Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Strictly the real me
Former Home Secretary’s joy at new love and zest for life outside politics
Sequinned and smiling, Strictly Come Dancing contestant Jacqui Smith has come a long way since her surly days as a Britain’s first female Home Secretary.
Jacqui , 57, says this sunny new persona is her true self – bubbly, twoand-a-half stone lighter, and glowing with happiness having found love again after splitting from her husband.
And she insists quitting the Labour Cabinet 11 years ago was the turning point. She says: “Being in Government, you spend a lot of time being defensive. That doesn’t lend itself to spontaneity or humour. When you leave politics there is an element of liberation. This is the real me.”
Jacqui’s two years in office end ed aft er th e 2009 expenses scandal, when it emerged her now-ex
Richard Timney – her former aide with whom she has two adult sons – claimed for two pay-perview porn films on her parliamentary expenses. When their 33-year marriage ended in January this year, she feared she would never find love again.
She says: “You do think, ‘Is that the end of my life being able to be shared with another person? One of the big differences about dating in your 50s is that you come to it with history.
“It’s then a real joy, particularly if you’ve been through a tough personal time, like I have, to know there are other people out there who are fun.”
Before the pandemic put a stop to travel , Jacqui went on a singles holiday to India as she went through a “grieving process” for the loss of her marriage.
She says: “That demonstrated I could have an amazing experience on my own. It was a significant shift. Anybody who goes through the break-up of a relationship after a long and , in my case, ver y
happy period of marriage, you do go through some very dark times when you think ‘I ’m never going to be happy again’.”
But before lockdown she met her new partner, who she has yet to name, outside a yoga class. Currently, they can only communicate “using technology” but speak “lots of times every day”.
The trauma of divorce, she says, can be character building. “My sister thinks I’m a nicer person for going through difficult times.”
As she dances the samba on Strictly tonight with
Anton Du Beke, the transformation is complete. She says: “I take selfies and send them to my family and friends, and say, ‘ Look what they ’ve done to me!’
“I started running soon after I finished as Home Secretary but upped it in recent years. I’m pleased about being much more physically fit. “I’ve realised during Strictly that a bit of stamina is a good thing.” Jacqui was at the bottom of the leader board last Saturday with 13 points out of 30 and is favourite to be the first to be axed.
While judges Shirley Ballas and Motsi Mabuse praised her effort in the foxtrot last week, Craig Revel Horwood awarded her three out of 10.
She says: “My challenge this week is to get Craig to recognise I’ve made progress. Three weeks ago I’d never danced, so I feel proud of myself.
“One of the good things about being 50-plus is you can say, ‘I ’m going to do it as well as I can but if you don’t like it, I couldn’t care less.’
“When you get older the important thing is to grab opportunities. I’m at the point in my life where my children have left home, I am in a new relationship. I’m free to explore those sorts of things now.
“That’s exciting.”
Strictly Come Dancing, tonight at 7.10pm on BBC1.
When you leave politics there’s an element of liberation. This is the real me JACQUI SMITH ON REDISCOVERING SENSE OF FUN IN HER 50s