Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Head judge on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing and a former world champion ballroom dancer.
On the island
Eight records
Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams
which was my first samba on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017, and it will hold some of the most dear memories with the cast that I danced with.
Now, when my mum was a young girl, this was her favourite song. And when she was working in nightclubs and it came on, she would actually stop serving the drinks and dance with her best friend Mavis.
which was the first waltz that I ever did in the church hall, and also it was the dedication dance that they did for Len Goodman on Dancing with the Stars a few months ago.
Sherry the Four Seasons was a Broadway show that my son got cast in in 2016 where Frankie Valli picked him to play Frankie Valli and this was the first song that Mark played to me on the guitar before he went on to Broadway.
I didn't like the song at first, but Mark would often take me into his bedroom strumming on his guitar, you know, this is the way to go, Mum, listen to Nirvana. And then after several years of it, I thought, Oh my goodness, that's a great Pasadoble.
and it was my brother's favourite song and he used to have me samba all around the living room while we'd have the song on and it was the last track that he cut for me on a CD before he died. And I'm going to have a moment while you play that.
Highs and LowsFavourite
Disc number seven is highs and lows and it's written by the band Alexander Jean. Alexander Jean is my daughter-in-law BC Jean and my son Mark Ballas. I actually think the lyrics resonate with anybody who has a loved one.
when I gave birth to Mark in the hospital, it came on. It was just like thirty minutes after he was born, and any time that he hears it in the supermarket at thirty seven years of age, he also starts crying.
In conversation
Presenter asks
2:30How does the experience of having been judged as a pro yourself feed into how you approach your job on Strictly?
Different lessons throughout my life have made me feel that when I'm adjudicating, I want to be fair … without fear or favor, and I want to mark exactly what's in front of my eyes …
Presenter asks
4:34What are the qualities that you most admire in your mother?
the qualities I learned as a young girl was nothing in life is for free and work ethic is key. So growing up watching her have all those jobs … she did everything she could to give me an opportunity to be able to dance. And for that, I'll always be grateful.
Presenter asks
5:22How much contact did you have with your father after he left?
Not a lot really. I think the most devastating thing … is that we would get ready on a Sunday for him to pick us up and my mum had put us in … your Sunday clothes … and he didn't turn up for one reason or another. And I'm not judging him …
The keepsakes
The book
Tony Robbins
it's a book that helps with resilience. You know, that double pat on the shoulder that you can do anything you set your mind to.
The luxury
a great big pair of cotton knickers
I don't really like the feeling of sand, so it would have to be a great big pair of knickers, cotton knickers, that go all the way up past my tummy button. So I didn't get any sand in areas that was rather irritating.
Presenter asks
6:28As a kid, you and your brother both qualified for free school meals. How did you feel about it?
I loved the school free dinners. I knew exactly where to queue up … they were trying to get rid of the food so you got an extra roast potato … my brother was the opposite. He was embarrassed … the kids would be shouting, you're on welfare, you haven't got a dad. And then I would say, well, you've got a cheese butty and I've had a really nice roast dinner.
Presenter asks
16:32When you achieved the success you'd always dreamed of — being ranked number one in the world — how did that feel?
at 22 holding that trophy … was just an ecstatic moment in my life. I thought this is what it's all about. But as I stood there with that trophy, I was empty. There was something in my life that was missing …
Presenter asks
22:42What happened with your brother David?
he was depressed … he wasn't feeling like he could get up in the morning. We didn't know anything about mental health back then … he took his own life in the home that we lived in. David didn't leave a letter … I went through years and years and years of blame. And still to this day it'll be his anniversary on the fifth of December. That's why we've never really celebrated Christmas.
“I remember her saying to me, I think we're going to have to put you in a Latin dress, Shirley, and a pair of high heels, and you're going to have to get there and do the samba to get lucky. And I just looked at her and said, I haven't had a pair of shoes on since 1995, you know, so I don't even know if I can still balance in them.”
“We come too far to give up”
“each bullet that penetrated, I put up this really steel vest where the bullet couldn't penetrate.”
“Sammy trained me, perhaps I could do it the same for Corky … People were laughing at me. You know, she's left our country, Great Britain. She's dancing with a boy that's got two left feet basically, and they were really mean to Corky. He taught me again to be more resilient and bulletproof.”
“Thank you very much to all the bullies in my industry … Thank you because you gave me a platform and a job that I sincerely love and adore.”
“I would rush to save from the waves highs and lows by Alexander Jean because my son has been there at the highest point in my life and he's been there in the lowest points of my life.”