Sam Quek wants to win Strictly Come Dancing: 'I'm not scared to say I'm competitive'

Sam, how did you learn you'd got the Strictly gig?

Sam Quek: My agent Sara phoned while I was driving to Popcats, a little dance class for toddlers and babies, with my children chatting. And I was like, "Guys! Shhh. This is really important, this phone call." Because I saw it was Sara and she never rings me out of the blue.

I was just buzzing, and then I went round to my parents, where my husband was fixing their oven. All three came into the hallway, I said, "I've got something to tell you." Tom went, "You're not pregnant again, are you?" Because mine were so close together, my children. I said, "No, I'm going on Strictly!"

You're an Olympic gold-medallist in hockey. You've won 125 international caps for England and Great Britain. If it's not a stupid question, how competitive are you?

Sam: I am competitive. I'm not scared to say that. In anything I do – whether I'm go-karting or playing football in the garden or playing tiddlywinks with the kids – I'm competitive.

Who wouldn't want to win? You go into a competition to win. It doesn't mean I think I'm going to win and I'm the best. It's just like, well, do you want to win or not? In an ideal world, in your dreams, do you want to win? I'm a crap dancer at the moment, but I'm coachable. I'll be in the "most improved" category.

Nikita Kuzmun: You have potential. The dancing skills are not your best, but that's OK. That's why you come to the show.

If you do win, what trophy will take centre-stage? With the other silverware you've won, there are a few rivals for the centre spot.

Sam: What, the Richard Osman's House of Games trophy?

I was thinking more the sporting medals.

Sam: The Glitterball would be up there. I think it's the most glamorous trophy, isn't it? But I can't see that at this stage. What's the saying? Shoot for the moon, and land amongst the stars.

Bearing all that in mind, how far are you going to get? Call it!

Nikita: On Strictly, the biggest mistake is to try to think more than one week ahead. It's because this show is full of surprises. You think, "Oh my God, I have something in week four." And, boom, you're out in week three. So, yeah, always one week at a time. There's no such thing as a final. There's week one for now.

Potentially, you have three months of this. You've both had your share of scrutiny, and this is a big series for Strictly, in its 20th year. How do you navigate all the comments good and bad, and concentrate on the dance?

Sam: For me, it's having a good, solid circle around you. Nothing matters outside that circle and that bubble. I’ve worked in football previously, and that can be a pretty brutal place to work in. So I think I used to look at it, and get affected by it. But you just get hardened.

Are you a dancer at home?

Sam: Every morning, I'm one of those people who puts the music on and dances around the kitchen with the kids. I use music as a platform of emotion, I guess. If you’re feeling good – bang, get it on. And if you're feeling a bit crappy, you get emotional.

Nikita, Sam has said she is coachable. Do you think the fact that she comes in as an elite athlete, that that does give you a bit of an advantage when it comes to training?

Nikita Kuzmin: I cannot agree with you on that one, because every single person who comes onto the show has something of a personality or some background. Every single year, we see actresses who perform really well, they know how to interpret the role magnificently.

Somebody else might have many other strengths. Everyone has their own thing, and that's why they're on the show.

What's Sam's thing that she brings?

Nikita: You want someone who's coordinated, and a nice person who listens. When you get both, it's a dream come true — and Sam has both.

Sam: With Nikita, the way he explains things, and the way he shows me… It's like sport. There are certain coaches that you respond better to.

Nikita: We have spoken about going into each dance with an open mind. There are some things that you will not agree on, and some things will be fine. It’s like a relationship. You know what I mean? It's like a marriage. We're married in dance.

This is your dance husband.

Nikita: Dance husband! I like that.

Sam: Congratulations to us.

A condensed version of this interview appears in last week's issue of Radio Times magazine.

Strictly Come Dancing continues at 6:15pm this Saturday on BBC One and iPlayer.

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