BBC Strictly Come Dancing star reveals 'traumatic' experience in UK seaside town

A Strictly Come Dancing contestant has revealed why their time in Blackpool, where the stars recently visited, was anything but enjoyable and they came home ‘traumatised’

Every year the Strictly celebrities nervously prepare to perform in one of the most iconic ballrooms in Blackpool and visit the traditional seaside town to enjoy all it has to offer, but one Strictly star has said their previous experience there was like "something in a horror film".

Strictly Come Dancing ’s Blackpool week is renowned as one of the most anticipated, glamorous and magical in the series’ calendar. This year the professional dancers performed a dazzling Argentine Tango set in a chic 1940s hotel and pop legends The Pet Boys Boys opened the show with a medley of their greatest hits.

The action takes place at the legendary Blackpool Tower Ballroom - a landmark in the dancing world thanks to its stunning architecture, rich history and famous sprung floor. One celebrity contestant even revealed how her partner warned that things step up a notch at this stage of the competition, largely due to the professional venue.

Actress Sarah Hadland has been taking guidance from pro Vito Coppola, who told her Blackpool is "the world of real ballroom dancing". The pair stunned the live audience on the night with their Couples Choice routine to Pad Dam and Can't Get You Out of My Head by Kylie Minouge. The performance earned them a place at the top of the Leaderboard alongside Tasha Ghouri and Aljaž Škorjanec.

Before she headed to the seaside resort she spoke to the Blackpool Gazette about her excitement over performing there and said Vito stated: "You have to start dancing like a pro now, because you are in a pro arena." As well as revealing she hoped to make her partner proud in the ballroom, Sarah was praying her time in the northern beach town went a little smoother than the last time she was there. Her mum took her to visit as a little girl - it didn’t exactly go to plan and it left her "traumatised".

"We got there and we did the rollercoaster... when our photograph came through everyone had their arms in the air but I'm nowhere to be seen. I’m in the brace position, probably screaming, brace, brace. After that, my mum took us to go on a little donkey ride on the beach. I got on a donkey but it got spooked. I swung under the donkey and was dragged with my face in the sand. This donkey was called something like Brenda. It's like something in a horror film. After that, I think I was a bit traumatised and just came home."

She was hoping to make new memories though with Vito and said she planned to take her wetsuit so she could have a dip in the chilly ocean. "I’ll be going in the sea, and so will Vito!" she claimed. "I’ve got my wetsuit, my little shoes, my little camping stove to make a cup of tea afterwards on the beach. I’m assuming Vito will be coming along too."

When it came to the real reason they were visiting the iconic seaside spot, Sarah said she realised its significance because it holds a special place in the hearts of the pros, who get a "reverence in their voice" when they're discussing it. "When Vito talks about it, a glitter mist comes over him and he talks about winning there when he was younger," she revealed. "He becomes kind of misty eyed when he talks about it, it gets quite emotional, and I want to experience that with him."

The Miranda star, who advises people at home to dress up for the special shows and put their "tea in a pot, not just a mug!" couldn’t wait to dance on the sprung floor too but was concerned she may have to contain her natural energy. "I’m quite a bouncy person and Vito spends a lot of time telling me to stop being so bouncy," she revealed. "He says I’m like Tigger from Winnie the Pooh. But then he’s quite bouncy too but he can control it. I’m worried that I’m going to have to be even less bouncy. To actually dance on it will be amazing."

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