Carol Kirkwood: “You need a reality check if you don’t expect different levels of talent on Strictly”
Going up against celebrities with more dance experience doesn’t bother weather woman Carol Kirkwood. “We’re all very supportive of each other”
As usual, Strictly Come Dancing has come under fire for allowing celebrities with (gasp!) dance experience to take part. The criticism from some quarters comes after singer Jay McGuiness – who has attended dance school in the past – scooped the first ten of the series. But weather woman Carol Kirkwood isn’t giving it the time of day.
“Anybody that enters Strictly and doesn’t know there’s going to be different levels of experience or talent – however you want to describe it – really needs to get a reality check because it’s like this every year,” Kirkwood told RadioTimes.com.
“From my point of view, good for you! You go get a ten. I wouldn’t mind one.
"The only way I’m going to get a ten is if two of the judges hold their paddles up at the same time…” she added with a laugh.
So is there not a sense backstage that the other celebrities are a bit fed up?
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“No, not at all. We are all very supportive of each other. If somebody does well, we’re like, ‘Yes! Well done!’ We know what it’s like. I see it in the papers and think, that’s not how it is. That’s not how we’re seeing it. I don’t have a problem with that at all.”
Carol faces the Paso Doble this weekend and say it’s hard to get into the dramatic mood.
“It’s the face! My default position is normally happy and smiley and so to go into this ‘grrrr’ kind of serious face, it feels odd. The only way I’m managing to do it is looking at Pasha who’s doing exactly the same and almost willing me not to smile or laugh at him. That’s really hard. Pasha’s such a sweetheart. Whenever you see him you just want to smile. But he always says to me, 'You can smile after the dance. It’s only 90 seconds. You can do it.'”
While Carol admits there are plenty of amazing dancers in this year’s competition, she isn’t ready to go anywhere just yet.
“I was talking to Pasha about this. It’s almost like a full stop on a Saturday night if you go – it’s not a graceful glide and you know it’s coming – it’s bang and you’re out. I hope it’s not for a long time.”
Strictly Come Dancing continues Saturday at 6:30pm
