‘I hope the scary Samba doesn’t scupper me now’
The Viscountess on voting controversies, Will Bayley’s departure and why the Samba is her biggest test
Hallowe’en on Strictly was epic. Backstage was a frenzy of quick changes, wig backcombing, and my dance partner Aljaž was turned into a silver fox, much to the delight of Twitter. Most fans congratulated his pro dancer wife Janette on how handsome her husband will be when he’s 60.
I absolutely loved performing our Charleston, a dance which, since day one of Strictly, has filled me with co-ordination anxiety. To the point that all week after my children had gone to bed, I was putting my dance shoes back on to practice in an attempt to get that swivel action to stick, all the while my cat giving me serious side-eye. On the night, the lifts went better than ever, adrenalin aiding the momentum of each one. Head judge Shirley was complimentary, Motsi finally saw some “spice” in me and Bruno dubbed me a “Flapper for
Tatler”. Craig, meanwhile, deemed me “too balletic”, which given I’ve never done ballet is strangely complimentary.
The results show, as always, was torturous. Aljaž and I were left to last but one to find out if we were in the dreaded dance-off. That fate was left to Mike Bushell and Catherine Tyldesley. On elimination, Auntie Cath and her partner Johannes had us all in tears with their heartfelt speeches. Johannes was eloquent in defeat, thanking
Strictly for the opportunity and Catherine for “accepting him for who he is”. This weekend he’s back dancing a same-sex routine with Graziano, a series highlight I’m sure and a sign that Strictly is moving with the times.
Aljaž and I were beyond thrilled to be voted through, so thank you for the support. Not only was it the halfway point of the show, it was my son’s fifth birthday on Saturday. I danced our Charleston for him and my two-yearold Henry, and was so happy to go home with good news. I arrived back at Longleat at 4am and spent Sunday dressed as a pirate for his tea party with his school friends. We took a boat trip on the lake and admired the sea lions, hippos, colobus monkeys and gorillas before I began training for this week’s dance – the Samba.
So far it’s been very fiddly, and I pulled a rib during a Samba roll. The VT crew promptly strapped a heat pack to my side. Injuries have been rife at Elstree – we lost pro dancer Neil on Saturday to a twisted ankle, so Kevin [who partnered Anneka Rice] stepped in to dance with Alex. And sadly, Paralympian Will also suffered a serious injury during rehearsals. It’s been announced that he has left the show and we will miss him dearly. But Will has the Olympics to look forward to and we’ll all be cheering him on. Our Samba is set to Ed Sheeran’s
I Don’t Care, but Aljaž and I couldn’t care more! The passion for this show is palpable from within the cast and nationwide. The controversy over Mike being saved in the dance-off has been surprisingly ferocious. We are all so supportive of each other and aware that this is the eye of the storm. I experienced it too when a wellmeaning Longleat staff member sent an overenthusiastic private Facebook message to colleagues encouraging them to vote for us. I knew nothing about it and it was dealt with swiftly with the BBC confirming that it made no difference. The most important thing is to focus on the dancing.
I will forever be grateful for Strictly and put my heart into each routine. I’m so scared of the Samba, though, but hope to do Aljaž’s proud. I can hear his voice now – “Let’s smash the Samba, partner. Get in!” I certainly hope the Samba doesn’t “smash” me. I’ve got to make it through this week and next without injury as I’d love to reach Blackpool – I don’t want the dreaded Samba to scupper me now!
Strictly is on BBC One at 7.00pm on Saturday and 7.15pm on Sunday