WELSH son Ian Watkins returns to the green, green grass this weekend in the company of the band that took him from us, Steps, some of whom are pictured.

The 26-year-old from Llwynipia, Rhondda joins the other four for two nights at Cardiff International Arena.

Steps - The Gold Tour, a series of concerts to promote the band's best of compilation, plays on Saturday and Sunday, December 15 and 16.

The band is touring on the strength of the compilation despite only four years in music, although, in that time there have been 14 Step singles and three albums.

Ian Watkins, aka H, joined Steps in the same way as his cohorts, by answering an advert in Stage, the magazine for theatre and drama luvies.

But he got his first taste for showbiz when he was nine, when he met Max Boyce and Super Ted.

Rick Astley was his childhood hero whose Never Gonna Give You Up single was the first record he bought.

He had a crush on Tiffany and Debbie Gibson but has since shifted his long-distance affections to Britney Spears.

As a child he dreamt of becoming a vet but the closest he came was buying a terrapin and letting it lose in a tank full of tiger fish.

The terrapin ate them all. He also kept a tarantula called Boris, a dog called Ben and large, unnamed rabbit.

H has no regrets about Steps, he says on his website, bar having to give up learning to play a musical instrument, the guitar.

* Steps play Cardiff International Arena on Saturday and Sunday, December 15 and 16 on 7pm. Tickets are £22.50. Dial (029) 2022 4488.