‘People saying I’m the favourite makes me feel nervous!’
She’s no stranger to reality TV, having appeared on I’m A Celeb! in 2012 and The Jump two years later. But Ashley Roberts – who rose to fame in The Pussycat Dolls alongside Nicole Scherzinger in the early noughties – says that Strictly will be her biggest challenge yet. She says, “I’m A Celeb! was tough – we sat there twiddling our thumbs and eating camel penis for a couple of weeks. But Strictly doesn’t compare – it’s a whole new world.”
And Ashley – who turns 37 this week and has been partnered up with Pasha Kovalev – admits that while she’s “incredibly grateful” to be taking part in the show, she wasn’t prepared for the intense rehearsals. She reveals, “On our first day, the pros were like, ‘OK guys, ready? 5, 6, 7, 8…’ Everybody was looking at each other, out of breath and sweating. We were all like, ‘Oh my God, this is tough’. I do get nervous, too. Performing in stadiums in front of thousands with The Pussycat Dolls was crazy, but I think this is going to be more scary! And I’m just thinking about the performance – I haven’t thought about the judges yet!”
What with her dancing experience as a Pussycat Doll and her stint as a judge on Dancing On Ice, Ashley is the favourite to win – with some fans complaining she’s “overqualified”. But the star insists that her past may be to her detriment, saying, “I know I’ve got rhythm, but this is a new skill and I’ve probably picked up a lot of bad habits. It’s kind that people are saying I’m the favourite – but it makes me more nervous!”