Carol Kirkwood Reflects on Her Strictly Come Dancing Experience
Carol Kirkwood, the former BBC weather presenter, has described her time on Strictly Come Dancing as "terrifying." The 63-year-old, who hails from Morar on Scotland's west coast, admitted that if she were the first to perform, she would look for an escape route.
Kirkwood revealed that she did not immediately accept the invitation to join the show because she feared appearing foolish. However, speaking at the Hay Festival in Hay-on-Wye, Powys, on Sunday, she said that participating alongside professional dancer Pasha Kovalev was "amazing" and an unforgettable experience.
Initial Hesitation and Personal Challenges
Kirkwood confessed that becoming physically close to someone she had only just met was uncomfortable for her. She stated,
"It's quite embarrassing to get that close... to somebody that you've only just met. We're not Love Island kids."
During a conversation with former BBC Breakfast co-host Sian Williams at the festival, Kirkwood reflected on her journey, saying,
"I'll never forget that nor regret doing it. It was a wonderful experience."
She explained her initial reluctance to join the show, adding,
"I was scared of making a fool of myself. And then I thought, 'just get over yourself. You're not going to be in the West End'."
Learning to Dance and the Demands of the Show
Although Kirkwood admitted she could not dance, she praised her partner's skill, noting that he "took seconds" to learn his moves. She also described the physical changes she experienced during the competition, mentioning that each week her costumes had to be taken in due to weight loss.
She detailed the preparation process on performance days, saying,
"On the Saturday, you go in at eight o'clock in the morning, you have your hair done for an hour, so you might be having hair pieces and whatnot added."
"Make-up takes an hour, and then you get straight into your costume."
Kirkwood explained the design of the costumes,
"Now, your costume is a leotard with a skirt sewn onto it, so that if you raise your arms, it doesn't come adrift.
And it's the same for the gents. They're attached to their trousers."
She also shared a humorous note about the judging,
"It was the crew that marked you, and that's the only time I got four 10s."
Onstage Nerves and Support from Pasha Kovalev
Kirkwood described moments of forgetfulness during performances, especially at the top of the illuminated stairs on the set. She recalled,
"I would stand there and say, 'Pasha, I can't remember how this starts'.
And he'd say, 'you'll be fine'. I would say, 'seriously, Pasha, I can't remember how it starts. Can we just quickly run through it?'. [And he would say] 'You'll be fine'.
And so we would start, and he would drag me around the dance floor, and we would get through it somehow.
But it was terrifying, but the relief when you had done it."
She also admitted to looking for an escape route before performing, saying,
"You're looking for the nearest fire exit, because you're thinking, I'm out of here."
Views on Other Reality Shows and Future Plans
When asked about participating in other reality shows, Kirkwood expressed no interest in joining I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, citing her fear of snakes. She said,
"When you see the snakes around their heads, I think I would have a heart attack."
She found the concept of Race Across the World more appealing, joking,
"If we started in Singapore, we'd go straight to Raffles, have a few cocktails, and we'd be on the next plane home."
Regarding her career, Kirkwood mentioned that weather presenting was "in the back window," but hinted at upcoming presenting roles she could not yet disclose.
