Fern Britton, a outstanding determine in British tv, has expressed remorse over her participation within the BBC’s in style dance competitors, Strictly Come Dancing. Reflecting on her expertise throughout a current look on the White Wine Query Time podcast with host Kate Thornton, Britton acknowledged that she maybe ought to have declined the supply to affix the present in 2012.
A ‘Traumatic’ and ‘Exhausting’ Expertise
Britton described her time on Strictly Come Dancing as extra than simply bodily demanding; she highlighted the numerous emotional toll and stress concerned. “Most likely a no to Strictly, as a result of it was exhausting,” she confided to Thornton. “Not the dancing and all the things, however the kind of stress of it, and the emotional facet of it, was big.”
Trying again, the tv presenter steered {that a} youthful model of herself might need approached the chance in another way, or that she would advise a youthful individual contemplating the present in regards to the intense pressures concerned. “So, if I used to be younger once more, I would not try this. Or I might say to an adolescent, ‘That is how it’ll really feel, that is how it’ll be, and you may both do it, or you do not’. I wasn’t prepared for it I suppose, mentally prepared for that,” Britton defined. “So maybe I ought to have mentioned no to that. It was nice, nevertheless it was simply a type of issues that was difficult.”
Fern Britton’s Strictly Journey
Fern Britton competed within the tenth sequence of Strictly Come Dancing in 2012, the place she was partnered with skilled dancer Artem Chigvintsev. The duo achieved a decent run within the competitors, reaching week six earlier than being eradicated within the dance-off. On the time of her departure, Britton conveyed her enthusiasm for the present, stating, “That is the very best occasion on tv, it is the very best programme on the planet, and I am thrilled to have been a part of it.” She added, “My ticket on the prepare has run out. Everybody else – good luck, good luck, good luck! It is the very best occasion.”
Allegations Relating to Skilled Accomplice
Whereas Britton’s preliminary public statements about her Strictly expertise had been largely optimistic, her perspective shifted in later years. In 2015, she revealed to The Huffington Submit UK that her relationship together with her skilled associate, Artem Chigvintsev, had been fraught with difficulties. Britton alleged that Chigvintsev’s behaviour throughout rehearsals was generally abusive.
Based on Britton’s account, Chigvintsev would exhibit aggressive behaviour if he was displeased together with her efficiency. “We might be in maintain and he would have a look at my toes and simply kick me or shove me,” she claimed. She additional recounted alleged verbal abuse, stating, “He was like, ‘Shut your face. Go residence earlier than I kill you’.” Britton responded to those alleged threats with darkish humour, saying, “I might say, ‘Oh, please simply kill me, it could be simpler’.” She additionally recalled one other alleged outburst: “‘In case you go for a cup of tea now, I’ll blow off like an atomic bomb.’ I believed, ‘Properly, I will not right him on that one’.” Regardless of these troublesome interactions, Britton acknowledged that there have been moments of connection, noting, “We did love one another for a second or two, however he wasn’t appeal personified.”
Artem Chigvintsev’s Response
In response to Fern Britton’s 2015 allegations, Artem Chigvintsev issued a press release expressing his shock and refuting the claims. He maintained that he had at all times handled Britton with respect and care. “I consider I handled Fern with respect and real care, and these claims about me are the alternative of all the things I consider in and the individual I’m,” Chigvintsev acknowledged. He concluded by saying, “I can’t think about what has prompted such statements, which come as a shock to me.”
The Enduring Attraction and Strain of Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing stays one of many United Kingdom’s most-watched tv programmes, fascinating audiences with its mix of superstar, dance, and competitors. Nonetheless, the present’s demanding schedule, intense coaching routine, and public scrutiny can place appreciable strain on its superstar contestants. The journey typically includes vital bodily exertion, emotional highs and lows, and the problem of studying complicated choreography underneath tight deadlines. For a lot of individuals, the expertise is transformative, however as Fern Britton’s reflections counsel, it can be a deeply difficult interval that exams psychological resilience.
Britton’s candid feedback supply a glimpse into the much less glamorous facet of the favored present, emphasizing that whereas the spectacle is entertaining, the private value for some individuals could be substantial. Her recommendation to potential future contestants underscores the significance of psychological preparedness for the distinctive pressures of competing on such a high-profile leisure program.

