Now it’s samba over soccer for the Redknapps
Louise: I’ve made family proud
Louise would love to star in a musical after enjoying every minute in the Strictly spotlight. LOUISE REDKNAPP says her husband Jamie has been her Strictly salvation.
The former England footie star and current Sky Sports pundit has had to look after sons Charley, 12, and Beau, seven, during long training days.
And singer Louise, 41, admits the support of Jamie, 43, has let her get the confidence boost she needed after being a full-time mum.
“Jamie has had to step in and do a lot of the things that I was doing before,” Louise, 41, told The Sunday Post ahead of last night’ s semi-final.
“He’s been brilliant and nothing makes me prouder than him sat there watching me on a Saturday night.
“I’ve been a mum at home with the boys. I prioritised them for a lot of years and the family all said it would be great for me to do this.
“If you go far in this competition, it takes up a lot of hours. But I felt this was the right time for the whole of the family, not just for me. It’s given me such a boost.
“I came into this not knowing if people would phone up to vote.
“To get through every week puts a spring in your step and you’re so grateful people are enjoying what you’re doing.”
Louise says that when she does do the school run she’s been overwhelmed by the support from other parents and good luck letters from the boys’ classmates.
And while she has no firm plans, she says her Strictly success could be the springboard to a switch of career.
“The boys will always be my priority and I never came in to Strictly to look for a job afterwards.
“But I’ve never done a musical and it’s probably the one thing I’d find it hard to say no to if the offer was ever there. And now I
can do a bit of a quickstep, I could put it to good use.”
The tense semi- final saw Louise and pro partner Kevin Clifton dance a samba and a tango. With Hollyoaks star Danny Mac, Olympic gymnast Claudia Fragapane and BBC sports presenter Ore Oduba all “a massive threat”, Louise knows fighting her way through tonight’s results show will be tough.
But she says she’s had backing from Judge Rinder, who was voted off last week.
“He’s been texting every 20 minutes saying I’d better get my samba hips going.”
And if she makes next week’s grand final, she’s hoping her mum- in- law Sally will make it along having been run over by husband Harry Redknapp in a freak accident in October.
“It’s been a long recovery but she’s doing well and if I make it I don’t think she’d miss the show for any money.”
Strictly Come Dancing: The Results BBC1 7.20pm.