Stepping up for Strictly
A new crop of celebrity ballroom dancers will be waltzing on to Strictly Come Dancing on BBC1 tonight. Kate Whiting meets some of the wannabe dancing queens and kings
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WHEN the leaves start turning and the nights draw in, you know it’s time for another fix of sequins and glitter balls in Strictly Come Dancing.
Octogenarian Bruce Forsyth is back with his pretty sidekick, Tess Daly, for the sixth series of the show that’s fast becoming a national institution – and they promise it will be bigger and better than ever.
This series boasts two more shows than last year, three new professional dancers and an impressive 16 couples – double the number who competed when the show started back in 2004.
Bruce recently introduced the new couples at a glitzy London venue and tackled rumours that this series would be his last, although it was hard to know whether he was being serious.
“The rumours have been bigger and better this year, and the biggest rumour of all was that this would be my last series. This rumour is true. I know it’s true because I started it,” he joked.
“I always start my own rumours, then I know where they’ve come from.”
Last December, more than 12million people tuned in to watch Alesha Dixon beat Matt Di Angelo in the live final to be crowned Strictly Come Dancing champion 2007 after a series fraught with arguments, relationship rumours and drama.
This year should offer up more of the same as 16 celebrities plucked from the worlds of sport, stage and screen battle it out to become ballroom dancing queen or king.
In fact, it’s almost a roll call of celebrity “types”, with the chef pitted against the athlete, the singer and the actress to see who has the best moves.
As the contestants train hard and steady their nerves for the live shows, we size up some of the competition.
THE CHEF: GARY RHODES
Gary was inspired to take part after watching fellow chef James Martin get to week nine in series three, but he’s realising it’s not as easy as it looks.
“When I saw James, I thought, ‘Of course I can do that, I’ve got a bit of movement in me’. Forget it. Whatever I was doing before, this is a whole new experience.”
Gary has the physique of a bodybuilder under his chef’s whites, but he insists it won’t help him much on the dance floor.
“I thought I was quite fit before I started this,” he says.
“But, all of a sudden, my thighs were in agony – I’m afraid this physique doesn’t help down there.”
The 48-year-old does have a slight advantage, being paired with Karen Hardy, who won series four with cricketer Mark Ramprakash.
Who would Gary want to take on in a dance-off? Gordon Ramsay, of course.
“He tries to show off on these shows and takes his shirt off. I’m thinking ‘get on the dance floor, Ramsay’. It would be worth it.”
THE SINGER: RACHEL STEVENS
Former S Club 7 member and solo artist Rachel moved back from Los Angeles last year just in time to sign up for the show.
But Rachel, 30, who is paired with Italian Vincent Simone, says her career on stage hasn’t prepared her in any way for the demands of Strictly.
“Oh, my God. There’s so much to learn,” she moans.
“Obviously, I’ve done dancing in the band and my solo stuff, but it’s so different. It’s very technical and there are so many things you have to think about. It’s like contortion; it’s so alien to put your body into these positions.
“I go to the gym and I run, but this is knackering. After a four-hour training session, you wake up the next morning and it’s like, ‘Oh, my God’.”
Rachel, who has tried her hand at acting in films such as Deuce Bigalow European Gigolo, says she would be thrilled to win but has not considered what might happen for her career if she did.
“I’m just thinking about what we’re doing today. I’m not really thinking that far ahead,” she adds.
THE BROADCASTER: JOHN SERGEANT
At 64, John is the elder statesman of the group – and this is the third time he has been asked to take part.
So what made the former ITN political editor change his mind?
“The first times I was asked, I thought ‘how absurd’. I couldn’t dance. I was totally unfit.
“But this time, I thought ‘isn’t it time to do something absurd and have a bit of fun when I’ve devoted so much of my broadcasting time to serious topics?’.”
It helped that his dance partner is new professional and blonde bombshell Kristina Rihanoff.
“When I saw her, I thought, ‘oh, this is going to be all right’.”
John has already injured both feet during training, which he quips is more than he suffered as a BBC war correspondent.
But he hopes that watching his progress on Strictly will help take people’s minds off the credit crunch.
“We’re going into an economic downturn and the experts have no idea what we should do, but I think I’ve got the answer – it’s the time to dance.”
THE ATHLETE: MARK FOSTER
He has only just returned from the Olympics, but the world champion swimmer is already hoping to add a dancing trophy to his cabinet. “When I do anything, whether it’s chess or golf or pool, I start off wanting to win,” admits the toned 38-year-old, who carried the British flag at the Beijing opening ceremony.
“I’ve learned over the years that you don’t always win, and you learn to be a good loser. But the focus is always being the best you can be.”
Despite being physically fit and getting expert tuition from new dancer Hayley Holt, Mark says dancing is completely out of his comfort zone.
“From an early age, because I was so much taller than everyone else, I would always stand at the back of the dance floor.
“I’m enjoying the training, but it’s scary because it’s putting yourself in the limelight.”
THE MODEL: JODIE KIDD
The polo-playing, race car-driving supermodel grew up watching her grandparents waltz around the ballroom and jumped at the chance to take part.
“It’s such a beautiful art and it has really fascinated me,” she says.
But for someone whose career has been about poise and grace, the 29-year-old admits she is finding the training tough.
“It’s really difficult because now I’m used to sitting in race cars or walking round golf courses, and this is about your hands and getting in touch with your feminine side. It’s a complete retraining of your brain.”
She’s impressed by the glamorous ballroom gowns, mostly because there’s no risk of a wardrobe malfunction.
“I’ve been down many a catwalk and thought, ‘Oh, my God, I’m about to fall out’, and I’ve had to be sewn in. Whereas these outfits are quite revealing but you feel very safe in them and you are able to dance in them.”
But her partner Ian Waite has apparently instructed the designers to cover up Jodie’s legs because they are so long they will show up any mistakes she makes.
“The judges will be like, ‘woah, what was that?’,” she jokes.
THE RUGBY PLAYER: AUSTIN HEALY
There seems to be a sort of bizarre link between hoofing a ball around and being extremely graceful on the dance floor. Matt Dawson made it to the final in series four, and last year, fellow rugby player Kenny Logan got to week nine.
Former England international Austin Healy says he can take the pressure.
“Amazingly, all the guys have been really supportive,” reveals Austin, 34.
“We’re all different. Matt and Kenny are both methodical people. I’m the sort of person who feels his way into things.”
At home, it’s a different story for the father-of-four – he says his wife and children are mocking him.
“When I go home and practise in the kitchen, they have been laying into me like you would not believe.”
Austin, who is paired with Kiwi dancer Erin Boag, says he’s watching out for fellow contestant Andrew Castle.
“He’s definitely trying to sabotage me. He’s very competitive.”
THE SOAP STAR: JESSIE WALLACE
Jessie is one of three former EastEnders taking part this year.
Last year, Matt Di Angelo whirled his way into the final amid gossip that his relationship with partner Flavia Cacace was more than strictly professional.
But Jessie, known for her role as Kat Slater, says she’s not bothered about the competition. She’s more concerned about viewers getting to know the real her.
“This is a chance for people to see me as me and not the characters I’ve played,” she says.
Her number-one fan, besides dance partner Darren Bennett, will be her three-year-old daughter, Tallulah – when she gets used to mummy’s new style.
“She is at the age where she’s really going to appreciate it,” says the 36-year-old.
“We always dance and muck around at home, but now I’ve started doing these salsa moves she’s giving me these really weird looks.”
THE PRESENTER: LISA SNOWDON
Best known for her relationship with Hollywood heart-throb George Clooney, model and Capital fm DJ presenter Lisa has been paired with Kiwi lothario Brendan Cole, who famously fell for Natasha Kaplinsky in the first series.
Lisa says she’s not fazed by Brendan’s reputation.
“I hate to shatter it, but he’s really sweet and he’s not anything like anyone makes him out to be. He’s actually in love – he’s got a gorgeous girlfriend – so I’m here to dance. All I want from him is his dance moves.”
The 36-year-old brunette says she can definitely see them in the final.
“It would be silly to be here and not say we want to win. It’s kind of scary to think that but we have to go in with that attitude.”
THE OTHERS
Former tennis player, now TV presenter, Andrew Castle is paired with Ola Jordan; Holby City star Tom Chambers dances with Camilla Dallerup, and former EastEnders Phil Daniels and Gillian Taylforth are paired with Flavia Cacace and Anton du Beke, respectively.
The One Show presenter Christine Bleakley dances with last year’s winner, Matthew Cutler; actress Cherie Lunghi is paired with James Jordan; M People singer Heather Small joins new US dancer Brian Fortuna, and Don Warrington dances with Lilia Kopylova.
