Meet Strictly Come Dancing couple Jamelia and Tristan MacManus
"I prefer the world where I have to spend all day in sparkles," says the Superstar singer
With over a decade of pop star training under her belt, you'd be forgiven for thinking Jamelia has a natural advantage over her Strictly Come Dancing rivals. But the singer says she's got a major handicap going into the competition: her feet!
"My biggest thing that I don’t have any confidence in is the footwork which is ridiculous because it’s most of the dances," she tells Radio Times. "Everyone got the Charleston group dance within seconds – I swear I practiced for days."
The celebrities have been practicing for two weeks now, and Jamelia's professional partner, Tristan MacManus, is full of praise for how she juggles her commitments. "It’s very difficult to be a mother, let alone a mother with a job, let alone a mother with a job and training. To have that grit is a big, big plus."
But Jamelia – who is behind smash hits Money, Superstar and Thank You – added that she is "literally having the time of my life" during training.
"I’m spending all day, every day, so excited," she told us. "I actually had a day off yesterday and I was like, 'ok, how long until I go back to Strictly?' I prefer the world where I have to spend all day in sparkles. I feel like I’ve turned into my nine year old daughter!"
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⬆ Watch the rest of our exclusive interview above ⬆
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC1 at 9:00pm on Friday 25th September
