TWISTING by the pool

Paralympic champion Ellie Simmonds goes from swimming to Strictly…

- VICTORIA WILSON, ALISON SLADE

With the Strictly launch show moved to Friday 23 September due to the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II, the competition begins in earnest this Saturday when the contestants and their professional partners perform their first dances in front of the judges.

Among those looking to impress the panel is swimmer Ellie Simmonds, who notched up five Paralympic gold medals before retiring in 2021. Now a sports pundit, the 27-year-old is looking to add the Glitterball to her trophy cabinet as she swaps the pool for the dance floor.

We caught up with Simmonds to see if it’s all going swimmingly…

What’s your motivation for doing Strictly?

The show has done an amazing thing in raising awareness of disability. Last year, we had