-theatre) from 6 May to 3 August.[18](https://officiallondontheatre.com/news/faye-tozer-everybodys-talking-jamie/) In 2023 she toured the UK as Maggie Jones in *42nd Street*, a role reviewers singled out for comic timing and vocal delivery.[6](https://www.curtaincallreviews.co.uk/syndicated-interview-with-faye-tozer-42nd-st) • [19](https://theatrescotland.co.uk/2023/08/22/42nd-street-theatre-royal-glasgow-review-by-rebecca-donati/) In 2024 she played Cruella De Vil in the musical *101 Dalmatians*, and in 2025 she played saloon owner Miss Kitty LeRoy in *Diamonds and Dust*, the inaugural production at the new Emerald Theatre in London, alongside burlesque performer [Dita Von Teese](https://www.edgepedia.org/dita-von-teese).[7](https://norwichtheatre.org/a-chat-with-faye-tozer/) • [8](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/dita-von-teese-faye-tozer-and-tosca-rivola-on-how-musical-theatre-meets-burlesque-in-diamonds-and-dust_1684893/) She then joined the UK and Ireland tour of *Mean Girls*, playing three roles: Mrs George, Mrs Heron and Ms Norbury.[20](https://meangirlsmusical.com/) She hosted the UK Theatre Awards in 2024 and returned as host in 2025.[21](https://uktheatre.org/uk-theatre-awards-2025-faye-tozer-to-return-as-host/)
Tozer draws a practical distinction between her two careers. With Steps, audiences arrive already committed; in theater, she says, "I am constantly having to prove myself as an actor and a singer and being able to reach the people who may not be Steps fans".[22](https://www.expressandstar.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/its-not-christmas-without-panto-steps-star-faye-tozer-and-fashion-expert-gok-wan-give-us-the-lowdown-on-the-birmingham-hippodrome-festive-showstopper-5648521)
## Strictly Come Dancing
In 2018 Tozer competed in Series 16 of *Strictly Come Dancing*, partnered with the professional dancer [Giovanni Pernice](https://www.edgepedia.org/giovanni-pernice). She reached the final and finished joint runner-up, in second place.[5](https://strictlycomedancing.fandom.com/wiki/Faye_Tozer) Her highest-scoring dances included the Charleston, Viennese Waltz, Showdance and Theatre/Jazz, each scoring 40, and her lowest scores were 29 for the Cha-Cha-Cha and Rumba.[5](https://strictlycomedancing.fandom.com/wiki/Faye_Tozer) She said afterwards that the show had been "a massive platform and shown people more of what I can do outside of Steps".[23](https://www.italktelly.com/post/i-talk-to-strictly-come-dancing-finalists-2018)
## Personal life
Tozer's son Benjamin was born in 2009.[1](https://generationsteps.co.uk/steps/biography/faye.php) She lives in West Boldon, Tyne and Wear, with her husband, the Sunderland-born businessman Michael Smith.[9](https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2021-07-02/steps-star-and-honorary-mackem-to-perform-in-darlington-pantomime)
## References
1. [Faye Tozer, Steps profile, Generation STEPS](https://generationsteps.co.uk/steps/biography/faye.php)
2. [20 Questions with Faye Tozer, WhatsOnStage (6 March 2013)](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/20-questions-with-faye-tozer_971/)
3. [The Steps story, Generation STEPS](https://generationsteps.co.uk/steps/story.php)
4. [Steps, Fascination Management](https://www.fascinationmanagement.com/steps)
5. [Faye Tozer, Strictly Come Dancing Wiki](https://strictlycomedancing.fandom.com/wiki/Faye_Tozer)
6. [Syndicated Interview with Faye Tozer, Curtain Call Reviews](https://www.curtaincallreviews.co.uk/syndicated-interview-with-faye-tozer-42nd-st)
7. [A chat with Faye Tozer, Norwich Theatre (1 July 2024)](https://norwichtheatre.org/a-chat-with-faye-tozer/)
8. [Dita Von Teese, Faye Tozer and Tosca Rivola on Diamonds and Dust, WhatsOnStage (27 June 2025)](https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/dita-von-teese-faye-tozer-and-tosca-rivola-on-how-musical-theatre-meets-burlesque-in-diamonds-and-dust_1684893/)
9. [Steps star and honorary Mackem to perform in Darlington pantomime, ITV News Tyne Tees (2 July 2021)](https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2021-07-02/steps-star-and-honorary-mackem-to-perform-in-darlington-pantomime)
10. [It's October 3rd! Talking to Faye Tozer about Mean Girls, Norwich Theatre](https://norwichtheatre.org/its-october-3rd-talking-to-faye-tozer-about-mean-girls/)
11. [Inside The Hit Factory: Steps' biggest singles revealed, Official Charts](https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/inside-the-hit-factory-steps-biggest-singles-revealed-__4426/)
12. [Faye Tozer on turning 50, building a successful stage career, and life as a 90s pop icon, The Sunday Post (14 June 2026)](https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/faye-tozer-on-mean-girls-musical-steps-and-turning-50/)
13. [Steps Faye Tozer interview: "Another Steps album? None of us are against it", Official Charts (2017)](https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/steps-faye-tozer-interview-another-steps-album-none-of-us-are-against-it__20808/)
14. [Back To The Future: Inside Steps' plans to take things to the "next level", Music Week (23 November 2020)](https://www.musicweek.com/interviews/read/back-to-the-future-inside-steps-plans-to-take-things-to-the-next-level/082003)
15. [INTERVIEW: Faye Tozer on new music, chart success and her LOVE of being a member of Steps, CelebMix (16 September 2021)](https://celebmix.com/interview-faye-tozer-on-new-music-chart-success-and-her-love-of-being-a-member-of-steps/)
16. [Interview: Steps talk about Here & Now ahead of tour to Mayflower Theatre, In-Common (6 December 2025)](https://www.in-common.co.uk/2025/12/06/interview-steps-talk-about-here-now-ahead-of-tour-to-mayflower-theatre/)
17. [Tozer steps into new musical, Official London Theatre (14 November 2012)](https://officiallondontheatre.com/news/tozer-steps-into-new-musical-161796/)
18. [Faye Tozer to join Everybody's Talking About Jamie, Official London Theatre (22 March 2019)](https://officiallondontheatre.com/news/faye-tozer-everybodys-talking-jamie/)
19. ['42nd Street' (Theatre Royal Glasgow) review, Theatre Scotland (22 August 2023)](https://theatrescotland.co.uk/2023/08/22/42nd-street-theatre-royal-glasgow-review-by-rebecca-donati/)
20. [Mean Girls UK & Ireland Tour, official site](https://meangirlsmusical.com/)
21. [UK Theatre Awards 2025: Faye Tozer to return as host, UK Theatre](https://uktheatre.org/uk-theatre-awards-2025-faye-tozer-to-return-as-host/)
22. ['It's not Christmas without panto': Faye Tozer and Gok Wan on Robin Hood, Express & Star (15 December 2025)](https://www.expressandstar.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/its-not-christmas-without-panto-steps-star-faye-tozer-and-fashion-expert-gok-wan-give-us-the-lowdown-on-the-birmingham-hippodrome-festive-showstopper-5648521)
23. [I Talk To Strictly Come Dancing Finalists 2018, iTalkTelly](https://www.italktelly.com/post/i-talk-to-strictly-come-dancing-finalists-2018)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Pop and R&B singer-songwriters › Pop singers, 1980s and 1990s › Dance-pop and teen pop singers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license