Meet Kym Marsh: Strictly Come Dancing 2022 contestant
Can the multi-talented singer and actress prove she has another string to her bow?
When the Strictly Come Dancing stars took to the floor last weekend, one celebrity was sadly missing from the all-star line-up.
After she tested positive for COVID-19, Kym Marsh and her professional partner Graziano Di Prima had to sit out Week 10 of the competition.
Confirming the news, a spokesperson for the BBC series said: "Strictly Come Dancing protocols mean that all being well, they will return the following week."
But now the former Coronation Street star is ready once again to take her place on the dancefloor, and hopefully climb up the Strictly Come Dancing leaderboard.
As the stars take on Musicals week, according to the Strictly Come Dancing 2022 songs and dances, 46-year-old Kym will take on a Cha Cha to the song Fame, from the show of the same name.
While we wait for what is sure to be a stunning performance, in the meantime, here’s all you need to know about Kym Marsh and her Strictly journey to date.
Who is Kym Marsh?
Age: 46
Job: Actress
Instagram: @marsh_kym
Twitter: @msm4rsh
Kym Marsh is certainly multi-talented, as an actress, singer and television presenter. She rose to fame in 2001 when she took part on Popstars and earned a place in the group Hear'Say. The band went on to achieve brief success in the UK, before Marsh departed in 2002 to pursue a solo music career. A year later, she released an album titled Standing Tall and it peaked at number nine in the UK.
From 2006 to 2019, she played Michelle Connor in ITV soap Coronation Street. The role saw her win a number of awards, including Best Newcomer at the 2007 British Soap Awards and Best Female Dramatic Performance at the 2017 British Soap Awards.
Kym's Strictly journey
Scoreboard
Week 1: Jive (4+6+6+7) = 23
Week 2: Viennese Waltz (6+7+7+7) = 27
Week 3: Charleston (7+9+8+9) = 33
Week 4: Samba (7+8+8+9) = 32
Week 5: Quickstep (7+7+6+7) = 27
Week 6: Rumba (8+8+9+9) = 34
Week 7: Argentine Tango (9+9+9+10) = 37
Week 8: American Smooth (8+7+8+8) = 31
Week 9: Paso Doble (8+8+8+9) = 33
Week 11: Unable to dance after testing positive for Covid-19
After dancing the Jive to Yes by Merry Clayton in Week 1, Kym earned 23 points and placed eighth on the Strictly Come Dancing 2022 leaderboard – with judge Craig Revel Horwood branding the routine "sluggish".
However, not to be deterred, Kym later said on Morning Live: "I mean, obviously it's disappointing, isn't it, because we did work very hard. But you've gotta take it on the chin and accept the comment and just kind of move forward with it, so we have taken on board what he said."
Since then, her performance has steadily improved, with the soap star wowing the judges with her Charleston to If My Friends Could See Me Now from Sweet Charity during Movie Week.
Despite a solid score in Week 4, though, she and Graziano ended up in the bottom two and had to face their very first dance-off, performing their Samba a second time.
It was enough to keep them in the competition, and the couple returned with a Quickstep in Week 5, performing to Ballroom Blitz by Sweet in a nod to Strictly's precursor, Come Dancing. Some of the judges suggested that Kym wasn't as confident as usual, but Craig Revel Horwood disagreed and praised her "clean footwork".
But in Week 6 of the competition, Kym really came into her own – earning an incredible 34 points for the notoriously difficult Rumba. Her routine alongside Graziano to Madonna's Frozen was a hit with the judges and viewers alike, and she eventually finished in second place on the leaderboard.
She went on to improve on her score in Week 7, being awarded a whopping 37 points by the judges for her Argentine Tango to John Powell's Assassin's Tango. This once again left her in joint second position on the leaderboard, only being pipped to the post by front runner Hamza.
Week 8 saw Kym's score dip slightly when her American Smooth to Chasing Cars by Cinematic Pop scored 31 and, in a vast turnaround from the week before, she was placed second from the bottom of the leaderboard.
Her Week 9 Paso Doble also struggled to boost her up the leaderboard, despite scoring a very respectable 33 points from the judges – it's a particularly tough competition this year!
Unfortunately for Kym, she tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of Week 10, meaning she wasn't able to compete - but she's better and back in the race for Week 11.
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As a huge fan of Strictly, Kym couldn't wait to get on the dance floor, and said: "I’ve considered doing Strictly for years but the timings never worked out. I’m so delighted that this year they have!
"I’m a huge fan of the show and can’t believe I’m going to go from watching at home in my pyjamas to actually dancing in front of the judges in a glittery dress, it’s unreal!"
When does Strictly Come Dancing air?
The quarter-final of Strictly Come Dancing continues on Friday 2nd December at 8pm on BBC One, with the results show airing on Saturday 3rd December at 5:40pm.
Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide, visit our Entertainment hub for the latest news.
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