Alex Kingston on divorce, infertility and the future of Strictly

The award-winning actress and Strictly star opens up to Jenni Murray on Saga’s new podcast, Experience is Everything.

By Kate Randall | Published - 28 Jan 2026

After her stint on Strictly Come Dancing last year, finishing in eighth place with her partner Johannes Radebe, Alex Kingston says she’s so glad she finally did the show after turning it down for years.

Speaking on Saga’s new podcast Experience is Everything, Alex – who was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2024 – tells host Jenni Murray: “After I had gone through all of the cancer treatment, I actually felt fantastic. I felt like me again, in a way that I hadn’t for years. So when they asked me again if I wanted to do Strictly, I thought ‘Right, it’s now or never’. I love dancing, so I thought that I would regret it if I said no.”

Alex is the fifth guest on Experience Is Everything, following episodes with Paul Merton, Tony Blackburn, Sir Trevor McDonald and Professor Tim Spector.

In a candid and  emotional interview, Alex, 62, also opens up about how her determination to have another child caused her divorce from second husband Florian Haertel (“We went through in vitro, we went through various adoptions that all fell apart at the very last moment”), how she was naive going into her relationship with Ralph Fiennes, and knocking her front teeth out after fainting at a restaurant.

You can hear more from Alex on Experience is Everything, as well as listening to other episodes.

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