Strictly Come Dancing judge Darcey Bussell has shared her predictions for who will reach the final of this year's show. The 46-year-old, who stars in an exclusive photo shoot in the latest issue of HELLO! magazine, told Jonathan Ross who she believes could take home the glitterball trophy.
Read the full interview in this week's HELLO! magazine, on sale now in all good newsagents and available to download on iPad, android, kindle fire and more formats. Or subscribe today to make sure you don't miss an issue!
"Georgia May [Foote], Helen George, probably Jay [McGuiness], Anita [Rani] from Countryfile is amazing," Darcey said during an interview on The Jonathan Ross Show. "Ainsley Harriott, I love him to bits, he's such a showman and you need a lot of that but it's really weird because people progress differently and they do surprise you!"
The ballerina also unveiled a secret crush on one of this year's contestants, BBC broadcaster Jeremy Vine. "He's gorgeous… I am a fan, he's kind of got an odd charm about him but he does look like a giant spider and you want him to kind of be able to bring it all together and contain it and it's all a bit out here but he’s slowly getting it together."
She added: "It's so up to the audience and they do fall in love with characters just like Jeremy, as we do. I don't think [he will make the final]. He is going to surprise us now you know that!"
Not only is Darcey a fan of this year's contestants, she also told HELLO! magazine that she has a "genuine" friendship with her fellow judges.
"We're very different types and from very different disciplines. That's why it works so well. Craig [Revel Horwood] has a theatrical background as a choreographer. When he's judging, he's the pantomime villain, but the rest of the time he's a real sweetie and terribly funny," Darcey explained.
The mother-of-two also revealed she originally turned down the Strictly role when she was first approached because she felt she'd be "out of my depth".
"But when they approached me again I decided to give it a go," Darcey told HELLO! "You tend to regret the things you haven't done. Isn't that what they say? And this is now my fourth year.
"If I have helped to popularise ballet as a result, then the gamble will have been worth it."
Read the full interview with Darcey in the latest issue of HELLO! magazine, out now.
