‘I loved making people smile’

Politician Ed Balls turned his life around after losing his Labour seat in 2015 by taking on the challenge of Strictly Come Dancing – and winning himself a legion of fans

In 2016, I learned that dancing, contrary to my previous ‘Dad-style’, is as much about the bits of your body you don’t move as the bits you do. To throw yourself fully into a performance is frightening, exhilarating and liberating. Unlike when I started my Strictly journey with a cautious waltz, Katya and I will be going all out from the start on the Strictly tour next year. Probably my biggest surprise of 2016 was to discover that people really do have spray tans. I knew about sunbeds but I didn’t know you could actually get a tan out of a bottle, or that it would feel so cold and tingly.

Politics aside, my biggest disappointment was my football team Norwich City being relegated from the Premier League. I am the club chairman and we all felt we let our supporters down.

I am most proud about the progress of our three teenage children who, despite their dad’s embarrassing antics, just get on with it. As for me, I’m definitely proud of our Gangnam salsa. It was so fun and joyous and I didn’t mess up either my steps or my lifts. I just loved making people smile.