Who is Glasgow's Dr Punam Krishan as she swaps NHS for Strictly Come Dancing spotlight
Strictly Come Dancing is set to dazzle audiences once again as it marks its 20th anniversary with a fresh line-up of 15 celebrities, all vying for the coveted Glitterball Trophy.
Among the stars ready to hit the dance floor is Morning Live's resident GP Dr Punam Krishan, who is a self-proclaimed "mega fan" of the show - and locals may have noticed a Glasgow accent even before she gave a big nod to her home city live on air.
The BBC describes Dr Krishan as a "media medic and broadcaster" known for her regular appearances on Morning Live and BBC Radio Scotland. Punam is also a familiar face and voice in health broadcasting across TV, radio, and national newspapers. She has ventured into the literary world too, having written a children's book.
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Despite acknowledging that Strictly is outside her comfort zone, she's expressed her determination to fully embrace the challenge, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Punam excitedly shared: "This still doesn't feel real, I am overjoyed to be a contestant on this year's show. I have watched Strictly every year with my family and it feels extra special that it's the 20th year, I can't believe I will be the one getting Strictly-fied now. This is so out of my comfort zone, but I'm up for the journey and will give it my absolute all."
Further adding to her excitement during an appearance on Morning Live, she said: "I cannot tell you how excited I feel. As a mega fan of the show for years, this honestly feels like a dream come true. And I'm in a very, very lucky position because many members of our Morning Live family have been there..
"They've done it so I'm going to be tapping into all of their guidance and advice and wisdom just to help me through. I can't wait for what's ahead."
Dr Punam Krishan, an NHS GP with a special interest in public health, family and lifestyle medicine, has also taught at the University of Glasgow, where she studied medicine.
Born on May 28, 1983 in Glasgow, Punam is the eldest of two daughters. She previously told The Herald that she was "raised on curry and Irn Bru" by her Indian-born parents who arrived from Punjab in the late 1970s.
She said: "It was ingrained in us that education was the key to freedom. You were either going to be a doctor, lawyer, accountant or a failure."
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Despite enjoying "history and language and music and drama", medicine became her primary focus after being inspired by her childhood family GP Dr Kauser, who she considers a "role model".
She revealed to the University of Glasgow website that her typical working week involves serving as a GP in Glasgow from Monday to Thursday morning, followed by media work for the rest of Thursday and Friday, which includes travelling to Manchester for Morning Live.
In addition to her medical career, she turned to writing, which kickstarted her media career. She said: "I've always loved writing I started off writing for the GP publication Pulse. I was experiencing burnout and writing became a space to offload and express my feelings about work.
"There's a lot of negativity towards GPs and people in primary care, and that can be quite isolating. I felt empowered by sharing my experiences and it connected with lots of fellow doctors, then it all took off from there."
Dr Punam Krishan isn't just known for her television appearances; she's also married to Scottish Conservative health spokesman, Dr Sandesh Gulhane and a mother of two - their family completed by son Aarish, aged 11, and daughter Ellora, four.
Before joining Strictly, she shared: "I used to dance a lot when I was younger I did classical Indian dancing so I think I'd like to go back and maybe do some formal dancing lessons."
Speaking on last night’s big reveal episode, Punam joked about bringing her partner to Glasgow for a night out, saying: “I’m absolutely buzzing. I feel honoured, because you’ve got so many years of experience. I can’t wait to take you up north to bonnie Scotland.”
Gorka replied: “I can’t wait. I love Glasgow and I love haggis."
The full roster set to dazzle on Strictly Come Dancing 2024 includes Olympic medal-winner and TV host Sam Quek, former professional footballer Paul Merson, and the versatile TV presenter Nick Knowles. The list continues with the speedy Gladiator Montell Douglas, aquatic star Tom Dean, Eastenders favourite Jamie Borthwick, comical talent Sarah Hadland from Miranda, the multifaceted singer and actor Shayne Ward, reality TV star turned podcast guru Pete Wicks, model and Love Island alumnus Tasha Ghouri, singer Toyah Willcox, operatic voice Wynne Evans, JLS band member JB Gill, and the humour-infusing comedian Chris McCausland.
In June, the anticipation ramped up as the professional dancers' line-up for the 2024 season was released, confirming the return of dance floor favourites such as Vito Coppola, Amy Dowden, Dianne Buswell, Gorka Marquez, Johannes Radebe, Karen Hauer, and Aljaz Skorjanec.
The glittering array of talent will be under the watchful eyes of the Strictly judgesCraig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke, and head judge Shirley Ballasall gearing up to deliver their critiques and scores in what promises to be a sensational season.