Christine: “I Can’t Tell You How Excited I Am”

Christine Bleakley is ready for Strictly. But like all participants, she started off feeling odd with the intimacy.

She told the Belfast Telegraph: "It was definitely awkward at first, because you have to be intimate with someone to dance well with them. And I am not the type of person who feels comfortable writhing up against a stranger. But dancing is all about confidence. You really have to learn to let yourself go.”

I guess that's where the actors and actresses have an advantage over other participants. It's acting.

But Christine is not being eased into the competition. She's starting with one of the most challenging ballroom dances - the foxtrot.

“I do my first dance next Saturday, which is the foxtrot. I’ll be a nervous wreck, but my family and friends will be in the audience to support me.”

Christine is excited about the challenge: “This is definitely the biggest challenge I’ve ever undertaken. You’re putting yourself out there and, of course, there’s the chance the judges or the public won’t like you."

It's a lenghy interview, so it's worth reading the whole thing.