'A Shoulder Shimmy Can Make Anyone Happy!'

CBBC presenter Karim Zeroual on how Strictly has changed his life and being inspired by Jim Carrey…

- Emma Bullimore

If you haven’t got kids, you might not have been familiar with Karim Zeroual until recently.

The CBBC star is both a presenter and an actor for the channel – he’s starred in sci-fi series The Sparticle Mystery (2011-2015) and is regularly seen trying to keep Hacker T Dog under control at CBBC HQ.

But since Strictly Come Dancing waltzed back on to our screens, Karim has been flooring the nation with his incredible moves on the dance floor, which have made him and professional partner Amy Dowden serious Glitterball contenders.

Head judge Shirley Ballas called him ‘a delight to watch in every way’ and even Craig Revel Horwood has thrown him a few compliments!

After starring in our Halloween photoshoot last week, Karim, 25, took a break from his training schedule to chat to TV Times about his story so far, his role in EastEnders and why he gets all the good gossip from Michelle Visage…

Karim, you’re an amazing dancer! Did you know you had this in you?

No, not at all! I’m energetic and I really love Strictly, so I knew I would throw everything into it, but I didn’t think I would get this response. I absolutely loved doing the salsa with all the booty shaking [in week five to Who Let the Dogs Out] – that was the first week I was less nervous because it was a party dance I could put my personality into. A shoulder shimmy can make anyone happy – I’m enjoying every second!

When did you decide you wanted to be a performer?