Strictly’s James Bye teases “emotional” EastEnders routine for centenary episode
"This is something that the audience hasn't seen from us yet."
Strictly's James Bye has revealed that his upcoming Foxtrot to the EastEnders theme is set to feature "a bit of drama" and "a lot of emotion" for the BBC centenary special.
Tomorrow night's episode will see the remaining Strictly Come Dancing contestants celebrate 100 years of the BBC with dances that are dedicated to iconic BBC titles, from Doctor Who to Casualty.
In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, James Bye and his professional dance partner Amy Dowden teased their EastEnders-themed Foxtrot, revealing that it's something the audience "hasn't seen" from them yet.
"It's emotional. It's dramatic," Dowden said. "Beautiful and hopefully uplifting."
Bye added: "We've tried to make it as close to EastEnders as we can so there is a bit of drama in there, there's a lot of emotion.
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"I think Amy has choreographed it so there's a story that runs through the whole thing and it's great. I think this could be, if we get it right. it could be a really good week for us. This is something that the audience hasn't seen from us yet."
When asked whether they'll be playing specific EastEnders characters in the dance, Bye – who plays Martin Fowler on the soap – said: "I don't think so, because Martin can't dance. It would be silly to do that because then it just becomes a bit of a parody."
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"We're hoping to do justice to EastEnders," Dowden continued, with Bye adding: "It's that typical EastEnders on a night out-ish type thing, so we're not playing Phil Mitchell or Kat Slater or anyone."
Last weekend saw Matt Goss become the latest contestant to depart from season 20 after losing in the dance-off to Kym Marsh, leaving 12 contestants left in the Strictly line-up.
Strictly Come Dancing 2022 continues on Saturday 22nd October at 6:40pm on BBC One. Find something to watch with our TV Guide or visit our Entertainment hub for all the latest news.
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