U.K. pop act Steps has split up.

The group started up in 1997 and had overseas hits with "Tragedy", "Better Best Forgotten", "Chain Reaction", and "5,6,7,8", although they had no major hits in North America, The BBC reports.

Steps officially announced their demise with this statement:

"After five incredible years, we have decided it's time to move on to new challenges. We have always said that when the time came, we would leave as good friends and go out while we were on top, as although we are very sad, that's what we have done.

"We are looking forward to making our next plans but for now we just want to send our heartfelt thanks and love to all the people who have supported us - you truly are the best fans in the world."

--AllPop

Steps are busy exercising their intellectual muscles as they prepare for an Oxford debate.

The U.K. pop group has been invited by the Oxford Union Debating Society to take part in an intellectual debate at Oxford University, dotmusic reports.

The Society is trying to make the debates seem more interesting and has also invited stars like Minnie Driver, Jerry Springer and Leonard Nimoy to take part.

Students at the university, however, think the Steps invite is embarrassing.

"Steps are hardly the sort of people we want to attract," said one student. "They would be more suited to addressing an audience of five-year-olds than a room full of intelligent students."

--AllPop

Steps are responding to accusations of racism.

The U.K. pop group found themselves in the middle of a scandal after an interview with U.K. paper The Sunday Express, in which they made statements that The Anti-Fascist Action organization felt were controversial, Music 365 reports.

Steps member Lee said: "I think there should be more jobs for English people," while fellow Steps singer Claire was quoted as saying: "Why are we paying for all these people to come into the country anyway?"

The group has released an official statement through Jive (the group's record label) that tries to explain their comments.

"Steps, both as a group and as individuals, are horrified at the implication by the AFA that they are racist," it read. "They deplore all forms of discrimination - racist, sexist or homophobic. "The comments made in The Sunday Express were not intended to appear racist and Steps unreservedly apologize for any misunderstanding."

--AllPop