Pop star Toyah Willcox, 66, has disclosed that she rejected two potential partners on Strictly Come Dancing due to their age before bosses changed their mind.
The singer participated in the BBC show this year and recently revealed that although she was paired with Neil Jones, 42, she initially declined two other professional dancers because of their youth.
Toyah was first partnered with Vito Coppola, 32, followed by Nikita Kuzmin, 26, but felt they were too young to be her dance partners, reports the Mirror.
Speaking to Mail Online, Toyah shared that she auditioned for the show with Vito, who “took an immediate liking” to her and wished to team up for the BBC series. Despite being flattered by Vito’s interest, Toyah requested a different partner.
She expressed her discomfort at the idea of performing an intimate dance with someone so young, saying: “I would have hated to do an intimate dance with someone that young. I said I really want to be age appropriate and dance with someone who is right for my physicality, and I was asked if I would dance with Nikita and I just said look, it’s going to look so wrong.”
Toyah mentioned that Miranda actress Sarah Hadland shared her sentiments and also requested a more experienced dancer. “I trusted Neil, he has experience and has the same mental experiences as me. Sarah Hadland and I said we don’t want young people’s heads anywhere near our crotches and I don’t want my head anywhere near their crotches…” she quipped.
The vocalist added that the production team respected her wish to keep things “age-appropriate,” after expressing concerns that her 40-year age difference with Nikita could lead to his “frustration.”
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On Love Your Weekend, hosted by Alan Titchmarsh, Toyah shared that despite any pre-show demands, she immensely enjoyed her stint on Strictly.
When Alan probed about recent set controversies and whether she felt threatened by the show’s intense atmosphere, Toyah expressed feeling more than at ease, stating that she “loved” her experience.
Alan queried: “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, confirming she cherished her stint, elaborating, “I loved” being part of the show.
Toyah opened up about her extensive career resilience, noting: “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.
“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.”
Elsewhere, Toyah offered a frank insight into her experiences working with demanding figures, mentioning, “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.”
She reiterated, emphasising the difficulties of success, “I’m used to this. When you are at the top it’s tough, it’s so tough.”
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