Dame Darcey Bussell breaks her silence on why she left Strictly

‘They didn’t want me to be the ballet dancer’: Dame Darcey Bussell finally breaks her silence on why she waltzed away from Strictly Come Dancing

Mystery has shrouded Dame Darcey Bussell’s departure from Strictly Come Dancing ever since she shocked the showbusiness world by quitting as a judge in 2019. 

Now, however, the Royal Ballet’s former star has finally revealed the real reason why she waltzed away from the BBC’s biggest entertainment show. 

Dame Darcey, 53, says the bosses hired her for her dance expertise, but then decided that they wanted her to dumb down her persona. 

Moving on: Mystery has shrouded Dame Darcey Bussell’s departure from Strictly Come Dancing ever since she shocked the showbusiness world by quitting as a judge in 2019

‘It was really hard because the producers on the show didn’t want me to be the ballet dancer and I was like: “Well, sadly I am, and I think you chose me because I am the ballet dancer”,’ she told the Royal Academy of Dance podcast.

‘They were convinced that the public were going to take that on board. But the public did take it on board and [nevertheless] were happy to have me as a judge.’ 

Dame Darcey, who has two children with her husband, the Australian businessman Angus Forbes, was a Strictly judge for seven years. 

Speaking out: Now, however, the Royal Ballet’s former star has finally revealed the real reason why she waltzed away from the BBC’s biggest entertainment show

Ultimately, she refused to conform to the producers’ wishes. 

‘I was always going to play myself, however much I was convinced that to look like and be like the ballet dancer wasn’t the right thing,’ she said. 

‘I was, like, “Well, sorry, you’re taking me as it is. This is how I look and this is how I’ll act”.’ 

Old times: Dame Darcey in the Royal Ballet’s The Prince of the Pagodas

The former principal dancer at Covent Garden admits that she wasn’t really suited to Strictly. 

‘It wasn’t the easiest thing for me, because I wanted to still be the dancer on that dancefloor,’ she said. 

‘Being a judge full-time was hard, knowing that it’s live and having the ability to be quick and responsive, because I like to think and take my time.’ 

Source: Read Full Article