AS TOLD TO MELANIE LEYSHON. PHOTOS: CAROL MACMILLAN (MAIN PHOTO), DREW TOMMONS (DDMIX), ISTOCK
The former ballerina replaced the buzz she experienced from performing with the excitement of judging the UK’s most watched dance competition – around 11 million viewers tune in when BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing is on air. From the first show of the season later this month to the final before Christmas, we’ll be glued to our screens as Darcey Bussell gives her considered and mostly kind opinions as one of the four judges. Viewers will also be clocking the dynamic between her and new head judge Shirley Ballas, the replacement for departing Len Goodman.
When Darcey joined the panel in 2012, it was a perfect fit: the UK’s revered prima ballerina joining the nation’s most popular dance show. The former Royal Ballet principal dancer (the youngest ever at 20) retired in 2007, and loves the reconnection with the world of dance. ‘It was terrifying when I started. I know my stuff but I had to deliver it live. But I’m so passionate about dance and as long as that message comes across, I know I’m doing a good job,’ she says.