Strictly Come Dancing contestant Susannah Constantine has opened up about the reason she chose to take part in this year's dance competition. Appearing on Thursday's episode of Lorraine, the mum-of-three told Lorraine Kelly that after the menopause, she was wanting to still "feel relevant". She said when asked why she signed up to the show: "I think it was to help me feel that I was relevant to myself, not anybody else, to myself and to push myself. Also, with age and wisdom and experience, it didn’t matter so much if I failed as long as I tried. I had that on my side." Susannah continued: "I really encourage women to go out and try something new and give it a go. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t matter. That’s what we say to our children all the time, now I’m saying it to myself."
Strictly's Susannah Constantine revealed why she took part on the show
When asked about her tears during Strictly, Susannah also explained how it was a mixture of sadness about her dance and her son leaving home for university after her very first live dance. "I think it was slightly feeling self-pity because I was doing so terribly with my dancing and then that was exacerbated by my son leaving. It's difficult. You encourage them to be independent and that’s what I want for them more than anything else but it’s a big moment!"
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Susannah and dance partner Anton du Beke were first first couple to leave Strictly
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During her stint on Strictly, Susannah grew close to Anton, and in a joint interview on Loose Women earlier in the month, Susannah confessed that the hardest part about leaving the show was feeling like she had let him down. "I watched Anton's face and how disappointed he looked and that’s what made me cry as I felt I had let him down," she said. And while Susannah wasn't confident they would get through to the next round of the competition, Anton had more faith in them, right until the realisation that they would be dancing against Lee Ryan and his partner Nadiya. Anton revealed that he told Susannah: "I think we might be in trouble now partner."
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