‘Aljaz is a perfectionist – he’s strict but really fun!’
The radio DJ opens up about her Strictly journey and why the dance competition appealed to her ‘inner show off’
Entertaining listeners comes as second nature to radio DJ Clara Amfo – but dancing in front of the nation on Saturday-night TV is a different feat altogether. The star nervously made her Strictly Come Dancing debut in October to a mixed response from the judges, coming in fifth place on the leaderboard after Craig Revel Horwood described her chacha-cha as “stompy”. In her second week, she suffered an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction and came in seventh place.
But the criticism has only made her more determined to succeed – and professional dance partner Aljaž Škorjanec has been doing everything in his power to make sure she remains in the competition. Speaking to Closer ahead of last Saturday’s performance, Clara, 36, says, “Aljaž is the best ever. He’s really fun, but strict in the sense that he will never leave the room until I get it perfect. If there’s an eight count of something, and I do it correctly at seven, he’ll go, ‘No, start again’. He’s a perfectionist because he wants me to do well. It’s all done with love!”
SUPPORT BUBBLE
While Strictly is always a challenge – on both a mental and physical level – this year is harder than ever, thanks to the show’s strict coronavirus measures. The dance couples have been forced to form a support bubble to limit contact with other people, with one half of each pair living alone while the other half can remain with their household.
For Aljaž, 30, it’s even more frustrating as he’s having to isolate separately from his dancer wife Janette Manrara, 36 – who has been paired with HRVY on the show.
Aljaž and Janette see each other around the studio, but have to keep a distance. Thankfully, the power of technology is making life a little bit easier for the couple. He explains, “We’re coping quite well. Rehearsing every day helps. But it’s such a small sacrifice to make to put on this amazing show, and it’s worth it.
“We’re both really happy and supporting each other the best we can – that’s the most important thing. I’ve bought myself a separate phone for FaceTime so we can constantly stay in touch with each other!”
Despite being a keen runner and gymgoer, Clara admits the gruelling training schedule has been a “shock to the system” and that she’s just about found her feet – quite literally. She says, “I knew I was going to work hard, but I didn’t know I was going to work this hard! It’s been a shock to the system and my feet have definitely taken a battering. I’m a trainers girl, so rehearsing over and over in a dancer’s heel is quite something. The first three days I was like, ‘Jesus, no. I don’t know if I can handle it any more.’ But I think I’ve pushed through and broken the pain barrier.”
EXPOSED
And on a mental level, performing in front of the nation each week is something Clara is coming to terms with, too. She says, “This is so different from radio. When I’m at work, no one’s watching me. Even though I’m exposed to millions of people, they can’t see me – it’s just me and my producer.
“Dancing is very exposing. You’re trying to move your limbs in a rhythmic fashion in front of millions of viewers at home, and then you’ve got to be judged in front of those people. It’s a lot.”
Nerves aside, Clara is making the most of being outside of her comfort zone – as well as taking advantage of the show’s sequins and sparkles. She says, “You can’t come on Strictly and be a wallflower. The show is great at appealing to everybody’s inner show-off. You’ve got to surrender to it fully. You can’t come on here and be like, ‘Oh my God, don’t put those sequins near me!’ I know what I signed up to. You just have to go for it!”
By Katie Begley