I thought it was the last dance

Brave teen set to celebrate Christmas early

Kieran Maxwell. partner Giovanni Pernice for their tango to The Rolling Stones’ Paint It Black, she admitted her training time had been slashed.

“There have been lots of obstacles but there’s plenty of fight in me.

“What my head says and my body can do are two different things. We are all giving it everything and I won’t use this as an excuse not to dance.”

But having had l ess rehearsal time than anyone else and having been in the dance- off before, she knows she could be in peril in tonight’s result show.

“The Strictly dream can be over any week for any of us,” she says.

“All you can do is go out there and do your best. There can be a lot of drama but I’m so happy to be here.”

Last night’s Halloween- themed extravaganza is likely to have helped Strictly maintain its massive advantage over The X Factor which has been languishing four million behind in the ratings.

Ed Balls has been one of the standouts, even if only for the lift last week that nearly saw partner Katya Jones take a tumble.

“I don’t think anyone is weak this year – Ed has m u s i c a l i t y,” adds Laura.

Strictly Come Dancing: The Results, BBC1, 7.15pm. A TEENAGER who has been told he is dying of cancer has vowed to bring Christmas forward for his family.

Kieran Maxwell, 18, was given the devastating news his bone cancer has spread to his heart and a lung.

Doctors told his parents Nicola and Alistair, 42, from He i g h i n g t o n , County Durham, that he only has weeks to live.

Kieran has bravely decided not to undergo chemotherapy.

Instead he has opted for quality of life in the weeks he has left.

Now h e’s looking to celebrate Christmas early and drive a top- of- therange Audi car.

In his battle against Ewi n g’s s a rc o m a bone cancer, incredible Kieran has had half his left leg amputated and undergone strong chemo.

This allowed him to continue his love of sport with a “blade runner” type leg.

His mum Nicola, 38, said: “K i eran is the bravest person I know.

“It breaks my heart to accept he has little time left and that he is more worried about us than himself.”

His fundraising is being gathered on Kieran’s Early Christmas Wishes gofundme website.

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