Lauren Oakley opens up on personal BBC Strictly first after being drafted in as Amy Dowden stand-in at Blackpool
BBC Strictly pro Lauren Oakley, 33, has delved into her own personal history with the legendary Blackpool ballroom two weeks after she stepped in to replace Amy Dowden.
Oakley has been dancing with former JLS star JB Gill since Dowden was forced to pull out due to health concerns and a foot injury.
Oakley stepped in following Halloween Week and has now become Gill’s permanent pro partner for the rest of the series.
So far, the 33-year-old has impressed alongside Gill – their first dance together, a Bruno Mars-themed Couple’s Choice landed them joint-top of the leaderboard with 39 points.
Their show-stopping Samba the following week saw them through to Blackpool with another leaderboard-topping score.
Following their Latin routine, Dowden posted on social media that she was: “So proud! Told you from day one Samba was going to be incredible, and it was!”
The Welsh pro continued: “I know what you got coming and those 10s are going to be coming! Well done!”
Owing to her glittering dance career before Strictly, Oakley is very familiar with the iconic seaside dancehall.
“I’ve grown up there and the ballroom is a magical place. As soon as you enter, all the memories and feelings come flooding back,” she enthused in a recent interview.
“I think there’s definitely added excitement as it’s the 20th year of Strictly, and of course a little bit of pressure,” she admitted to the BBC.
Regarding her Strictly career, Blackpool Week also holds significance for Oakley.
“I haven’t competed at Blackpool in Strictly yet,” she recalled, relishing the challenge ahead as prepares for the personal show first on Saturday evening.
Apart from aura of the iconic seaside ballroom, the Strictly contestants also have new things to consider as they plan out and rehearse their routines.
“We really have to think about camera angles with our entrances and exits for group numbers because there are fewer places to hide,” Oakley revealed.
She concluded: “We are very exposed and can be seen everywhere. It’s a super old ballroom, and not a TV studio!”
Despite it all, Oakley is not intimidated and declared: “I believe you’re in charge of your own luck.”
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The 33-year-old says she isn’t “superstitious” and admits her teddy bear Fred accompanies her whenever she travels to dance to help her sleep.
According to Betfred’s Kayley Cornelius, Oakley and Gill should feel confident about surviving Blackpool Week – with rather giant 8/1 odds of leaving.
Welsh Opera singer Wynne Evans and TOWIE star Pete Wicks look to be the most likely to face each other in the dance-off, with 4/6 and 3/1 odds respectively of being eliminated.
