Strictly Ruth ‘I’ll make Eamonn so jealous with my dirty dancing
Ruth’s jokey message for husband
As she struts her stuff on Strictly Come Dancing, Ruth Langsford will be a woman on a mission – to make husband Eamonn Holmes green with envy at her sexy moves with a hunky partner.
The TV star has vowed to test the resolve of her partner of 22 years, who she insisted is not the jealous type, when she takes to the floor tonight.
This Morning presenter Ruth, married to Eamonn for seven years, says: “I’m hoping to make him extremely jealous, that’s one of the main reasons I’m doing Strictly. He’s not a jealous man, so I intend to rub myself provocatively up against any dancer who is vaguely handsome, and I hope he is green with envy watching me at home.”
But the 57-year-old also reveals she is on the show for another reason – to represent those going through the menopause. For many women, the “change” leaves them feeling exhausted, irritable and far from sexy.
So you would imagine the thought of twirling around a dancefloor in skintight sequins in front of millions of people would be nothing short of horrifying.
But Ruth is having none of it. She adds: “I am fully in the menopause, there is no denying that.
“I think viewers of This Morning and Loose Women are predominantly women of my age and over, and I’ve had such a fantastic response from them. They are all saying, ‘We’re rooting for you Ruth, we’re right behind you.’
“I really feel like I am kind of representing the more mature woman. That’s why I said I’m looking forward to a hot dance rather than a hot flush.
“I feel I’m out there for the menopausal
women of Britain.” Ruth, who has a 15-year-old son Jack with Eamonn, 57, admits the menopause had a negative affect until she started hormone replacement therapy.
She adds: “It doesn’t now because I’m taking hormones. But absolutely it did. It affected my mood, I got tired very easily. I really struggled.
“When I was younger I could lose weight very easily and that gets harder. I dealt with it, until eventually I thought, ‘No, I think I better go and explore the hormones,’ which I’ve done and I feel 10 times better.”
And Ruth believes taking part in the BBC1 dance show will spark a burst of feelgood endorphins. She says: “I think the adrenaline will hopefully make you
feel good about yourself, make you feel sexy. The costumes are sexy, I am looking forward to embracing that side.”
Not that she has every lost her spark in the bedroom. She adds: “No, I haven’t because I have a husband who never makes me feel unsexy.”
This Morning co-host Eamonn has already indicated he’d like her to go out of the show early so she can get back to her duties as a “domestic goddess”.
But Ruth says behind all that he is really chuffed for her being on the series. She adds: “He knows I am loving being here and he knows I’ve always wanted to do Strictly.
“There is no other reality show I’ve wanted to do, and I’ve been so vocal about it and so gutted about it every year when they didn’t ask me yet again. So when this came, he knew I wouldn’t turn it down.” Ruth admits contestants have been keeping tabs on each other’s moves in rehearsals.
She says: “Of course everybody is sussing everybody out in those group dances. But there’s been a great bonding experience as well I think we’re all so terrified.”
“In my head, Strictly was just dancing. I can dance, I love dancing, I go to a wedding or a party and I get up, I’ve got some moves, I’ve got some rhythm. But that’s just jigging about dancing. The first group dance we did, there are all these steps, and you have to be in the right direction and be in the right place. That is terrifying.”
Ruth has been stepping up her fitness for the show – by skipping – but refused to give up the wine. She says: “I haven’t stopped drinking, I probably should have done. Skipping is the hardest thing.
“When I first started I could do about six skips without tripping myself up and I’m proud to say I can now do 100 skips without stopping.”
She has shed a couple of pounds in the process, but insists she’s not taking part in a bid to lose weight.
Ruth adds: “I am quite happy with how I am. I am looking forward to getting fit rather than losing weight, and I’m looking forward to properly learning to dance.”
Strictly Come Dancing, tonight, 7pm, BBC1.