What really goes on backstage at Strictly Come Dancing

Strictly Come Dancing will be back on our screens this weekend as 15 new celebrities – full of nerves and excitement – begin the long campaign to lift this year’s glitterball trophy. And Debbie McGee knows exactly what they’re going through as she was in the same position in 2017.

She and partner Giovanni Pernice narrowly lost out on the crown to Joe McFadden and Katya Jones in the final, but Debbie says the show gave her a new lease of life again, only a year after losing her beloved husband, magician Paul Daniels.

Debbie met Paul while performing on stage as his assistant in 1979 – on their subsequent TV appearances she was often referred to as ‘the lovely Debbie McGee’ – and was thrilled when she was offered a place on Strictly as it gave her something else to focus on.

Strictly Come Dancing backstage secrets

And while Debbie, now 66, loved her time on Strictly, she admitted there was a lot that went on behind the scenes that viewers don’t see and that it’s not all sequins and sparkles.

Celebrities are sworn to secrecy for months

The general public only discover the line-up a few weeks before the launch show, but the celebrities have known for months. They aren’t allowed to tell a soul, though, until it’s officially confirmed – even those closest to them.

“When I did it, I was approached in April but didn’t sign the contract until much later as they need to make sure they’ve got the right mix of people,” Debbie explains. “But I more or less knew I was doing it in April and then it’s about four months until they officially announce it and you’re sworn to secrecy. You can’t even tell your mother.”

Once their place on the show is confirmed, the chosen celebrities go down to Elstree, North London – where Strictly is filmed – at the end of July, to meet the team and try on outfits.

“We started doing pre-filming bits in August, where we all filmed our talking to camera pieces,” she reveals. “But from about late July, we were going down for costume fittings.

“One of the first things you do is go to the wardrobe department with the lovely Vicky Gill and she has a rail of clothes from previous series and different shapes and sizes. So, you try them on and they look to see what shape suits you.

“We all found it very exciting, including the men, as they don’t get to dress up as much and they were loving the see-through shirts and crystal trousers!”

They have no idea who their partner will be – but they know who they want

When rehearsals begin, the celebrities are all taught the group dance for the launch show and during that time, they dance with all the different pros.

According to Debbie, they don’t find out who they’ll be dancing with until a few weeks later but she was very relieved when she got partnered with Giovanni, 35. 

“I had no idea who I would get and obviously the producers have to put people together who will gel well and look good together,” she explains. “I really wanted Giovanni and it turns out he really wanted me as well.

“When we first meet them, we were in a big room at a college in Roehampton and they had a great big camouflage net up across the middle of the room with all the pros on one side one side and all the celebs on the other. And then they drop it, everyone is revealed, you say a quick hello and then you’re into learning the group routine.

“And it is quite intense as you’re thrown straight in at the deep end and you dance with the different professionals. And I had a few steps with Giovanni and you could tell the chemistry was there straight away, which is very important when it comes to dancing. I think Giovanni could see my potential and we were both thrilled to get each other.

“Then once you get your partner, it’s just you two and you have to go and learn the routine for the first live show and we had two weeks to learn that. Because I picked it up quite quickly, he also taught me the dance for the second show as everybody gets to dance two routines because there is no elimination in the first week.”

The training schedule is intense

While the show may look very glamorous, Debbie says it’s a lot of hard work with the celebrities training six days a week – with the live show on the Saturday – and it gets harder the longer they stay in.

“For the first few weeks you have a Sunday off, which is great because you get to sleep after the live show on the Saturday,” Debbie says. “But then you start training on a Sunday to start learning the new routine and it’s so full on with rehearsals and media commitments.

“But a typical week would be getting picked up on a Monday morning and driven to London, doing press interviews in the car while the pros would all meet and learn their group dance for the Saturday. Then Giovanni would meet me at about noon and we’d start learning the dance for that week.

We’d work until about seven in the evening and then on Tuesday we’d start at about 9.30 and learn the technique, before pulling it together on the Wednesday. By Thursday you’d either got the dance or not and if I had, Giovanni would be more relaxed so we’d actually have a proper lunch break.

“On Friday we go to Elstree for the dress rehearsal so you’re practicing when you can and Saturday is show day. It is very tough and at one point I had to have mild sleeping pills from the doctor just to make sure I had one decent night’s sleep a week because it’s exhausting but your mind is still racing when you go to bed.”

And Debbie says the credit must go to the professionals as the show wouldn’t be there without them.

“They are all amazing and are the real unsung heroes,” she says. “They work all hours and are so talented – they learn new dances, choreograph them and then teach them, and sometimes don’t get the respect they deserve.”

Tans get done on a Friday 

One thing that all Strictly contestants have to learn to love is the spray tan and there’s no hiding from it. During the Friday dress rehearsals in the studio, there is a tanning rota for all the celebrities and the pros, ahead of the hair and make-up on the Saturday.

“There’s one room and they have two big blow-up booths right next to each other which we all use,” Debbie reveals. “And it’s quite funny because the top bit is see-through. So, you’ve literally got a little pair of knickers on and you’ll be having your spray tan with another celeb or pro – male or female – in the booth next to you. But it would take 15 minutes at most.

“And then hair and make-up is done on Saturday morning and takes about two hours. It’s so amazing what they do. Then they’ll continue to touch you up throughout the day.”

While Debbie loved all the costumes and getting glammed up, she says they didn’t actually practice in their costumes until the Friday and there would have to be last-minute adjustments

“I have been in show business for a long time and I’d always been able to rehearse in the costume quite a few times. But on Strictly, you literally rehearse in it on the dress rehearsal.

When I did my salsa, there was a big lift in the middle where Giovanni had to put his hand through my legs – with those three layers on the dress, we couldn’t do the lift. So they had to take one layer away – they did that in about an hour!”

Debbie’s advice to the class of 2025

This year’s line-up includes former footballers Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Karen Carney, actors Stefan Dennis and Alex Kingston, and reality stars Vicky Pattison and Dani Dyer. And Debbie has some simple advice for them.

“Just enjoy it – you get to live in this amazing Strictly bubble and it’s wonderful,” she says. “It will be hard work and exhausting but savour every minute.”