Strictly finalist Sarah Hadland shares doubts as she put 'limits on herself'

The Miranda actor is partnered with professional dancer - and last year's champion - Vito Coppola.

Strictly Come Dancing's Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola ahead of the final. (BBC)
Strictly Come Dancing's Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola ahead of the final. (BBC)

Strictly finalist Sarah Hadland has shared her doubts she had about her abilities.

Speaking at a press conference attended by Yahoo, she said: "I would never have said that before doing this [Strictly]. I would have said I was quite a confident person and I would push myself, but it made me realise — which I did not expect to get out of this — is that I have actually put limits on myself."

In the final, she faces tough competition from favourite to win Chris McCausland as well as JB Gill and Tasha Ghouri.

The Miranda actor exudes confidence every Saturday night she takes to the stage with her professional partner Vito Coppola. Yet behind the scenes, the TV personality has not so sure of herself.

Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola dancing in the semi-final. (BBC)
Sarah Hadland and Vito Coppola dancing in the semi-final. (BBC)

Hadland's pro dancer Coppola is constantly challenging her; he's the one coaching her to master a new dance move she perhaps didn't think she could do at the start of the week.

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She added: "This is quite a common thing when you're a parent, or you've got other things going on in your life. Sometimes you put all your energy into other things.

"Then I think maybe what happens, is you start to sort of think you put all your belief maybe in other people, and you don't do it for yourself. And I definitely didn't think I was one of those people that did that.

Sarah Hadland is the picture of confidence on Strictly. (BBC)
Sarah Hadland is the picture of confidence on Strictly. (BBC)

"Now I've realised you don't know it's happened to you, and then you suddenly go 'oh how much in other areas of my life am I doing that?' Because a lot of the time Vito will say 'you can do this', he'll say to somebody else in front of him, 'she'll do that'.

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"And I'll be like, what, how dare you speak to me? Then by the end of the week I'm doing it and I'll be like, yes, yes. Well, in that instance I did manage to do that.

Sarah Hadland paying tribute to Kylie. (BBC)
Sarah Hadland paying tribute to Kylie. (BBC)

"But it just makes you realise that you sometimes think that it's other people telling you what you can and can’t do. And actually the shocking thing for me, was it was me doing that to myself, and that you shouldn't ever reach a point in your life — for whatever reason — that you think that's me, that's my limit.

"You shouldn’t do that. You’re stopping all these possibilities happening."

Hadland also had convinced herself she would be in the semi-final dance off but she wasn't.

Sarah Hadland has loved doing Strictly with Vito Coppola. (BBC)
Sarah Hadland has loved doing Strictly with Vito Coppola. (BBC)

Strictly has been a wonderful experience for Hadland. She said: "I feel like I'm living in technicolor and then when it's over, I'm going to be living in black and white."

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While Hadland confessed she would sometimes like a break from the full on nature of Strictly, she said she has embraced it because it has been the most amazing experience.

She explained: "[Strictly is] a lot but it’s like you’ve jumped on a speeding circus train... We've jumped on this train and it's magical and incredible.

"Partly, I would like to just hop off and have a spa and eat food and relax and be calm. But you know that the train is gonna go, and you do not want to get off that train, because you're aware that this is not like anything I've ever done or will do."

  • Sarah & Vito Show Dance to Cabaret by Metropole Orkest

  • Sarah & Vito American Smooth to Proud by Heather Small

  • Sarah & Vito Cha Cha to Like A Prayer by Madonna

Strictly Come Dancing: The Final will air live on Saturday 14 December at 6pm on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer.