Bloodlands star James Nesbitt has revealed that he would “love” to appear in Strictly Come Dancing — but only on one condition.
The actor, who is due to appear in new Channel 4 drama Suspect this month, told the Radio Times that he would be keen to show off his dance moves on the ballroom floor, however, there would be some obstacles.
“My daughters would love me to do that. And I would love to do it, but not for it to be on telly. I am very competitive,” he said.
"What was interesting about Suspect, as terrifying as it was, it also brought out the competitor in me. I was working with this incredible array of talent and I was scared into having to try and match them."
And it seems the prospect of dancing the Samba on Strictly would be a particularly scary ordeal for him, despite the intense premise of his upcoming crime drama.
James said: “But the Strictly thing... I’m actually quite shy in a way. I love the Viennese Waltz, I love all of that. I love the notion of the discipline of learning. The one that really scares me is the one with the bare chest. The samba or whatever. It must be the Presbyterian in me.”
Having recently played burned-out DS Michael Broome in the Netflix drama Stay Close and cop-turned-killer Tom Brannick in BBC One’s Bloodlands, James’s latest role sees him portray tormented detective Danny Frater on the hunt for his daughter’s killer in Suspect.
Talking to What To Watch, James spoke about his role of Danny, saying: "I could relate to Danny, with his flaws, vulnerabilities and the devastating situation he faces, from the very first moment I picked up the script.
"Each episode of Suspect is an intensely theatrical double-hander, a psychological battle of wits between Danny and another character who may know something about his daughter's untimely death, and I really can't wait to lock horns with my fellow cast members and to lead this incredible array of acting talent."
Suspect will air a double bill on Channel 4 on Sunday, June 19 at 9pm and 9:30pm.
Strictly Come Dancing will return this Autumn on BBC One.
