Darcey does Latin for Strictly semi-final!
Strictly Come Dancing guest judge Darcey Bussell is set to return to the dancefloor for the first time in two years on Saturday's show. The ballerina, who retired from professional dancing in 2007, will perform a jive with Ian Waite - and said the switch from ballet was not an easy one. Being in heels is the most difficult thing. It's painful being on the ball of the foot," Bussell told The Sun. "I know everyone has known me as the classical professional ballet dancer. But I'd love for people to think of me as a pro Latin dancer." And the 40-year-old also confessed that she was nervous about getting feedback from the other judges, following her debut on last weekend's show. To go from being a performer for quite a few years to a judge and now attempting to dance - it feels like I am just in a different zone," she admitted. "It has been quite nerve-wracking." Saturday's show will see this year's finalists determined, with Ricky Whittle, Ali Bastian and Chris Hollins battling it out to be in the final two. The contestants will each perform an Argentine Tango as well as a second routine. Despite Bastian and Whittle being front-runners for much of the series, sports presenter Hollins has now emerged as the favourite to win the series, with bookies Paddy Power offering odds of 4-6 on him taking the title, ahead of Bastian at 15-8 and Whittle at 5-1. The 38-year-old, who is partnered with Ola Jordan, is the only remaining contestant never to have been in the dance-off.
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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.
An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.