Dame Darcey Bussell will be tuning in with the rest of the UK to watch ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ now she has quit her role as a judge on the BBC One ballroom show.
The 50-year-old retired ballerina shocked bosses and fans in April when she announced she was departing the series after seven years but when the programme starts again later this year she won’t be turning her back on it and will instead tune in to see how the class of 2019 copes with the cha-cha-cha and all the other dances.
Revealing her future Saturday night plans, she said: "I coach dancers at the Royal Ballet so I’ll be watching their shows but otherwise I’ll probably be with my family watching ‘Strictly’!"
Adding that she plans to drop in on her former friends on the show, she continued: "I’ll feel very odd. It’s such a wonderful show and such a great team and I will miss all of them dreadfully, though I’ll be visiting without fail. I’ve got a lot of friends."
Darcey knows that when the show starts again she will miss not being part of it and accepts it will feel strange to see someone else in her chair next to the other judges; Craig Revel Horwood, Bruno Tonioli and Shirley Ballas.
But the 50-year-old TV star has no regrets about her decision and is grateful to have had so many wonderful years on the panel.
In an interview with the Metro newspaper, she said: "Of course I’ll miss it. You don’t take a decision like that lightly but it was right for me to leave. I’ve been very lucky to do seven good years and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it but I have no regrets."
Craig recently spilled that he has been told the new ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ judge is "someone that can actually dance" – but bosses won’t share the person’s identity with him as he can’t be trusted to keep a secret.
In an interview on ITV daytime show ‘This Morning’, he said: "They did say it’s someone that can actually dance, it’s got to be someone opinionated … But they won’t tell me, apparently I can’t be trusted!"
Darcey Bussell will still watch Strictly Come Dancing
