GLITTERBALL WINNER LOOKS FORWARD TO BRINGING
Sunday Mail Former Strictly star Joanne Clifton has backed new judge Motsi Mabuse to light up the next season of the BBC’s ballroom dancing spectacular.
Motsi has been the subject of fierce criticism, with Dancing On Ice j u d g e L ou i e Spence claiming she was only appointed by the Beeb as part of a “boxticking” exercise.
It’s also been suggested that her position has been compromised because her sister Oti is a pro dancer contestant on the show.
But Joanne, who quit Strictly to become a musical theatre star, insisted that Motsi, 38, was a brilliant choice to take over from Darcey Bussell.
She said: “Motsi is the perfect person to replace Darcey. She knows what she is talking about, she’s a world- class dancer and has already judged on the German version of Strictly. I am so very happy about that.
“I think she will be very fair when it comes to judging her sister. She has judged Oti before on the German show. She is very professional and won’t show favouritism.”
Joanne knows a thing or two about Strictly sibling rivalry herself.
The 35-year-old admits she still teases her brother Kevin about beating him to Strictly’s glitterball trophy.
Joanne, who won the 2016 show with par tner Ore Oduba, jokes Kevin only triumphed last year with his now-girlfriend Stacey Dooley because she wasn’t in the competition.
The Grimsby-born dancer, who also partnered DJ Scott Mills in the 2014 season, said: “My brother and I have always been competitive, so to beat him to the glitterball was fantastic.
“I often tease Kevin that he only won it after I left, but joking aside, I was delighted when he won last year.
“I was on stage in Flashdance when the news came through. I was in the middle of act one when someone shouted out the result, so I had to keep it together for the rest of the act.
“I wasn’t as shocked as when I won it with Ore. You can see the shock on my face when Tess Daly announced the winners. I’ve got seven double chins.”
Joanne, who is appearing in the Rocky Horror Show, which starts a six-day run at Glasgow King’s Theatre tomorrow, added: “I may have been away from Strictly for three years but because Kevin is still there, I feel like I’m still a part of the show and this year’s line-up looks exciting.
“I can’t wait to see American TV star Michelle Visage from RuPaul’s Drag Race in action. She is going to bring the sass. I’m also excited about Jamie Laing from Made in Chelsea. I would not have minded being his partner.
“You can’t tell who is going to be good until you see the first group dance and even then, everything can change. Ore and I ended up in the bottom two a couple of times and then went on to win.”
Joanne, who is going on tour with Kevin in dance show Burn the Floor, says she would never rule out a return to Strictly.
She said: “I am really looking forward to going on tour with my
brother. We haven’t danced together since we were kids. We may have been on the same show together but we were never partners.
“In Burn the Floor, there will be numbers when we dance together. That will be weird. It won’t be a rhumba – side by side stuff, well, so I’m hoping. Maybe a jive.
“I loved Strictly for the family side of it and the experience of working with the other pros and the whole production team. It’s just a nice atmosphere all the time.
“That’s what I miss. I am very happy on stage at the moment but who knows? I might enjoy the tour so much with my brother I might want to go back, so we will see.” Joanne, who plays virgin Janet Weiss
opposite former Blue star Duncan