Former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Toyah Willcox candidly discussed her ‘challenging’ stint on the show, summing up her feelings in four words: “I’m used to this.”
The 66-year-old singer and actress, who was partnered with professional dancer Neil Jones, was the second celebrity to be eliminated from the competition.
Toyah and Neil’s Samba routine to Poor Unfortunate Souls from The Little Mermaid failed to win over both the judges and the audience at home.
After scoring a mere 15 out of 40 and landing in the bottom two for the second week running, she lost the dreaded dance-off to footballer Paul Merson and Karen Hauer during Movie Week.
Following her departure, Toyah appeared on the Sunday (November 17) episode of Love Your Weekend, hosted by Alan Titchmarsh, reports the Mirror.
Alan couldn’t resist probing Toyah about her time on the BBC show, particularly in light of recent controversies surrounding alleged inappropriate behaviour.
He asked: “There has been quite a bit of controversy about it, of late. So you didn’t feel threatened at all and you enjoyed the experience.”
Toyah responded that she had dealt with tougher directors throughout her 45-year career, describing Strictly as a “fantastic opportunity” and stating she “loved every second”.
The singer, who rose to prominence in the late 70s as the lead vocalist of the band Toyah, added: “I’ve been in the business for 45 years and I’ve been criticised every day in my life so I’m used to it.”
Continuing, she reflected on her resilience, stating: “I’m also used to being a woman having to prove myself so you toughen up to it and I still believe that it was a fantastic opportunity. Everyday opportunities will happen for me and I worked incredibly hard to make the most of it. I loved every second and it’s as simple as that.”
The celebrity shared a frank insight into her experiences: “I’ve worked with tougher directors. I’ve worked with George Cukor, who directed Judy Garland on A Star Is Born and he shouted everyday at not only me.”
Her concise stance on coping with challenging directors was summed up in four words: “I’m used to this.”
She further elaborated on the difficulties of being successful: “When you are at the top it’s tough, it’s so tough.”
Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturdays and Sundays on BBC One and Love Your Weekend airs Saturdays from 9.30am on ITV and ITVX