STRICTLY COME DANCING
ENTERTAINMENT
Chart-topping singers Matt Goss and Fleur East are no strangers to performing in front of huge audiences. But Matt, the frontman of 1980s boy band Bros, and The X Factor 2014 runner-up Fleur admit nothing could have prepared them for the challenge of tripping the light fantastic in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.
Matt, who turns 54 on 29 September, has been partnered with professional dancer Nadiya Bychkova, while Fleur, 34, is paired with newbie pro Vito Coppola. As they limber up ahead of the second live show, airing on BBC1 this Saturday, they tell TV Times about their dance journeys so far…
Why did you sign up, Fleur? FLEUR
Initially, I was like, ‘I’m not a trained dancer. I don’t know if I can handle this.’ But then my younger sister, Keshia, reminded me of how much our late father, Malcolm, who passed away in 2020, loved Strictly.
As soon as she started recalling all the memories of us sitting at home on a Saturday watching Strictly or Dad sneaking out of the X Factor studio on a Sunday to check the Strictly elimination result, I thought, ‘OK, that’s why I’m doing it.’
I’m excited to learn a new skill and be challenged but, mainly, I’m excited that I get to do something that I know my dad would’ve been thrilled to see.
And Matt, how about you? MATT
Fleur and I have similar reasons in that my mum, Carol, died in 2014, and I kind of just powered through my grief.
I was coming up to the 11th year of my residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas this year and, after one show, I was feeling very empty. I returned to the UK recently for some promotional work and I thought, ‘I was born in London, I feel like I need to come home.’
Then Strictly called. I’ve been asked before but this call came at exactly the right time and I thought, ‘If I don’t do Strictly now, I could end up a recluse.’ So that’s why I’m here.
Matt, you were in Bros alongside your twin brother, Luke. What does he think about you doing Strictly? MATT
Luke knows me too well and he’s like, ‘How are you doing this?!’ But he’s very supportive.
Do your performance backgrounds help you? MATT
That’s the biggest misconception. As performers, we understand music but we are free spirits, so we want to go stage right, stage left, jump into the audience – on our own shows, we can do whatever we want. But on Strictly, you have to do everything by the book.
FLEUR Yes, it’s certainly challenging. Like Matt says, when we’re on stage, we’ve got a mic in our hand and we’re freestyling, singing songs we know. We can’t really mess anything up – and if you do, you just style it out.
But you can’t do that on Strictly. You have to be on time, on the beat, toes pointed, spinning around. Whatever’s required, we’ve got to learn.
Which dances do you think you’ll be better suited to – Latin or ballroom? FLEUR
My songs are very uptempo, so the high energy of Latin is what I’m used to. An elegant, graceful ballroom dance could be more challenging for me.
MATT I did the American smooth in 2013 on the Strictly Christmas special [Matt and pro Aliona Vilani performed a routine to Winter Wonderland] and I was in awe of how hard it was – the man is literally the frame of the dance.
I hope they give me a song from Saturday Night Fever to dance to, so I can wear that white John Travolta suit. My dream is to do some disco dancing!
How are you feeling about facing the judges – Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood? FLEUR When I was on The X Factor,
I was being judged on
my singing, which is what I know. Now I’m being judged on something I’ve never done, and that’s daunting. But that’s why we’re here, isn’t it? The challenge is to listen to all the notes and say, ‘OK, Craig said this to me, so next week I’m going to be prepared.’ Fingers crossed, it’ll help us get better. MATT Of all the things I don’t need right now, it’s coming to an environment where I’m heavily judged and critiqued, but I’m ready for it. I want to learn.
Who do you see as your main rivals? MATT
I think all the celebs are in it to win it, but there’s not a sense of competition – we’re all learning from each other and you can’t help but root for everybody. The music industry can be quite brutal. So to be in an environment that’s really encouraging is refreshing.
FLEUR The energy from all the celebrities has been so high and everyone’s giving it 100%. As you get to know everyone’s stories and their motivation for doing it, immediately you have a sense of connection. I remember watching Matt’s BBC documentary [Bros: After the Screaming Stops] in 2018 and now we’re both here doing this – it’s just surreal.
Finally, are you embracing the full experience of being Strictly-fied? MATT
With me, less is less.
I’m not known for being understated. I’m all about the glitz and the glam!
FLEUR That’s the thing that you watch Strictly for! You see the dancers coming down the stairs, shaking the tassels on their dresses, and you know Strictly is on. I touched the stairs in the studio yesterday, and I was like, ‘These are the Strictly stairs!’ I still can’t believe we’re doing it.