Me star as Jessica Rabbit? It made my legs go to jelly!
WHEN Aljaz Skorjanec suggested the theme of Who Framed Roger Rabbit for Strictly’s movie week — with me as the iconic Jessica Rabbit — I told him it was either going to be comic genius or a cartoon car crash.
Jessica Rabbit has to be one of the sexiest cartoon images of all time and I was like jelly at the thought of trying to emulate her character.
You see, I’ve never really done ‘dress up’. One of three sisters, I have always been the tomboy of the family — sharing my father’s love of adventure and the outdoors. I have never had long hair and was rarely seen in a pretty dress.
As a result, Jessica’s sultry, sexy look felt alien in the extreme. I spent the entire week nervous about wearing that eye-popping red frock and a long, red wig.
Aljaz encouraged me to wear a long wig in training and I danced with gloves and red lipstick. I got the giggles at first and couldn’t bear to look at myself, but soon, I forgot it was there.
Saturday night saw me complete the picture: a bright red wig, a beautiful (but frighteningly figurehugging) red velvet dress and an attitude for which I had to steel myself all week.
Beautiful Janette [Manrara], Aljaz’s wife and fellow professional, told me to play this part with full conviction and even my mum said to up the ‘sass’ at the start of the dance.
My ‘trip’ down the stairs caught me unawares, and has made me laugh to watch it back, but there was nothing more to be done than give Aljaz a reassuring smile to let him know I was OK.
Thankfully, my years of working on live TV have taught me that when things don’t go to plan, one cannot capitulate, and the show can indeed go on.
The judges’ comments were awesome and much appreciated. To have Aljaz’s choreography and skill as a teacher acknowledged was the icing on the cake. Our group remains warmly bonded, and I am enjoying the fun and the camaraderie as much as any other aspect of this experience, but equally, there is now a sense of jeopardy with the eliminations that hang over us all.
I miss Susannah [Constantine] and her fun, warmth and hugs, and this weekend, lovely Lee [Ryan] left the group. This is how it will be from now on, of course, and I am very aware that we are all only as good as our last dance.
If I can stay long enough to dance the waltz, I shall be beyond happy. Of all the memories from my childhood, the one that stands out is watching The King And I. When Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr danced a Viennese waltz, I thought it was the most beautiful thing in the world.
I asked Aljaz and one of the other professional dancers to demonstrate and it brought tears to my eyes. Perhaps that’s the secret to the magic of Strictly and of dance: it appeals to the romantic in us all.