Puttin' on the GLITZ!

Strictly's costume designer VICKY GILL on creating dazzling outfits for Musicals Week

- HANNAH DAVIES

Jazz hands at the ready! It’s time for BBC1’s sequinned spectacular Strictly Come Dancing to bring the magic of theatreland to the ballroom as the remaining celebrities and their professional partners prepare to tread the boards in Musicals Week.

But bringing more razzle-dazzle to the dance floor in this annual celebration of showstoppers from London’s West End and beyond always means extra crystals, sequins and last-minute alterations for the show’s costume designer Vicky Gill and her team of pattern cutters, machinists, seamstresses and embellishers.

Here, in an exclusive interview, Vicky, 52, tells TV Times what goes on behind the seams to get the stars ready for curtain up…

Why is Musicals Week such a wonderful theme to work on, Vicky?

The energy is fantastic because we’re getting towards the end of the series, so our pros and celebrities are really on point, and, obviously, they want to reach their end goal. Plus, everybody loves a good musical number, so there’s real excitement.