Paralympic swimming gold medallist Ellie Simmonds has mentioned watching actuality star Terra Jole on the US model of Strictly Come Dancing made her consider she might additionally compete as till then she had “by no means seen anybody with dwarfism dance earlier than”.
The five-time Paralympic champion and broadcaster is among the many 15 superstar contestants who shall be taking to the dancefloor because the twentieth collection of the BBC present returns to screens on Friday.
Talking on BBC Breakfast on Thursday, Simmonds revealed she had reached out to Little Girls: LA star Jole for recommendation on the best way to adapt the dance strikes.
She mentioned: “Terra Jolie is a person with dwarfism who did the American model of Dancing with the Stars and truly I obtained involved together with her saying ‘Any suggestions? How is it going to be? What am I going to do? How are we going to adapt? How are we going to alter?’
“However I knew seeing her do it that I might do it as a result of I had by no means seen anybody with dwarfism dance earlier than.”
The 27-year-old revealed that Jole had suggested her to overextend her legs as she defined, “with dwarfism you get bowing of the legs and with a number of the actions you need to hold your legs straight”.
She added that hyperextending your legs on this approach will be “uncomfortable” however that she was making an attempt to do it as a lot as she might whereas nonetheless smiling and remembering the dance strikes and routine.
Simmonds additionally mentioned she feels Strictly is “paving the way in which for accepting being totally different on TV” as she recalled how final yr’s winner Rose Ayling-Ellis was the primary deaf contestant on the present in addition to Paralympians Jonnie Peacock, Will Bayley, Lauren Steadman and Invictus Video games medallist JJ Chalmers competing all through the years.
The swimming champion, who on the age of 13 was the youngest British athlete on the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, admitted that she was feeling each “excited” and “very nervous” forward of the present’s launch on Friday and the primary dwell present on Saturday.
“That is approach out of my consolation zone. I’m usually in a swimming costume, hat and goggles and that is dancing in entrance of tens of millions of individuals, on the Strictly Ballroom in entrance of the judges as nicely,” she defined.
“And it’s remembering the whole lot. Usually once I’m swimming I’m not fascinated by smiling, not fascinated by the facial expressions. I’ve obtained to consider legs, arms, physique place, shoulders again, smiling, exhibiting the emotion – it’s a lot to consider”.
She added that she was initially stunned concerning the skilled companion she has been paired up with however she is happy as she feels they're “superb”.
Nonetheless, she defined that they must adapt their model barely because of their top distinction.
Simmonds mentioned: “My companion is tall and I'm small and I’ve by no means danced earlier than they usually’ve by no means danced with a person with dwarfism earlier than so it’s going to be totally different, we’re not going to carry one another in the identical postures as everybody else does.
“And it’s figuring all of it out. And for me, it’s just like the leg actions, my width in my legs is loads shorter than a mean top particular person.”
She added: “It’s all totally different, it’s out of my consolation zone and if I can do it differently folks watching can realise they'll dance and it’s not a standard approach, it’s totally different.”
The superstar line-up this yr additionally consists of Ted Lasso actress Ellie Taylor, Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps actor Will Mellor, Unfastened Girls star Kaye Adams and Coronation Road actress Kym Marsh, TV presenter Helen Skelton and former England footballer Tony Adams.
They're joined by Bros singer Matt Goss, Kiss radio host Tyler West, Britain’s Bought Expertise finalist Molly Rainford, comic and actress Jayde Adams, Wildlife cameraman and presenter Hamza Yassin and BBC Radio 2’s Richie Anderson, EastEnders actor James Bye and singer Fleur East.
Strictly Come Dancing launches on September 23 at 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.