Ramsay: Don’t date the Strictly dancers!
Chef Gordon’s warning to daughter as she joins show
GORDON Ramsay yesterday warned his daughter Tilly not to date any of the Strictly Come Dancing professionals as she was announced as the latest star to join this year’s line-up.
TV presenter Ms Ramsay, 19, was shown a video message on This Morning, which airs on UTV, from her parents Gordon and Tana in which her chef father said: ‘Don’t date those dancers!’
It comes after Strictly gained a reputation for putting a ‘curse’ on existing relationships, with stars growing close to their dance partners.
Actor Greg Wise, who is married to Cruella star Emma Thompson, was also announced as a new Strictly contestant. Ms Ramsay, who presents the cooking show Matilda And The Ramsay Bunch on CBBC alongside her family, said: ‘I’m always up for fun new challenges and this will be my biggest adventure yet.
‘I’m going to put my heart and soul into this and can’t wait to get my dancing shoes on and show my dad how it’s really done. Bring on the glitz, glamour and sequins!’
She has more than 9.5million followers on video-sharing network TikTok and is often seen dancing with her father in films.
Ms Ramsay said: ‘He is always up for it, but he’s definitely not the coach. It takes me a good couple of hours to teach him to do it.’
She said she hopes her experience of dancing on TikTok might help her on Strictly, adding: ‘You’ve got to learn them [dance routines] and you’ve got to remember them for the video. But luckily that’s not live or anything – you can do as many takes as you need.
‘I’ve tried dancing before when I was much younger. Mum put us all in ballet but we weren’t very good so we were moved into football camp. So it’s definitely not my strength.’
Meanwhile, Sense And Sensibility star Wise, 55, said he was taking part in the BBC programme in tribute to his ‘disco queen’ sister Clare, who died aged 51 of cancer five years ago.
He added that while he ‘can’t dance’, he is excited to learn and do it in memory of Clare. He told This Morning hosts Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford: ‘She was a huge disco diva and we sent her out of this life in a glitterball coffin to banging ’80s disco music. ‘She is prodding me hugely, saying, “Got to do it, got to be done” and she will have such a laugh watching her little brother. She’ll be sitting on either the left or right shoulder depending on how well I’m doing at the time.’
The actor, also known for roles in The Crown and Cranford, revealed that Ms Thompson was ‘stupidly excited’ about him appearing on the show. He said: ‘It’s going to be so important having her there. She’s done three films back-to-back this year so she’s exhausted now anyway. I think just the idea of being able to sit back and watch her old man...’
Other celebrities in the Strictly line-up include BBC Breakfast host Dan Walker, 44, Coronation Street’s Katie McGlynn, 28, McFly singer Tom Fletcher, 36, comedian Robert Webb, 48, and Dragons’ Den star Sara Davies, 37. TV presenter AJ Odudu, 33, and CBBC host Rhys Stephenson, 28, will also take part, along with former Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite, 33, who will make history when he competes in the show’s first all-male pairing.
The 19th Strictly series is expected to start at the end of next month and run until Christmas, with a full lineup of 15 contestants.
Veteran dancer Anton Du Beke becomes a judge, replacing Bruno Tonioli, and there are four new professionals to partner the celebrities.
‘I’ll put my heart and soul into this’