Yahoo News Strictly Come Dancing star 'dragged' along Blackpool beach in 'traumatic' incident
Glitz, glamour and glitter will arrive in Blackpool this weekend as Strictly Come Dancing prepares to head to the seaside town.
Every year, the professional dancers and their celebrity partners head to Blackpool to perform at the iconic Tower Ballroom. Tomorrow (November 15) on the BBC live show, the professional dancers will perform their own routine of an Argentine tango to Tango Jalousie - all set inside a 1940s hotel.
Of the celebrity competitors who remain in the dancing competition, most can't wait to perform in Blackpool. Comic Chris McCausland is looking forward to performing in “Wembley for ballroom dancers” and feels he's even confident enough to ride the rollercoasters at Pleasure Beach Resort, the Mirror reports.
READ MORE: ITV GMB halted as Kate Garraway issues 'dreadful breaking news' live on air
READ MORE: BBC Radio 2 host Vernon Kay hints at move away from UK after 'messing up'
However, Miranda star Sarah Hadland has mixed feelings over returning to Blackpool after a "traumatic" incident as a child. "My mum took me to Blackpool when I was little," says the 53-year-old actress.
"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."
Sarah says partner Vito Coppola, 32, gets "misty-eyed" at the mere mention of Blackpool and other contestants, such as comedian Chris are looking forward to the visit too.
47-year-old Chris said: "We used to go to Blackpool a lot when I was a kid. I’ve got loads of memories of the seafront, the beach and the fairgrounds.
"I’d never go on rollercoasters when I was that age. I think because I could see them, they terrified me, whereas now I can’t see them, I’m not bothered so I’ll go on anything."
His partner Dianne Buswell, 35, says she "dreamed of performing in Blackpool" while growing up in Australia, with Chris adding: "It’s something that means a lot to the professional dancers. Strictly is a two way relationship and they don’t get to dance there every year with a partner because they leave at different points of the competition each year.
"To be able to get to Blackpool with Dianne and give her that opportunity to dance there again means more to me than me being able to go there myself."
