Strictly Christmas star Sally Nugent says she always felt ‘too shy’ to do show
Sally Nugent has said she always felt “too shy” to do Strictly Come Dancing but wanted to “be brave” this year and take part in the Christmas special.
Journalist Nugent, 52, will perform with professional dancer Graziano Di Prima in a festive version of the BBC One programme, airing on Christmas Day.
Speaking to the PA news agency, the BBC Breakfast presenter said: “I decided to do the Christmas special because I’ve always been a little bit nervous about Strictly, just a bit too shy to do it really.
“Lots of people in my job do say yes to Strictly and have an amazing experience, but I’d always kind of run away from it, because I was scared.
“But this year I decided to be brave and when the phone call came in from Strictly I was with a group of my girlfriends … and the lady from Strictly said to me, ‘Would you please like to learn a foxtrot with Graziano Di Prima for Christmas?’
“I repeated this to my friends and they all went ‘Yes!'”
Discussing the training process, Nugent said: “Poor Graziano has started from scratch with me.
“The first couple of days here – I’m not joking – he had to teach me how to take steps forward and then he spent two more days teaching me how to take steps backwards.
“Then, because it’s a foxtrot, you go backwards … every time I would go backwards, I would fall over. I couldn’t even get my balance.”
Speaking about the lifts they have been practising, Nugent said: “Do you know what? We are flying.
“It’s so far out of my comfort zone.
“I can’t even believe I’m gonna do it. But I love it.”
The other celebrities taking part in this year’s festive special are EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick, Waterloo Road actress Tillie Amartey, professional rugby union player Danny Cipriani, history broadcaster Dan Snow and Sugababes singer Keisha Buchanan.
The couples will compete to impress judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and head judge Shirley Ballas in a winter wonderland-themed ballroom before the Christmas champion 2023 is crowned.
The Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on December 25 from 4.40pm.
