Accident-prone EastEnders star James Bye will have to watch his step on Strictly – especially after his slip-up with an avocado.
When he arrived on Albert Square as Martin Fowler, James had a blue cast on his arm after managing to sever an artery while de-stoning the fruit with a knife.
Wife Victoria said: “He went right through and passed out on the kitchen floor. I’ve a blood phobia and had to lie next to him. When the ambulance came, we were both lying in a pool of blood.”
“They said they get three types of injury with the hand–frozen burgers, avocados and oysters. So, we said, ‘We’re not quite posh enough for oysters.’”
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A couple of years ago James, 38, also tore a knee cartilage rehearsing for a Children in Need dance routine and went straight to surgery.
Victoria said: “When Strictly asked him to do it, he told them, ‘You do know what happened in Children in Need, don’t you?’
And James has already been in the wars rehearsing for Strictly with pro partner Amy Dowden, 32.
He said: “I was trying to show Amy how strong I was so I did a few pull ups. He joked: “The finger almost fell off. The wedding ring is the only thing keeping my finger on.”
But fruit also has a happier association for James and Victoria, who married in 2012 and share sons Edward, eight, Louis, six, and Hugo, three.
Victoria fell for the budding actor when she met him while doing a promo in a supermarket car park – dressed as a giant pineapple.
She said: “He was handing out sweets, I must have really liked fruit jellies. He asked me for my number and that was it.
“He was wearing skin-tight red trousers and was stood inside a giant pineapple, so I won’t say it was the man of my dreams.
“He’d got a twinkle in his eye. He’s such a cheeky charmer that by the time I’d finished my jelly, I was a smitten kitten.
“Six months later we moved in together and we’ve been together 17 years now.”
James’s charm is certainly shining through on Strictly and Victoria, 40, hopes he will stay in so he can show off his signature move – a Michael Jackson moonwalk.
She described him as a classic dad-dancer who has to be dragged up at weddings to do a very shy side-shuffle before sitting back down.
But it is a different story at home. Victoria said: “The boys love a little dance in the kitchen and we often put on Michael Jackson – and James can moonwalk. He teaches my eldest the Michael Jackson moves and they both love it.
“But, in terms of professional dancing, this is completely new to him.
“This week he’s really excited because he’s doing a Marvel performance and getting to show his fun side.
“I think that’s really important because he is so fun. He’s such a loud, crazy dad.
“He has been practising at home. He doesn’t walk places now – he dances places. He gets up to brush his teeth and I hear him sliding around the bathroom, shimmying away.
“The boys are laughing saying, ‘Oh, not more dancing, Daddy!’”
Victoria said family life now James is on the show is a daily struggle but she wouldn’t have it any other way. And she revealed they may try for a fourth child – although she has endometriosis, which makes conceiving harder.
Victoria said: “I love being a soccer mom. I love the craziness they bring. They’ve all got long hair, so I get my fix of doing ponytails in the morning without any of the girl drama! James says there’s only room for one princess in this house – I think that’s him.”
She says her first dance with James after they wed was an “unambitious shuffle” to Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars. They are renewing their vows in January and she wants to keep the song – but upgrade the dance.
Victoria also revealed that Amy is like part of the family now, saying: “We’re gonna have Amy and her husband Ben over for dinner and cook a big spag bol, and she can teach me a dance move.”
And with James being an actor, she is not bothered about seeing him dance with another woman – as he has been married and divorced a few times on Enders.
Victoria also said that despite being accident-prone, James is resilient, adding: “He’s the sort of guy that when he falls down, he gets back up.”
Some of his Enders castmates have also been supportive, including last year’s Strictly winner, Rose Ayling-Ellis. Victoria said: “I’m genuinely so proud of him. I’ve been going every week and hopefully will continue to go.”
