Anthea Turner How I See It...

Hello,

Since we last spoke, I’ve been tripping the light fantastic on Channel 4’s The Real Dirty Dancing, shot during two hot weeks last summer. Based on the ’80s box office hit Dirty Dancing, ten hapless celebrities re-enact iconic scenes channelling the lead characters of Baby and Johnny. Set in 1963, Baby was an innocent 18-year-old on holiday with her family at Kellermans holiday camp, and Johnny was the sexy dance instructor. But this version is a TV show so it must have that vital ingredient of competition to keep people watching for eight episodes. In this case, it was to seek out the two that had that special Swayze/Grey y connection.ti

BABY IN THE E CORNER?

It’s a stretch h to play the role of Baby when you are old enough to be her mum, and you are going g to look (in th e words of Del Trotter) a complete plonker! And so I mentally shut the door on TRDD – but maybe not completely. I’m a Gemini, so my modus operandi is “keep that door ajar” and what’s the point of having a mind if you can’t change it? So, there I was on the first day of filming, knowing if I was to survive this, I just hadhd tot jumpj ini aand enjoy the ride with this amazingg bunch of younng people.

LESSONS L IN LIFE

My life lesson? We haven’t got t ime to let fea ar control our livves, every day counts, and enjoying yourself is not a crime. Sometimes you have to say yes and drag yourself out of your comfort zone. Have you ever seen an advert for dancing classes and thought I’dlovetodo that, then talked yourself out of it because the fear monster in your head told you that you’d look stupid? Yet if you fought the monster and won, you’d meet new people, your enjoyment would influence your friends to join in, and you would buy those new shoes and probably look quite fabulous in them!

THE TIME OF MY LIFE

The fear monster never goes away. I have fights with mine on a regular basis and I don’t always win. But the battle that plunged me headfirst into the fountain of youth that is Fritton Lake in Norfolk was one of my best and I honestly had, in the words of the famous theme tune, the time of my life.

Love, Anthea X