Nigel Harman admits he’s both excited and slightly terrified as he prepares to take to the floor for Strictly Come Dancing 2023. The glitter-filled show is welcoming 15 new stars to the ballroom, including Angela Rippon, Amanda Abbington, Les Dennis and EastEnders' star Bobby Brazier.
It all kicks off for Strictly on BBC One on Saturday, September 16 at 6.35pm with the launch show that pairs the celebs with their pro partners, before they all take to the floor for the very first time in a fast-paced group number!
In this exclusive interview for What To Watch, the actor who currently plays Casualty's Max Cristie talks about getting in shape for the show, his hatred of glitter and why he’s not looking forward to the Rumba…
So why was now the right time for you to sign up for Strictly?
Nigel Harman says: "Basically Strictly has been on in our house for a while now. My daughter’s really into it and we sit down and watch it as a family, so that was a good enough reason to say yes! I was asked to do it before when I was younger but I took myself too seriously back then. But now I was like, you know, I'd really like to do that. It was the perfect time and the perfect opportunity to learn how to dance in an environment that’s family entertainment, which I absolutely love. Although when I told my wife she just laughed – I’m not sure if it was because she’s thrilled for me or she was picturing me dancing!"
What do your Casualty co-stars feel about you taking part in the show?
Nigel says: "When the rumours began flying around I had a chat with Charles Venn about it because obviously he's done Strictly before. He just looked at me really earnestly and went, Nigel, you've really got to do some cardio. Charles is an amazing specimen of a man and he goes to the gym all the time, so the fact he was telling me to get fit put the fear of God into me. It made me think, I’m in big trouble here! The other thing he told me was to be myself. He said, look, there's no way to game it out or to try and be someone you think people will like, so just be yourself!"
Talking about getting fit, have you done any training ahead of the series?
Nigel says; "Yes, I’ve gone back to the gym, although not as often as I would have liked. There's a fantasy version of me where the pre-training is going really well. But the reality is I went to France for three weeks and I just ended up eating baguettes and drinking loads of wine. So my training has somewhat stalled in recent weeks – although the stress diet is working quite well!"
So would you say you’re feeling nervous about what’s ahead?
Nigel reveals: "Yeah! As it's got closer, it seems like less and less of a good idea. I feel a bit like Jekyll and Hyde in some ways. There's one part of me that’s like, run away! But the other part of me is going, show me to the dance floor!"
How would you rate your dance skills? Are you somebody who’s first on the dance floor at parties?
Nigel says: "It depends how many tequilas I’ve had! But yeah, I’d say I’m quite an enthusiastic dancer. But my ego took a little bit of a blow recently. When they first asked me to do Strictly I went for a little taster session with Lauren [Oakley] and she taught me the cha cha cha. And when I looked in the mirror, my version of the cha cha cha looked unlike anything I'd ever seen on Strictly. That’s when I started to go, maybe I'm not going to be as good at this as I think I am!"
You’ve had lots of West End theatre experience, so will that help when it comes to performing in front of a live audience?
Nigel laughs and says: "No, I’m going to be absolutely terrified! I wouldn’t be human if I wasn’t! The big difference is that when I go on stage, I'm pretending to be someone else, I'm playing a character. I think I’ve only gone on stage once or twice as just Nigel. But although I’m nervous, I’m also secretly quite looking forward to it – I like live theatres, I like a crowd!"
How do you feel about having your dances critiqued by the judges?
Nigel explains: "I think my toes are going to be curling when it comes to that! I mean, why have I agreed to that? It's just insane. Can you imagine coming around to fix someone's toilet and then you turn around and a professional plumber goes, well, I think you did very well with the stopcock. It's just nuts!"
Do you know any of the other celebrities taking part in Strictly this year?
Nigel says: "Not really. I know Les Dennis. We bumped into each other a couple of times in a bar in Crouch End and clearly I made no impression on him because he can’t remember it at all. I think we were both a little bit tipsy! I reminded him of it recently and you could tell he had no recollection. And then he reminded me of when he came to see me in Shrek in Manchester and I have no recollection of that! So we know we know each other but neither of us can remember it at the same time!"
How do you feel about all the glitter, fake tan and those sheer Rumba outfits?
Nigel says: "I'm getting my first spray tan tomorrow. Bring it on! Glitter I’ve never been that fond of because I don’t like the idea of it going in my ears, you know? And when it comes to those rumba outfits I’m a little bit hesitant – like, how much do the public really need to see my nipples?"
Is there a dance you’re particularly looking forward to?
Nigel says: "I suppose the ones that will make me look less of a fool. Maybe the waltz because that looks like one I might be able to do! If my first week is doing the quick step they’re going to need St John’s Ambulance on standby because it will be game over! I won’t even be able to make it up the stairs afterwards to see Claudia!"
How competitive are you, and how much do you want to win that Glitterball Trophy?
Niglel says: "I am competitive, yes, but I'm not in competition with anyone other than myself. I won't be looking over at Angela Rippon going, god she’s so brilliant, I’m going to get her! I might trip her down the stairs, but apart from that…"
How do you rate your chances of making it to the final then?
Nigel reveals: "I don’t think I’ve got an Ann Widdecombe in me or anything. So I’d say that, based on absolutely nothing, I've got an outside chance of making it to the quarterfinal? But then I might get good, so you never know!"
Are you looking forward to meeting your pro partner in the Strictly launch show on September 16?
Nigel says: "I'm terrified. Suddenly here's the person you're going to spend every minute of every day with while they teach you dance and look at you like you’re an imbecile! Then there’s the fact that they're almost definitely a world champion at some discipline or other, which is even more terrifying. Honestly, what am I doing?"
Strictly Come Dancing begins on BBC One on Saturday, September 16 at 6.35pm
