The Daily Telegraph

My Strictly Diary Debbie Mcgee ‘I’ve never expected everyone to like me’

Our columnist defends her dance experience and explains why she doesn’t take anything for granted

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We’re all so excited about Movie Week. On Saturday, I’m dancing a quickstep to Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off from the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musical Shall We Dance. It’s definitely the hardest so far as you have to have the strength to do the technique but the stamina to do all the steps. I really love it, though – the style suits me and it’s a fun story.

In the film, Fred and Ginger dance on roller skates, but luckily we’re not doing that! Some of my friends were in the West End show Starlight Express years ago and one of them got injured and couldn’t dance again. Instead, we’re starting our routine by sitting on a bench reading a newspaper, which sounds simple but my partner Giovanni says that when it comes to a gentle bit of acting, I can’t do it. The problem is that I’m really good at overacting. He keeps saying “Not as big!” and using his arms to gesticulat­e. He also says I walk to the music like a nodding dog!

I hope people are starting to understand that all the contestant­s have different strengths. Acting is something I’ve never had to do. I feel that I should defend my corner and have replied to a few messages when people have said it’s unfair that I have a dance background. I do find it exhausting that some of the newspapers that were on my side before Strictly began, and would call me a radio presenter, have now started referring to me as “the former ballet dancer” – I find it totally frustratin­g. Alexandra [Burke] is in musicals and Aston [Merrygold] has always danced. In the early days of Strictly, they just didn’t admit that anyone had any experience. They’ve always had a mixture of talents on the show, and rightly so – it would be boring if everyone could dance and vice versa. I try to block the negative things out of my mind. There were a couple of things on Twitter that were really a bit nasty and it is upsetting. I’ve been in the business a long time and I have to remember that I’m doing my best: I’ve never expected everyone to like me.

It was always going to be hard for the first person to leave, so we were all so upset when Chizzy [Akudou] was eliminated. It’s horrible standing under those lights with the music pounding when they announce the results. When my late husband Paul and I did the celebrity version of The X Factor in 2006, we were the only act to get a standing ovation from the crowd, but we were voted out first, so you can never take anything for granted. I remember being stunned when Pixie Lott unexpected­ly left Strictly in 2014. As for the so-called “race row” – people see into things that aren’t there. It’s not to do with our colour, it’s how we’re dancing and the judges see more than we do. My heart also went out to Charlotte [Hawkins]. To go wrong on the night is horrible because you’ve put hours of work in. With all his expertise, Brendan [Cole] will have known in his heart that she could pull it off. But on the day, it didn’t happen. You just have to move on and we all respect the judges’ comments.

We might see a perfect 10 this weekend – probably for Aston or Alex. But what I love about Strictly is to always expect the unexpected.

Debbie was talking to Rachel Ward; Strictly Come Dancing is on Saturday on BBC One at 6.35pm

 ??  ?? Top performanc­e: Debbie and Giovanni scored high with their Viennese Waltz
Top performanc­e: Debbie and Giovanni scored high with their Viennese Waltz
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