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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Frances Kindon

Strictly: Jayde Adams' sister's harrowing death made comedian rethink her entire career

Strictly Come Dancing star Jayde Adams has been showing off her nifty moves alongside pro partner Karen Hauer Wyn-Jones on this year's show.

And she honed her skills when she was just a child competing in disco contests with her big sister Jenna.

Bristolian comedian Jayde, 37, and her older sibling were crowned champions at one tournament at a caravan park - an event that gave the star her first taste of fame.

"It was a huge competition that happened over the weekend; we'd all stay in static caravans. Jenna and I had new costumes – our mum's best," Jayde told the Guardian.

"We danced so well that when I came off stage, people were touching me like I was a god. There was a tunnel of people complimenting me as I left the dancefloor, and I remember thinking: 'This is nice.'"

She and her sister were inseparable throughout their childhood and teens. It was Jenna who looked out for her little sister Jayde at school and in life.

But one day Jenna suffered a seizure out of the blue, leading doctors to make the devastating discovery of a tumour in her brain.

They were able to remove half of it, giving Jenna another six years of life. And when the end finally came, a heartbroken Jayden ironically discovered that she was funny.

She explained: "I was in the hospital with my family, who were all looking really sad while Jenna was in bed. When they popped out to speak to the doctor, Jenna grabbed my hand – quite aggressively, I'll be honest – and said: 'Can you start making everyone laugh? They're all looking at me like I'm about to die and it's doing my nut in.'

"So that's what I did. I started making jokes. And I haven't stopped since."

Jayde is paired with pro dancer Karen on this year's Strictly (BBC/Guy Levy)

What she did stop doing, however, was dancing. Struggling to cope with her loss, Jayde toured drag Shakespeare around Spain, but she couldn't escape her heartbreak.

"I was an absolute mess for about three years after her death," she continued. "I wasn’t sure what I was doing and felt a bit lost."

Eventually she found her way back through standup and her Adele drag act, but admits the hole left by her sister's death will never be filled.

"She was the most alluring person in any room," Jayde added. "She couldn’t pretend to be anything other than what she was. Which was an absolute firecracker."

Meanwhile, it was her experience of dancing with Jenna that made her want a same-sex partner for Strictly.

Jayde is married to events manager Clayton Wright (clayton_wright_ /Instagram)

The star - who is married to event director Clayton Wright - was the base who used to lift her sister, and hoped to do the same on the BBC One show.

Speaking to the Mirror and other news outlets, she explained "I'm so excited to be with Karen... It does give me an advantage now because I can lift her. If I was with a guy - it ain't my fault, but none of them are rugby player ballroom dancers, are they?

"So it means that I'll be able to do all of the acrobatic stuff now, which is something I'm super excited about doing because I've got loads of upper body strength and she is so athletic and strong!"

*Strictly continues tonight at 6.30pm on BBC One

What do you think of the couples on Strictly this year? Have your say in the comments section below...

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