SEASIDE special

SHIRLEY BALLAS on why this year's visit to Blackpool is set to rock!

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STRICTLY COME DANCING
SAT, 6.40PM, & SUN, 7.20PM,
BBC1 ENTERTAINMENT

Just when you think that weekend TV can’t get any glitzier, BBC1’s entertainment extravaganza Strictly Come Dancing waltzes up to the spiritual home of ballroom – Blackpool!

‘People just love it,’ smiles head judge Shirley Ballas, 63, who’s delighted to be heading north to the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom for this week’s show, where the seven remaining celebrities and their professional partners will trip the light fantastic on the most famous sprung dance floor in the country.

‘At the start of the series, most people’s goal is to get to Blackpool and by the time we get there, you’ve got the cream of the crop. It’s where the competition gets serious and, let me tell you, no one wants to go home!’

Here, in an exclusive interview, Shirley tells TV Times why this year’s visit to the seaside will be one to remember…

Have excitement levels already reached fever pitch for Strictly’s trip to Blackpool?

You better believe it! Everyone gets really excited about Halloween Week and Musicals Week, but Blackpool is very special, and everyone – from the couples and the judges to the production crew – loves going there. It’s just wonderful.

Why do you think that performing at Blackpool Tower Ballroom means so much to the competitors?