words: GEMMA BALDWIN
The Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour is set to wow audiences at Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena until Sun 19, with sell out crowds almost every night. Many of the stars will be dancing with their partners, whilst three of the judges watch and mark their performances. Nothing like pressure in front of a live audience! Buzz Magazine caught up with runner-up Chelsee Healey and winner Harry Judd a couple of hours before their first performance.
Chelsee, best known for her role in the BBC drama series Waterloo Road, admits that she still finds dancing nerve-racking. “I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of the nerves. It’s not something I’m used to, even though I’ve been dancing and learning to dance for a while now, it’s still really scary for me.” In fact, she is worried that of all the places the tour visits, she’ll be most nervous in Cardiff’s Motorpoint Arena. “This [arena] isn’t as big as some of the ones we’ve been in, but I think this one’ll be a bit more scary because it’s more intimate.” She adds wearily, “In other places, you can’t always see the people, but in this one, they’re quite close!”
But as she assures us, whether she’s worried sick or not, the audience will love every minute of it. “Yeah it’s brilliant! A nice family fun show, with a bit of everything.”
Chelsee dazzled in the final, with a Beyonce-inspired outfit which she pegged as her favourite of the series. However, she was pipped to the post by none other than McFly drummer and household hunk, Harry Judd. The pop star scored a maximum 40 points for two dances, showing the world he can do more than simply drum. But despite Harry’s success, he still only considers himself an intermediate dancer. “I’ve been taught brilliantly by someone, and she’s been teaching her whole life. I’d like to think I have a natural ability for it, but I couldn’t just start dancing.” He chuckles, “I think she makes me look better than maybe I actually am.”
In some ways, Harry prefers touring to the live shows. “I’ve been playing at these venues for the past six-seven years with the band, so I know these places. It’s not live on TV, if you do fall over or mess up, it’s not a big deal,” he admits. “You can just go out and really enjoy it. It’s hard to enjoy the actual dancing being in the TV show because you’re so scared. You’re just thinking, ‘I can’t wait till this song is over’”
And the wardrobe selection did its bit in helping put Harry at ease. The tailcoats and pleated trousers vary slightly from his casual, ripped t-shirt and jeans look, but ever the good sport, Harry took them in his stride. “Ballroom dancing and Latin dancing [are] completely not my thing! [The costume] gets you into character, and that enables you to enjoy it. So certainly embrace the outfits and enjoy [the dancing] more for it!”
But not to worry, Harry won’t be getting too comfortable with the dancing. He and the rest of the band have plenty of plans for McFly’s future. “I don’t have a day off – as soon as this is finished we’re going into rehearsals for our tour. The guys have been writing whilst I’ve been away, and once the band’s tour is finished, we’re going to start recording an album.”
Strictly Come Dancing continues until Sun 19 Feb. Info: 029 2022 4488 / www.motorpointarenacardiff.co.uk