Who are Dance Dance Dance contestants Fiona Wade and Ronnie Del Barrio?
The Emmerdale actress has teamed up with an old friend from her West End days
Fiona Wade and her friend Ronnie Del Barrio will show us what they're made of on Dance Dance Dance, the new ITV entertainment show which sees celebrities pair up with a partner of their choice to perform dances from music videos and movies.
Find out everything you need to know about the ITV series – and get to know the celebrity couple below:
Who is Fiona Wade?
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Fiona Wade has played Priya Sharma in Emmerdale since 2011. The 37-year-old has a strong pedigree in musicals: she has played Kim in Miss Saigon and Maria in West Side Story, as well as starring in West End musical The Far Pavilions.
She told HELLO! that she began dancing when she was young and has always loved ballet. She said, "I used to be in West End shows, but I haven't danced properly for 18 years. It took a backseat when my acting and singing took over, so it's been a while."
Although she’s had to split her time between training and filming, her love for dancing and her commitment to the show clearly shines through.
Who is Ronnie Del Barrio?
Fiona has been friends with Ronnie Del Barrio for over 20 years after they met on the set of Miss Saigon. He was the first person that came to mind when she was asked to do the show.
Ronnie’s impressive repertoire has seen him model, act in television series, and perform in theatre productions such as South Pacific and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
He is also the chair and artistic director of the Lahing Kayumanggi Dance Company, which celebrates Philippine cultural heritage, and the cultural dance consultant of the Philippine Folk Dance Society.
Can they dance?
Fiona and Ronnie had the lowest score in the first episode after tackling the well-known, but tricky, Dirty Dancing lift for the Time of My Life performance. We have a pretty slim chance of recreating the scene in Crazy, Stupid, Love where Ryan Gosling pulls the same move on Emma Stone then.
The judges couldn’t see past Fiona and Ronnie’s lift, which flopped rather than flew, and the chemistry didn’t quite click. Fiona tearfully explained backstage, “There have been real difficulties with that lift and we have tried so hard. It’s been a really difficult week.”
Although there wasn’t a downpour of praise, the judges didn’t entirely rain on Fiona’s parade for her solo dance to Rihanna’s Umbrella. They acknowledged the difficult technicalities of the routine, especially since Fiona was the only contestant who had to get to grips with a prop.
Fiona and Ronnie absolutely have the talent, but they’ll have to put in some legwork if they want to move up the ranks. We’re rooting for these two.
Dance Dance Dance continues at 6.30pm on Sundays on ITV
