Shirley Ballas promises the party of all parties as Strictly Come Dancing celebrates the BBC's centenary with a themed extravaganza this week. 'It'll be exquisite in every way!' smiles the show's head judge as she joins us for an exclusive interview.
Saturday's Strictly Come Dancing 2022 special will see the remaining couples each perform to a theme tune from an iconic BBC program or dance a tribute to one of the broadcaster's best-loved services.
There will also be two dazzling professional routines, one dedicated to the BBC’s natural history programming, and another that will see Strictly’s professional dancers ‘crashing’ some of the BBC’s flagship shows.
Here, Shirley tells us why it's time to get our glad rags on...
The 20th series of Strictly and 100 years of the BBC are the perfect excuses for a celebratory episode. What can viewers expect?
"Viewers will enjoy it. The Strictly professionals are performing a routine that pays homage to classic BBC TV shows. We have the best professionals in the world and anything that our lead choreographer Jason Gilkison lends a hand to will be spot on."
What are your own personal memories of BBC programmes that you watched growing up?
"Well, obviously, I watched Come Dancing [the ballroom dancing competition which ran from 1949 to 1998, upon which Strictly was based], which featured choreographer Peggy Spencer and her Latin Formation Teams. I taught the presenters how to dance on that show and my then-husband, Sammy Stopford, and I often performed routines on there. I'm sure there's some archive footage of us somewhere!"
Does watching the celebrities on Strictly bring back memories of your days as a competitor?
"I’m still immersed in dance at every single level. I’ve been involved in the International Ballroom Dancing Championships at the Royal Albert Hall, working with top competitors in the world all week, so Strictly at the weekend has been like respite for me! Ballroom dancers usually have years and years to hone their craft, whereas the Strictly professionals have a short amount of time. Watching Strictly enables people to have an even greater appreciation for the pro-dancers on this show."
This year's series is shaping up to be quite a competition. Who are you most enjoying watching?
"I'm loving Paralympian Ellie Simmonds, she's doing fantastically well. Everything she does, she does within her capabilities and she’s better than she realises. Also, it goes without saying, actor Will Mellor. He's the ultimate competitor. And comedian Jayde Adams is a woman on a mission. She’s really serious about doing well and I appreciate that. But anyone else — including Hamza Yassin, Fleur East, James Bye and Helen Skelton — at any given moment can do a U-turn. There’s no safety at the top of the leaderboard this series. Everyone's going to have to keep trying their absolute best."
Looking ahead to another of Strictly’s themed shows, are you excited about returning to Blackpool’s Tower Ballroom next month, after two years away due to the pandemic?
"I'm still holding my breath and hoping we make it to Blackpool because that really is the home of ballroom dancing for me; staying at the Big Blue Hotel and being at the Blackpool Tower itself. I’m actually going up for four days because my boyfriend, Daniel Taylor, is in panto in Sleeping Beauty at Blackpool’s Grand Theatre at that time. So I'm going up to take in the ambience of the whole of Blackpool because I've missed it."
Finally, you seem to have lots of fun on the panel. What’s it really like working with your fellow judges, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke?
"I've known Motsi for 25 years. She's just a bundle of energy. She’s an amazing dancer with an amazing personality and a great singing voice — she’s always singing in the corridors on Strictly. I’ve known Anton for over 30 years. He used to come into the studio every week for ballroom dancing lessons and I’d see him there. Anton sits next to me on the panel, so pristine, right down to how the wheels on his chair line up with the desk! The man is absolutely immaculate from head to toe. And he’s got a wicked, quick-witted sense of humor. I have a real soft spot for Craig. He's a sweetheart and I think sometimes my critiques land very close to him. I often find myself saying: ‘Yeah, that's spot on!’"
Strictly Come Dancing continues this Saturday and Sunday on BBC One.
