Shrinking frocks, a trophy cobbled together at the last minute and a show Craig thought would ‘end my career’

IT is now the biggest entertainment show on TV, and every year celebrities line up to be part of Strictly Come Dancing – but it was not always the extravaganza it is now, with up to 14 million viewers.

A BBC radio documentary tomorrow examines the phenomenon, revealing secrets and backstage gossip, and discovering how the series keeps dancing into our hearts.

TV critic Emma Bullimore, who made the documentary, said: “It has been a remarkable journey from a twinkle in someone’s eye to the glitz and glamour that make Strictly such a special programme for millions. No one could forsee the cha-cha-change it has made to Saturday nights.”

Here are some of the best bits from behind the scenes...

The outfits – and lashings of fake tan – are the things fans love and some of the celebrities struggle with, at first.

Head costume designer Vicky Gill says: “Everybody comes and is a little bit scared of costume. They’re always concerned about how skimpy the outfit may be or how bright, or if it’s too sparkly.

“Susanna Reid, obviously, because of her day job, really wanted to enter into the fun of it, but was just like, ‘I need to be careful, make sure they’re not too short, not too revealing’.

“By the end I wouldn’t say she was in skimpy costumes because she wasn’t, but... her Latin skirts definitely got a bit shorter.” It is not just the women who worry. Talent executive Vinnie Shergill says: “Ben Cohen said right from the start, ‘Look, I just want to wear black. That’s it. I’m not going to be wearing any sequins. I’m not going to be wearing anything tight’.

“Then I remember him saying to me, ‘Vinnie, when can I go topless?’. I’ve often seen it. A man checking another man out and thinking, ‘Well, he’s rocking that bright pink trouser. Costume, Vinnie, can I get that bright pink trouser next week please?’.” There’s a bit of, erm, safeguarding going on behind the scenes with the shirt and trouser combo.

Vicky says: “The shirts are often stitched on to pants, on to boxers. It’s an all in one garment so then when they’re dancing their shirt is not going to unravel.”

The glitter ball trophy was a last-minute prize designed by props master Bobby. He says: “When we did show one, nobody thought about what they were going to win. It got to about two shows from the end, and the producer said, ‘What are we going to give...

Puttin’ on the Glitz: The Strictly Story, Radio 5 live, Sat 8pm.

have been where we challenge the viewer’s perceptions about them, like Judy Murray. “I love tennis, and I’d seen her in action, supporting Andy and Jamie. She was purported to be this tiger mom. “Then when you meet Judy, she is so adorable, she has...

HUNK Ben with Kristina Rihanoff

SURPRISE Judy Murray