THE DANCE PRODUCER
KIM WINSTON IS THE SENIOR PRODUCER ON Strictly’s DANCE TEAM, HAVING JOINED THE SHOW AS BRUCE FORSYTH’S RESEARCHER IN 2009. SHE LIVES WITH HER HUSBAND.
HOW DID I LAND MY JOB ON Strictly? I ASKED FOR IT! I WAS WORKING FOR BBC SCOTLAND IN GLASGOW AND I ALWAYS SAID THE ONLY WAY I’D EVER MOVE TO LONDON WAS FOR Strictly – THE SHOW I’D WATCHED RELIGIOUSLY FOR YEARS – SO ONE DAY, I EMAILED THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND SAID, “LOOK, I’M BOOKING A FLIGHT TO LONDON, PLEASE WILL YOU SEE ME?” SHE AGREED AND ASKED IF I’D LIKE TO BE BRUCE FORSYTH’S RESEARCHER. IT WAS AS SIMPLE AS CHANGING BRUCE’S CUE CARDS IF LAST-MINUTE TWEAKS WERE MADE TO HIS SCRIPT.
THESE DAYS, I’M PART OF A TEAM OF SIX RESPONSIBLE FOR LOOKING AFTER ALL 17 PROFESSIONAL DANCERS, FROM RECRUITING THEM TO HELPING SELECT THEIR MUSIC CHOICES – AND IN CASE YOU’RE WONDERING, NO, I CAN’T DANCE. PRODUCTION STARTS IN MARCH WHEN WE SOURCE NEW DANCERS – WE WENT TO GERMANY TO FIND OTI [MABUSE], AND GIOVANNI [PERNICE] FLEW OVER FROM ITALY. IN AUGUST THE DANCERS WORK WITH CHOREOGRAPHERS TO LEARN THE GROUP DANCES AND I’M THERE TO HELP WITH CONCEPT, PROPS AND COSTUME DESIGNS. SOME DAYS, I HAVE 80 THINGS ON MY TO-DO LIST!
THE Strictly SET IS FAR LESS GLAMOROUS THAN YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, BUT THERE’S NOWHERE ELSE I’D RATHER BE ON A SATURDAY NIGHT. THERE’S AN EXCITEMENT LIKE NO OTHER, WITH HAIRSPRAY AND GLITTER EVERYWHERE YOU TURN! THE MAKE-UP ROOM IS WHERE EVERYONE GOES TO HAVE A GOSSIP.
JUST BEFORE THE GIRLS GO OUT TO DANCE, THEY’RE ALL FRANTICALLY APPLYING MORE FAKE TAN AND YOU’LL FIND THE BOYS DOING PRESS-UPS TOGETHER. THEN WHEN THE THEME TUNE PLAYS, ALL THE COUPLES ARE DANCING ALONG, WHILE THE CREW ARE CLAPPING AND SINGING TOO. EVERYONE IS IN THIS TOGETHER.
SEEING SOMETHING GO WRONG ON THE DANCE FLOOR IS THE WORST FEELING. WHEN KEVIN CLIFTON AND SUSANNA REID DID AN ARGENTINE TANGO TO MICHAEL JACKSON’S Smooth Criminal IN SERIES 11, WE’D BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE PRODUCTION TEAM BEHIND THE MUSICAL, Thriller Live, AND MANAGED TO GET THE SPECIAL BOOTS THEY USED TO ACHIEVE MICHAEL JACKSON’S FAMOUS FORWARD LEAN. BUT WHEN IT CAME TO THE LIVE SHOW, KEVIN GOT HIS FOOT STUCK IN THE BOOT AND HE WAS COMPLETELY MOTIONLESS. HE WAS REALLY UPSET BUT AT TIMES LIKE THAT, I HAVE TO PUT MY OWN DISAPPOINTMENT ASIDE AND REASSURE BOTH THE PROFESSIONAL AND THE CELEBRITY.
WEEK NINE IS MY FAVOURITE BECAUSE IT’S WHEN WE ALL GO ON OUR “SCHOOL TRIP” TO BLACKPOOL. WE HAVE A BIG MEAL TOGETHER – THE PROS, CELEBS AND PRODUCTION TEAM. LAST YEAR, JEREMY VINE BROUGHT ALONG A PACK OF EGGHEADS QUESTIONS, AND WE SPLIT INTO TEAMS TO PLAY – THAT WAS SUCH FUN!
LAST YEAR, I GOT THE CHANCE TO BE CLAUDIA’S PRODUCER – AND THERE WAS NEVER A DULL MOMENT! SHE’D OFTEN SAY THINGS IN MEETINGS AND I’D PRESUME SHE WAS JOKING – THEN IT WOULD TURN OUT SHE WAS BEING SERIOUS AND I’D FIND MYSELF SEARCHING FOR THE MOST RIDICULOUS PROPS (THINK OLD CHIMNEY SWEEPS AND TRAYS OF POPCORN!). I’D ALSO WRITE THE SCRIPT FOR THE RESULTS SHOW AND EVERY WEEK SHE’D GO OFF SCRIPT, BUT SHE’D COME UP WITH THESE HILARIOUS ONE-LINERS – NO ONE CAN ARGUE WITH THAT. >>
‘The Strictly set is less glamorous than you might imagine, but there’s nowhere else I’d rather be on a Saturday night’