'STRICTLY' LEAD SINGER TOMMY BLAIZE ON 20 YEARS OF MEMORIES - AND MOVING TO CENTRE STAGE

Twenty years ago, TV entertainer Sir Bruce Forsyth told Strictly  Come Dancing singer Tommy Blaize something that would stay with him for a long time.

- EMILY HORAN

“Tommy, you’ve got the best seat in the house,” he said to the man who has stood by the dancefloor singing the dancers through their routines since the first series in May 2004.

“He was right,” the 60-year-old tells hello! in this exclusive interview ahead of his first solo tour. “I’ve been spoilt for 20 years with the best seat in the house.”

Tommy is one of the four original stars left on Strictly, along with presenter Tess Daly, judge Craig Revel Horwood and dancer turned judge Anton Du Beke.

“There’s definitely that thing between us when we pass each other and just think: ‘We’re really old aren’t we?’” he says, laughing.

While the singer shares a close bond with the whole cast, he particularly feels a connection with head judge Shirley Ballas.

“As a fe l low Scouser and someone who started in showbiz at a young age and around the same time, we’ve always had that extra connection. Shirley has such a positive influence on the show.”

Tommy’s soulful voice has been enjoyed by millions and helped create some of the show’s most memorable moments.

His own favourite memory is from 2008, when broadcaster John Sergeant and his pro partner Kristina Rihanoff danced the paso doble. “When John dragged Kristina across the dancefloor, you could see all of us singers with our mouths agape in the background,” he says. “There’s been many wonderful moments like that.”

SURPRISE SUCCESS