Strictly Come Dancing: Robin Windsor and Lee Ryan discuss the show

Strictly Come Dancing is back on our screens with all the glitz and glamour.

We spoke to Robin Windsor, former Strictly professional dancer, and previous Strictly contestant Lee Ryan from Blue about their thoughts on this year’s show.

Robin Windsor

Who is your favourite pairing this year?

My favourite pairing this year is Aljaz Skorjanec and Clara Amfo, the BBC Radio 1 presenter. I think they looked sensational on the first show and even in her first video, the meeting of the two of them, you can see she has the moves. I think they are going to blow the roof off; they make an incredible pair and I’m really excited to watch them.

Who do you think this year’s dark horse of the show is?

I think this year’s dark horse is Bill Bailey because if you looked at the group number on the first show, he had some moves. They shone through and I think we were all slightly surprised. So I’m really looking forward to watching him, and he’s dancing with last year’s winner Oti Mabuse, who is sensational and will certainly bring out the best in him.

What’s the hardest dance to learn for a non-dancer?

Well for females it’s always the samba – they find it the most difficult to learn because of the bounce action. And for the men, the rumba because it’s really slow and it shows up all their discrepancies and technique.

What’s it like behind the scenes of Strictly Come Dancing?

Behind the scenes is organised chaos. The team is incredible at getting everyone ready each week in time – the amount of make-up and number of beautiful costumes we all need is mad! We are all running around getting ready, rehearsing, dancing absolutely everywhere, going over last-minute steps and routines, getting changed in between group dance costumes and our individual dances. It’s actually a lot of fun, which I feel transpires on screen.

If you could choose a Strictly dancer to dance with who would it be?

I would choose to dance with two actually. One is Katya Jones – she is paired with Nicola Adams this year which I am excited about. She is the most creative dancer out of all the professionals I believe; she is absolutely incredible and has a gift for choreography. And Aljaz! I would love to dance with him – wouldn’t we all? He’s been on the show now since 2013. He won his first series with model Abbey Clancy and they were fantastic. He’s been a fan favourite since he began, so definitely Aljaz.

Who do you think will win 2020 Strictly Come Dancing?

Well I have to say Aljaz and Clara will win – she definitely has the moves and he’ll be brilliant at their dances and encouraging her along to be the best. So I think they could definitely win this.

Lee Ryan

Lee Ryan appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017 and was partnered with Nadiya Bychkova. Here’s what he had to say about the show…

What did you think when you got chosen for the show?

Well, my bandmate Simon Webbe from Blue was on the show and was giving me some advice before I started, and my friend Louis Smith, who I also did another show with, helped me out with some advice. He said enjoy it and give everything to it. I knew every dance routine would take a lot of practice, so I really wanted to try my best.

What did you find hard about the show?

Strangely to some, I am quite a private person and I don’t really like my private life out there too much in the media, so that bit I find strange. But you do forget about that when you’re on the show. I knew though it would be good, confidence-wise.

What do you think of the weekly dance-off?

Well strangely I think I did better in the dance-offs – maybe it’s because I perform better under pressure. I did take it all with a pinch of salt – I had fun but I didn’t take it too seriously, it’s an entertainment show and it was entertaining to be on it.

Who do you think would make a good judge on Strictly?

I think Oti would be brilliant, just like her sister Motsi. She wasn’t a judge when I was on there but she’s fantastic. Also, lovely Anton du Beke, he’s been there forever and if he stops dancing, he definitely deserves a judging seat.

Did you enjoy the show?

Absolutely – the cup’s half-full as they say, never half-empty. The show was a great opportunity to learn something new. I felt very grateful to have been on it.

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