I can’t put into words how scary Strictly is
CBEEBIES AND STRICTLY STAR KARIM ZEROUAL REVEALS TO MARION McMULLEN WHAT WAS MORE TERRIFYING ...COOKING FOR MARY BERRY OR PUTTING ON HIS DANCE SHOES AGAIN
How have you kept busy during lockdowns?
I’ve been lucky. I’ve been quite busy and did two big profile shows. I did Celebs Go Dating and the BBC’s Celeb Best Home Cook with Mary Berry as one of the judges.
(Laughs) Strictly and Celeb Best Home Cook were both tough, but I think cooking is tougher. I knew I had some moves going into Strictly and I put in a lot of hours dancing with my professional partner Amy (Dowden), but I’m not the best chef and I did not really expect to win.
I was blagging it. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t take it too seriously. After all, you had Ed Balls cooking threetier cakes and these great dishes and I’m making a burger, so I knew then I was never gong to win.
Who is the most scary judge?
I think Craig Revel Horwood and Mary Berry are both scary in different ways.
Are you happy to be joining the Strictly professionals and dancing again in new show Here Come The Boys?
So happy. It’s been in the background for ages. I’m relying on muscle memory to kick in, but I expect the first few days of rehearsal will be agony.
I’ve kept active, but I did eat during lockdown. I won’t lie, but then I ran more. I’m always moving, jumping about and trying tricks. I never stop moving.
To be asked to join the cast of Here Come the Boys was so unexpected. To be honest I was a bit nervous at first but with some encouragement from Aljaz (Skorjanec) I knew I had to do it.
I’ll be hosting the show, spinning some records and showing off a few of my tricks. I have a few surprises up my sleeve that the audience won’t be expecting!
This show has it all... great dance routines, a world champion beatboxer, fantastic music and some audience participation.
If you want a good time after a difficult year this is the perfect ticket. I live in Manchester and I’m training in London and will be down there for the show so I’m packing my bags... and my dancing shoes.
You started performing at a young age and were appearing in the West End in shows like The Lion King and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Where did your love of performing start?
I remember dancing and performing to Michael Jackson music videos at home for my mum and sister and doing scenes from Jim Carrey films and movies Home Alone.
I started going to a
Saturday Club when I was six, but they said I was too good and put me in a class with 12-year-olds. I just loved it so much and I had a knack for it.
Street dancing came into my life later from music videos. I’ve always known what I wanted to do and I’ve been doing it for 20 years now.
I started in the West End and I can’t wait to get back. We’re definitely planning a big party for the nation and everyone is invited.
You’ve been a CBBC presenter since 2014 and also presented BBC Bitesize last year educating the nation’s children during lockdown. What was that like?
My sister has three boys of different ages and during lockdown she was saying ‘Kel you’ve got to do something....’ so I wanted to do Bitesize. I wanted to do it for my family as well as people struggling at home with their children.
It was good to give them a helping hand.
What is your strongest memory of Strictly?
(Laughs) I always tease Jamie Laing that if he hadn’t broken his ankle that year there would have been no Kelvin Fletcher and the Strictly trophy would have been mine.
It was such a high calibre year with so many strong dancers and Kelvin did it. I can’t put into words how scary Strictly is. You walk down those stairs and you know millions upon millions are watching.
You step out onto the dance floor and for the first few seconds I would not know where I was and then I would look into my partner Amy’s eyes and remember the movies and my character and then it would be done.
The rest would just go by in a blur, but I wanted to knock it out of the park.
■ Here Come The Boys with Aljaz Skorjanec, Pasha Kovalev, Robin Windsor, Graziano Di Prima and special guest Nadiya Bychkova runs at the London Palladium until June 9.
Go to herecometheboysshow.com for further details. Box office thelondonpalladium.co.uk