Singer and recently confirmed Strictly Come Dancing 2022 contestant, Fleur East, has revealed the touching reason that she is doing the BBC series. Talking to host Ranvir Singh on ITV's Lorraine, she emotionally said: “I hope I get to dance to some of my songs… for me it’s quite emotional. My dad who passed away in 2020, Strictly was his favourite show.”
Getting emotional in the interview, she added, “I’m going to be doing it for him. I’m just gutted he can’t see me do it, but I’m going to keep him in mind during the show… I’m excited, my family, just for that reason, will be buzzing.
“I wasn’t expecting to get this emotional about it," she said as she started to cry. On the series, she joins previously announced contestants Will Mellor, Kym Marsh, Richie Anderson, Kaye Adams, Jayde Adams, Ellie Simmonds OBE, Tyler West, Matt Goss, Ellie Taylor, Molly Rainford and Tony Adams MBE.
Read more: Strictly Come Dancing 2022 contestants: Full line-up as stars announced
During her chat with Ranvir, the singer, 34, also revealed she’s looking forward to doing the Cha-Cha-Cha on the returning BBC dance show. She said, “I know it’s speedy and Latin vibes, so I’m looking forward to that!”
On having dance experience from performing on stage and previously being on a Saturday night live entertainment show, Fleur admitted she’s feeling the pressure of being expected to do well. She said, “There’s too much pressure, I’m so nervous, Ranvir. I can dance in the club and when I'm singing on stage, but I have never done any technical dancing, so I don’t know anything ballroom, how to point a toe or anything like that.”
She added, “This is a completely different level. You need to give me some advice, Ranvir!” The Lorraine stand-in presenter appeared on the show in 2020 and was partnered with Giovanni Pernice.
Fleur, who is also a professional personal trainer, said of her training background: “Hopefully that will work for me with stamina, but I’m terrified of the level of technique that I have to learn because I’m working with professional dancers that have done this for years and I’m completely out of my depth.”
She also described how her husband of three years is excited for her to be on the show. She said, “He is so excited. Marcel cannot wait for me to do this. He’s like, ‘Right let’s go, let’s get you focused.’ He’s going to be like my coach at home.”
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One in the autumn. For more showbiz and television stories, get our newsletter here.
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