Dancings

Strictly Come Dancing star Vicky Pattison was left in tears as she spoke openly about her experience on the show, which she says is helping her become a ‘better version’ of herself

Vicky Pattison’s emotions poured out during Strictly Come Dancing’s icons week. The former Geordie Shore star, 37, reflected on the person she used to be and who she is now before she transformed into Cheryl Tweedy for an impressive routine.

As the pre-dance video rolled, Vicky said: “I first started out in this industry at about 21 and I made some bad decisions. I just don’t think at that age I had the tools to navigate that space I was in. Now I do my best to be a better version of myself – someone I can look in the mirror and feel alright about.”

She went on: “What I’ve learnt about myself is that with determination and a little bit of self-belief, you can achieve stuff.” As she opened up on her song choice for the week, Fight for this Love by the Girls Aloud star, Vicky tearfully added: “Apart from being a banger is a very important song to me. The whole idea that the comeback is greater than the setback.

“You can have the life you want. You can change the narrative. You can be who you want to be, not letting the past define you. I think that’s really powerful. I worked on myself and now I’m here in a place that makes us really happy and I’m finally becoming a woman I’m proud of.”

Following her dance, Vicky was left gobsmacked after her icon sent her a personal message. As Cheryl appeared on screen, the reality TV star couldn’t help but gasp and jump around as she was told she had been following her progress.

Cheryl congratulated her fellow Geordie before saying she was “honoured and humbled” to be her choice of icon. Cheryl added: “I know you’ve got it in you because you’re a Geordie.

“So go on, get out there. Fight for your place and I’m sending you loads of love. I’ll be rooting for you from home.” An elated Vicky joked it was amazing that Cheryl even knew who she was as she continued to showcase her disbelief at the message.

Earlier in the show, Ellie Goldstein also received a personal message of her own. After dancing a salsa to a Spice Girls medley dressed as Baby Spice, Emma Bunton surprised her with a touching message.

And fans spotted the sweet moment Ellie’s dance partner Vito Coppola moved to make sure she was okay. After staring down at the star, Vito appeared to wipe away a tear from her eye as the judges gave the duo positive feedback following their routine.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one user gushed: “Vito checking on Ellie and dabbing away a tear. #Strictly #StrictlyComeDancing” They also added crying emoji faces to their comment.

Alex Kingston also transformed into Dolly Parton for an impressive routine alongside Johannes Radebe. And she too was treated to a personal message from her icon.

However, her moment came in private during training. It came about thanks to fellow celebrity dancer La Voix.

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Strictly Come Dancing star Tess Daly has been part of the BBC show since it began back in 2004 when she fronted the programme with Bruce Forsyth.

For the past 21 years, BBC viewers have seen presenter Tess Daly welcome a range of well-known celebrities onto the dancefloor as they try to raise the Glitterball on Strictly Come Dancing.

Although the current series is in full swing, with Stefan Dennis being forced to withdraw in the week, the beloved programme first began back in 2004, when Tess became pregnant with her first child.

However, Tess confessed that she didn’t tell bosses about her pregnancy over fears they wouldn’t want her fronting the show, although once they knew Tess shared that no one minded and all was fine.

Tess and husband Vernon Kay share two daughters together, Phoebe and Amber, with Phoebe recently reaching a huge milestone which was celebrated by her parents.

However, the 56-year-old sadly never got to introduce her children to her father, Vivian, as he sadly died the year before of emphysema, 18 days after her wedding to Vernon.

In the past, she’s opened up about losing her father and the one thing she regrets following his death.

Back in 2010, the Strictly star told The Guardian how much she misses him, as he was a strong role model in her life.

She said: “The man by whom I judged all others, really, because he was such an honourable and moral person who would never harm another being.

“Just a positive, outgoing… a great guy really and a brilliant father and I do really wish he could have met his grandchildren. That’s my greatest regret, that he never met his grandchildren.”

Similarly, five years ago when speaking to the Daily Mail, she emphasised her regret over her dad not meeting her children, along with him not getting the chance to see her role on Strictly.

She commented: “He would have been so proud. He loved Bruce Forsyth. He adored ballroom, all of it.”

BBC viewers saw Tess and Bruce front the show for a decade before he stepped down from the show in 2014, admitting it was the ‘right time’. Bruce tragically passed away in 2017 aged 89.

Claudia Winkleman was announced as his replacement after hosting the spin-off show It Takes Two.

She’s been part of the show ever since, often seen speaking to the celebrities after their routines in the ‘Clauditorium’

Strictly Come Dancing is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Neighbours star Stefan Dennis was forced to pull out of Strictly Come Dancing this week after he ‘tore his calf so significantly’

Strictly Come Dancing star Stefan Dennis has confirmed his future on the dance competition after he was forced to quit due to an injury. On Monday, the Neighbours star announced his departure in a lengthy post shared on social media, explaining he ‘tore his calf so significantly that he was forced to withdraw from the show’.

“I owe both the Strictly Family and Dianne [Buswell] a massive debt of gratitude for giving me the opportunity to fulfil my dream of being able to dance with my wife. (When my leg is better),” he said. Stefan – whose soap character Paul Robinson lost a leg in a cliff fall – added he was “gutted” about leaving.

Despite the blow, fans will still be able to see him on Strictly before the programme ends.

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“It’s a bit of a s****er, but I’ll be back at the end of the year, for the final,” he explained to The Sun.

However, it is not known whether he’ll be joining in on the group performance or if he will even be able to perform with his injury.

Meanwhile, Stefan recently confessed he felt like ‘he let people down’ because of the injury and subsequent exit from the beloved competition.

“I just feel like I’ve let everyone down,” he said to The Mirror during the Pride Of Britain Awards. “They all say I haven’t, of course, and the pros know all about injuries, but it feels like a shame to go out in this way.

“It was all going so well. When you go out, you want it to be because the viewers have spoken, because it’s your time, not like this.”

The news was a particularly upsetting blow for Stefan as the news came after viewers saw Chris Robshaw and his partner Nadiya Bychkova get voted out.

Stefan then revealed he begged producers to let Chris return to the show in his place. “I said they should keep Chris in now that I’m going but they said they couldn’t do that – once you’ve gone, you’ve gone.”

Two exits in two days could lead to just three pairings in the live final in December – provided no one else gets injured along the way. “That’s what has happened before I believe,” says Stefan.

Speaking about the severity of the injury, he added: “I thought I’d be able to carry on but they said absolutely not,” Stefan admitted. “The muscle needs complete rest. So that’s me done unfortunately.”

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Strictly Come Dancing contestant Vicky Pattison has confessed to putting a halt on sex with her husband Ercan Ramadan

Strictly Come Dancing star Vicky Pattison has revealed she’s put a stop to bedroom antics with her husband while taking part in the BBC dance competition.

After achieving her best score of the series last weekend, bagging an impressive 29 points with professional partner Kai Widdrington for their spectacular Samba, Vicky and Kai have secured their place in Icons Week.

During a recent episode of the Get A Grip podcast, the 37-year-old confessed she’s steered clear of physical intimacy with her other half since starting on the show.

The frank admission came as Vicky outlined the demanding nature of the programme’s early weeks, explaining: “One minute you’re nervous, you’re messing up your dress rehearsal, you’re getting your period, you’re nearly throwing up behind the scenes because you’re so nervous.”

As Vicky shared her journey, the presenter quickly jumped in with: “Are you pregnant?”, reports Wales Online, reports Wales Online.

But Vicky cheekily responded that her husband hasn’t caught sight of her “lady bits in months”: “No, you’d have to s**g me to get pregnant, mate. Poor Ercan hasn’t seen the sight of my lady bits in months. He’s honestly sick of us.

“I’m like, ‘Well, you’re not getting any now, I’m doing Strictly, mate.'”.

Vicky has also confessed the pressure to start a family has been overwhelming.

Speaking on the Women’s Health Just as Well podcast with Gemma Atkinson and Claire Sanderson, she shared: “My mum told me ‘If not having children is your trajectory, that’s fine,’ which I thought was powerful. I think we’re coming around to the idea as a society that a woman doesn’t have to have children to be fulfilled – and, for me, there’s still a huge question mark over motherhood.

She further added: “I’ve worked to finally get to a place where I’m proud of who I’m becoming, and the thought of taking a break… it scares me.”

Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton Du Beke has opened up about his wife Hannah Summers’ battle with endometriosis and the couple’s IVF journey to parenthood

Strictly judge Anton Du Beke has opened up about his wife’s agonising battle with endometriosis and how it affected their journey to parenthood.

The BBC favourite married marketing executive Hannah Summers in 2017, having first met at Wentworth Golf Club in Surrey back in 2012. The pair welcomed twins George and Henrietta soon after tying the knot, following IVF treatment.

But Anton revealed on Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy mum Happy Baby podcast that Hannah had doubts about their ability to conceive because of her crippling condition.

The professional dancer admitted he “couldn’t understand the universe” after witnessing Hannah’s bond with her nephews, before opening up about their IVF experience.

He said: “I knew I wanted to be with her, I saw her with her nephews. She’s so kind and so caring, I just couldn’t understand the universe.”, reports Lancs Live, reports Wales Online.

“And whoever is upstairs, if anyone’s upstairs, looking down and going ‘you are the most perfect person to have children, but I’m not going to let you have any children because I’m going to give you this’.

“And I’m going to say ‘you’re going to have this endometriosis, and you’re going to suffer with this all of your life, chronically, and I’m not going to let you have any children.

“I thought that was peculiar, cruel, and inexplicable and unforgivable. And if ever I go up to somewhere and meet this person I would say ‘I think you’re not OK with decisions like this, this doesn’t make any sense to me.”

Anton has candidly spoken about the hurdles he and wife Hannah encountered during their fertility treatment, which ultimately brought them closer together.

The couple were blessed when the treatment worked first time, resulting in the birth of twins George and Henrietta in 2017, with their nuptials taking place later that same year.

In an emotional chat with Giovanna, Anton admitted his previous lack of understanding about endometriosis and highlighted the urgent need for increased government funding in women’s health.

Reflecting on their journey, he shared: “Then we went through the process of IVF, well crying out loud. You girls are extraordinary. As much as I want to get involved, all I can do is hold your hand. It makes me emotional every time I talk about it. The injections, the stress, the anxiety. I have anxiety and stress but it’s not my body.

“She has these injections and the bruises in the bum, in the thigh, in the stomach. And you’re trying to help but what can you do? Whatever you want, tell me and I’ll do it but that’s all you have and it’s horrendous as a man to watch it.

“You feel so inadequate and you want to do so much more but I can’t do anything. And that’s why you girls are so extraordinary, you’re extraordinary that you do all this stuff.”