Being out of your comfort zone is a scary place to be'

Dance partners Vicky Pattison and Kai Widdrington share the highs and lows of their Strictly journey

- SHELLEY SPADONI

We’ve watched Vicky Pattison go from a self-confessed nervous wreck to offering up some fabulously assured dance routines on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing. And her pro partner Kai Widdrington – the caring, perfectly measured match to Vicky’s sparky energy – tells us he truly believes she “has the tools to go all the way”.

He clearly feels like he’s won already as he calls warm, straight-talking Vicky “the beating heart of the celeb group this year” during their glamorous OK! shoot.

It’s already been quite a journey. Vicky, 37, who married businessman Ercan Ramadan last August, has battled severe anxiety since stepping out onto the fabled dance floor. But she happily tells us she’s “turning a corner” – and she hopes she’ll inspire others to be a bit braver.

She admits with a giggle that she could have been doing something very different with her Saturday nights this year (clue: it involves nappy changes).

“At the start of this year, I said to Ercan, I’m either gonna do Strictly, a second series of Honesty Box or we’re going to have a baby. When I got the call for Strictly he was over the moon,” she laughs.

While readily admitting they’ve had less quality time together since she joined the Strictly juggernaut, seeing how caring he’s been while she juggles it all has convinced Vicky he’ll make an amazing dad.

“So yes, kids are definitely on the cards next year. I think he’s looking forward to it now. He probably thinks I'll be at home a bit more, which he’s thrilled about,” she says.

She recently admitted that Sundays at home with hubby are “sacred” to her right now. So how is she coping being away from Ercan and their two beloved pooches?

“Going home to Ercan and the dogs, I’m so grateful for that,” she says. “I can snap out of whatever steps are flying around in my head and be with my family. I need that moment.”