From The Mirror:

Pop favourites Steps split after Claire Richards and Ian “H” Watkins sensationally quit the band on Christmas Day, it was revealed last night. The fed-up singers had told fellow stars Lisa Scott-Lee, Faye Tozer and Lee Latchford-Evans they wanted to pursue solo careers. The band planned to put on hold talks about their future until after Christmas but when Claire and H walked out they broke up on Boxing Day. A source said last night: “They felt there was no point in prolonging the agony. That’s why the end was so sudden.”

The teen favourites sold 12million records and gained 13 consecutive top five hits in just five years. The source added: “The band have been bickering for 18 months, but at the end of the day they are still friends and could see if they carried on fighting, it could have all ended badly.” H, 27, has always wanted to be a West End star while Claire, 24, is widely considered to have the best voice among the girls.

So according to this Claire & H wanted out and not Faye & Lee (who many have been accusing on the message boards)… oh really believe what you want to BUT someone please from Jive needs to clear this up somehow. The Mirror says “a source”… got to say it has to be true then.