WORDS ROXY BOURDILLON
When I meet Saara Aalto at a hotel bar in west London, she’s fresh from a day at the rink rehearsing for ITV’s Dancing On Ice. Onscreen she’s been slaying the competition, wowing audiences and judges alike with her dedication, charisma and on point helicopter lifts. But behind the scenes, the gruelling training schedule is taking a physical toll on the effervescent pop star from Finland. “It’s so hard to explain what we’re going through,” she exclaims, showing me her injuries. “I have to wear a support on my wrist. My elbow, neck, shoulder, ankle – I’m aching everywhere. It’s all I do from 8am until the evening. It’s a lot!” You wouldn’t know she was suffering from her spellbinding Sunday night performances, each an enchanting mix of carefully honed skill and infectious joie de vivre. But then hard graft and connecting with a mass audience is what Saara does best. She’s no stranger to TV talent contests either, having made herself a household name in her home country on The Voice Finland in 2012, before reaching international fame coming second on The X Factor UK three years later. Her glittering career has so far included six albums, singing at Eurovision and even voicing Princess Anna in the Finnish version of Disney’s Frozen. I’ve met Saara several times before, and on each occasion I’m impressed all over again by her talent, drive and how she takes her fans into her heart. But I have to admit I’m especially excited about this interview, because I’m finally getting to meet the woman I’ve heard so much about, Saara’s fiancée and manager, Meri Sopanen.
,,I know I am meant to be with her. It just feels right,,