Almost a Strictly Superfan: My Strictly History

Well here I am with a little Strictly related blog. Having been a blogger for almost 10 years for my craft business I decided to write a blog about Strictly, my other love, which actually changed my life in many ways! How many people can say that about a TV programme?

As quite a tomboy growing up, I wasn't really the "dancing type" and preferred to hang out at the cricket club where I had literally grown up, as my parents were heavily involved in the running of the club. Dancing never quite hit my radar until I took part in a school production of Grease in 1989 playing the role of Jan one of the Pink Ladies. I then got my dancing "fix" by appearing in a variety of musical theatre productions over the years from 1989 to 2012, pausing sometimes to take time out after having my children. When Strictly Come Dancing hit our screens in 2004 I was immediately hooked, right from the get go! I love everything about it - the dancing, the costumes, the campness the drama and I knew that one day I would love to learn to dance.

Fast forward to 2009 when I was invited to take part in the theatre company's Strictly Come Dancing event. The idea was we had a day to learn a dance and had an hour and a half tuition from a dance teacher and performed on the evening to a packed audience with a live band and singers - sound familiar? Well it will go down in my personal history as one of the best days ever with myself and Ray (age 62 at the time) winning the whole competition with our Quickstep to The Lady is a Tramp. We had the most wonderful day, full of memories and laughs and the very next week I turned up at my dance teacher Tim's dance lessons to try and learn how to do it all properly.

Over the next 6 years I threw myself into lessons, exams and competitions and even persuaded my "dancing husband" Paul (or Peach) to come along and join me. Over the years we danced at many competitions both local and then national at the amazing Winter Gardens in Blackpool. The highlight of such competitions has to be in 2013 when we won the Over 35's Cha Cha Cha pairs and 2014 when we were Runner up in the Over 35's Cha Cha Cha and Quickstep. 2014 was our swan song and we haven't competed since however we regularly meet up for a social dance together.

Over the years I have spent a great deal of time and money having private lessons and have learned a wealth of information from Tim my dance teacher as well as having some one off lessons with the stars of Strictly, Darren Bennett and Robin Windsor. I guess what I am trying to say is that I am not just a happy viewer who loves the sparkles anymore, I know my heel turns and my double reverse spins and I take great delight in shouting at the TV when the dancers don't have enough pressure or have come forward on a heel. This is often met with a groan from my family!

So where does the Blog Title come from? Well in 2014 I was chosen to take part in a Superfan Quiz on the It Takes Two sister show of Strictly with the lovely Zoe Ball. An amazing, terrifying and truly wonderful experience which immersed me in the world of TV production and true Strictly sparkle. I battled my way through to the final and was up against Mark (later to be nicknamed as Spreadsheet Mark by myself due to his love of a Strictly themed spreadsheet) and tied with him in the final round. Mark beat me on a guess, I guessed 450, he guessed 451 and the real answer was 570 something I believe. So Mark won and thats where my blog title came from! I am ALMOST a Strictly Superfan!

By the way, lovely Spreadsheet Mark did take me to the final in December 2014 and I will be forever grateful to Mark for sharing his prize and such a fantastic evening with me.