‘I could be a backing dancer for the Pet Shop Boys’


Strictly’s trip to Blackpool received so much hype in its build-up that I could only imagine it would end up being underwhelming. I mean, how could just doing the same things in a different place live up to the weight of expectation that had been heaped upon it. How I love being wrong. It was an incredible experience and one that I will never forget.

First of all, let’s talk about the fans. Blackpool is like a party for them and they arrive in their droves. Strictly has a fan base that is so in love with the show and the partnerships that it fosters, and these fans range from tiny kids who don’t have any of their adult teeth yet, to great grandmothers who don’t have… well, any of their adult teeth any more. It was so incredible to get to meet so many of them out on the streets of Blackpool and it really brought home just what we have been a part of for the past two months.

The excitement continued as myself and my fellow contestants got to join the professional dancers in a routine to none other than the legendary Pet Shop Boys. It was such a joy to be part of something so cool as Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe performed live. I am a self-confessed rock fan and metal head, but I love good music, and 40 years on the Pet Shop Boys still have it. I left Blackpool knowing that if my stand-up career takes a turn for the worse, I could always be a backing dancer for the Pet Shop Boys – I’m sure they’d have me.

Blackpool’s famous sprung dance floor has also probably received a bit too much hype and I was dubious that it was as springy as I had been lead to believe. Well, the truth is that it is and it isn’t. If it had just of been myself and Dianne dancing then I am not sure I would have felt the wobble much at all, but as we were performing with a further six dancers around us, I could feel their movements reverberating through my legs, which was quite distracting at first and needed a bit of getting used to.

My first run-through was not great if I’m honest, as the wobble put me off a fair bit. But our American Smooth to Paul Anka’s big-band version of Van Halen’s Jump could not have gone any better and we received our first 10s from judges Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke. Of course, I celebrated like I’d scored the winning goal at Wembley. Dianne’s parent’s are flying over from Australia this week and they have not seen her dance in eight years.



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