Dancing cheek to cheek around our warehouse studio in south London, Strictly Come Dancing stars Gorka Márquez and Nikita Kuzmin are in high spirits.
Dressed in thigh-high rainbow coloured boots, Nancy Xu has her leg casually in a high kick against the distressed wall, while Nadiya Bychkova has the final touches applied to her make-up.
The foursome are back as part of the biggest pro line-up in Strictly history, and are anxiously waiting to find out which of the 15 shiny new celebrities they’ll be partnered with as they gear up for months of gruelling rehearsals with next to no sleep.
Here, in an exclusive interview to mark Strictly Come Dancing’s 20th series, Gorka, 31, Nikita, 24, Nancy, 31, and Nadiya, 33, give OK! a rare insight into working on one of TV’s most popular shows. They also discuss how they balance work and family life, and what they’re most looking forward to this series…
How do you feel about this year’s line-up?
Nadiya: It’s a great line-up. We’re looking forward to getting to know them more. It’s important for us that the energy between the group is great, as that’s what Strictly does perfectly every year. We’ve all kept in touch with last year’s contestants, it was such a great group.
Do you have one massive WhatsApp group?
Nadiya: They stopped doing the WhatsApp group with the celebrities a couple of years ago. We were getting too many messages, we were too good friends I guess! But we all keep in touch. Our partners come to support us whenever we do tours and we try to support them.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 12, 2022 من OK! UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 12, 2022 من OK! UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
A CITY OF TWO HALVES
There's a holiday for every budget to be found in Dubai, as OK!'s Faith Richardson discovered
'Christmas is a double whammy'
Chef James Martin on the pressures of dividing his time between his restaurants and his family over the festivities
LEARN HOW TO PLEASE YOURSELF
The festive season can be an incredibly stressful time, particularly for people-pleasers who struggle to put their own needs first
'There's a bit of faking it until you make it'
Actor Paul Mescal on entering the Gladiator II arena, building a blockbuster body for his role as fighter Lucius Verus, and heading up an A-list cast of Hollywood's finest stars
THE A-LIST HAIL HOLLYWOOD'S BIG HITTERS
A line-up of the film world's best-known faces attended this year's Governors Awards to celebrate lifetime achievements
'I think we arrived right on time'
The stars of the long-awaited film Wicked, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, tell us why its themes are so relevant right now and why the musical is so dear to their hearts
'No one knows who I am'
Having first found fame on social media, GK Barry has become the breakout star of this year's I'm A Celebrity
'I still pinch myself about how we met'
Now legally married, MAFS Uk’s Adam and Tayah Aveling are looking forward to Christmas with their daughter and welcoming baby number two in 2025
THE ROYAL WEEK
It was a sad week for Queen Camilla, but a good week for the royal family’s charities with visits to hospitals and homeless centres
WILLIAM AND KATE'S MAGICAL CHRISTMAS
After a challenging year for the royal family, the Prince and Princess of Wales plan to give their children an unforgettable time filled with fun and festivities
