LISA Scott Lee is tired from partying at Elton John’s White Tie and Tiara Ball last night.

“I’m afraid I’ve just finished recovering,” she confesses.

“It was a bit of a surreal night. At one point I was having a chat with Shirley Bassey in the toilets. She was just so lovely.”

One fifth of the hit pop group Steps, Lisa is clearly loving riding high on the cloud of success once more.

Since reforming last year, Lisa, along with Claire Richards, Faye Tozer, Lee Latchford-Evans and Ian ‘H’ Watkins have been selling out arenas the length and the breadth of the country.

But she’s particularly looking forward to this weekend’s concert at the Venue at Seawick Holiday Park, near St Oysth.

“I’m sooo excited,” she squeals. “I was working at the park as an entertainer when I went to audition for Steps so it’s like going back full circle.

“I’m hoping all those lovely old couples I used to see there years ago will come up to me on the night and we’ll talk about the old days. It’s going to be great.”

Steps were once one of the biggest groups in the country.

In the five years they were together, from 1997 to 2001, they had two number one singles; two number one albums; 14 consecutive top five singles and overall sold 14 million records worldwide.

The group got back together last May for a four-part documentary series on Sky Living, which they followed up with a second Greatest Hits album, the Ultimate Collection, which became the band’s third UK number one album.

“I just can’t believe it,” she giggles. “To have one shot at this was incredible but to be given a second chance. I’m just so grateful and lucky.

“Honestly, when we started this a year ago, we had absolutely no idea what would happen or how successful it would be. It’s such a great place to be.”

Thanks to Sky Living’s Steps: The Reunion we all know it hasn’t always been that way.

While the very candid documentary followed the group’s return to the limelight, it also delved deep into the reasons for their initial split.

“Right from the start we knew it was going to be difficult to film,” she tells me. “But that’s the way it had to be. It had to be honest and I think that worked in our favour in the end. It was an insight for our fans. An explanation of what happened.

“It was never about any one person getting the most attention. Two people (Clare and H) were unhappy and wanted to go on their own.

“I was really happy and didn’t realise anything was wrong, so it came as a bit of a shock when they said they were leaving.”

Between the Steps break-up and reunion, Lisa had been keeping herself very busy indeed.

First there was her short time managing her three younger brothers in their band, 3SL.

Then she went solo.

Signed to Mercury Records, she released debut single Lately, which she co-wrote and shot into the charts at a very commendable number six. Second single, Too Far Gone, which she also co-wrote, got to number 11 but soon after Mercury dropped her.

“It’s a cut-throat business,” she replies matter of factly, “but I’m still very proud of what I achieved with those songs.”

But not so proud of the subsequent television MTV series that followed.

Totally Scott-Lee tracked her life, along with husband Johnny Shentall of Hear’Say, brother Andy Scott-Lee, and Andy’s girlfriend Michelle Heaton of Liberty X.

“The idea of the show was to see if Lisa could score another top ten hit, and if she didn’t she would quit the music industry. “Well it wasn’t the best decision I’ve ever taken,” Lisa replies sheepishly. “We really didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into and we were very naive, but then you learn by your mistakes and move on.”

It’s what you have to do when you become a mother.

Lisa now has two children, Jaden aged four, and Lily who is two, and she’s still blissfully married to husband Johnny, a much admired achievement in the goldfish bowl that is celebrity marriages these days.

“I think that’s why everything worked out so well this time,” she says. “We’ve all grown up and the girls have all become mothers.

“We have other much more important responsibilities now.”

Steps The Venue, Seawick Park, St Osyth July 20 7pm £35 to £45 0845 8159709