EastEnders favourite Jessie Wallace has made a brutally honest confession about her time on Strictly Come Dancing, admitting she “hated every second” of the experience.
The actress, 54, took part in the BBC dance competition back in 2008 during its sixth series, where she was paired with professional dancer Darren Bennett.
However, her time on the show was short-lived, with the duo becoming the fourth couple to be eliminated. That year’s Glitterball Trophy ultimately went to Holby City star Tom Chambers and his partner Camilla Dallerup.
Jessie Wallace admitted she ‘hated’ Strictly Come Dancing experience
Strictly may be one of the UK’s most-loved television shows. But Jessie has made it clear she would have no interest in returning for a future All-Star edition.
In a radio interview, the Kat Slater actress opened up about her true feelings towards the show. The resurfaced clip was recently posted to X (formerly Twitter).
Speaking on Fubar Radio’s Access All Areas with Lizzie Cundy and Stephen Leng, Jessie was asked whether she ever watched Strictly now.
Her reaction was immediate.
“If people could see me on radio, I’ve crossed my arms. I’m giving you the most filthiest look in the world,” she said. “It was one of the worst experiences of my life. I hated every second of it.”
Her candid admission left host Stephen Leng stunned, who replied, “That wasn’t what I was expecting to hear.”
The clip was shared with the caption, “We need an All Stars series of Strictly Come Dancing for people who hated doing it. I’m talking Stephanie Beacham, Mica Paris and of course the queen herself, Jessie Wallace.”
Strictly All Stars
The idea of an All Stars series has been gaining traction among Strictly fans in recent weeks, particularly after the show’s annual Blackpool special.
The episode aired last month, and saw former contestants Ashley Roberts, Danny Mac, Jay McGuiness and Layton Williams return to the famous Blackpool Tower ballroom for a spectacular opening routine.
The performance celebrated some of the most iconic moments in Strictly history.
These included Danny recreating his memorable shirt-ripping samba from 2016, Jay revisiting his Pulp Fiction-inspired jive from his 2015 winning run, and Layton reuniting with Nikita Kuzmin for a quickstep.
Ashley Roberts also kicked things off with her jive to Shake Your Tail Feather from her 2018 appearance.
Viewers were quick to react online.
“A Strictly All Stars full series needs to be a thing!” One gushed.
Another added, “Can #Strictly please do an all-stars competition. Loving this!” Meanwhile, a third demanded, “Give me an all-star season NOW!”
Read more: BBC denies Strictly Come Dancing is moving to Manchester next year: ‘There are no plans’
Strictly continues on Saturday (December 20) at 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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