Toyah Willcox on why now is the time for Strictly and not fearing the judges

Toyah: Well, if I don’t do it now, I don’t think I could do it when I’m any older. I think now is the time for me. I love dancing. I have a background in dance, I’m trained in everything, I went to a ballet school, I went to theatre school. But it doesn’t mean I’m a dancer.

Was it a shock to see the level of technical prowess?

Toyah: I think it was. Most people perhaps watch Strictly thinking, “Oh, it’s just ballroom.” It’s not. It’s the science of timing. It’s the science of placement. It’s the science of how you use your joints. And it’s way beyond me. I mean, Neil’s got… He’s got trouble.

Neil, how do you feel about dancing with Toyah?

Neil Jones: Brilliant. From the first moment we met each other, and everyone was dancing together, I was like, “She’s brilliant. I love her energy.”

Toyah: My DNA is set to: “Overdo it.” And Neil very kindly said, “Just take it down. Just take it down.”

Neil: Mine is “less is more”. But I still love that she goes for it 100%.

Toyah: I’m a beat person. Because I work with my drummer more than any other person in my band, I rely on the drummer to communicate with me through rhythm. Verse starts, bridge starts, chorus starts, this is the middle-eight – it all comes from the drummer.

Obviously your understanding of rhythm is a huge advantage. Is anything a disadvantage?

Toyah: My age, my height [laughs].

When you say your height, why?

Toyah: There’s a lot of ground to travel. At the launch, the first thing we had to do was run straight across the floor to six beats. When you’ve got short legs – I probably have to do one-and-a-half more steps than Neil does to hit that moment.

It’s going to be challenging. What are you doing to get your fitness up?

Toyah: Well, I’ve been on the road for two years. I did my last concert a week ago. That’s two-and-a-half hours a night. I’m battle-hardened. And I look after a 78-year-old husband. I have a house with five floors. My costume room is on the top floor. My life is incredibly active.

Neil: I honestly think fitness is not your problem. We finished a group number, and you didn’t even look like you broke a sweat.

Regarding the weekly themes, you’ve worn some pretty outlandish visual offerings in your career. Is there a week you’re particularly looking forward to in terms of being able to express yourself?

Toyah Wilcox: I’m looking forward to Halloween, and to Movies. I think when we move into those themed weeks, it’s going to be so right for me as an actress.

How does it compare with stepping out in front of a huge crowd of people to sing, and stepping out on a stage to act? This is a big audience…

Toyah: I can’t wait.

You’re just a show off?

Toyah: Yeah. It is literally: “Get me the f*** out there.” I just love it.

So Neil, you’ve got the perfect student. It’s all on you, now?

Neil: I’ve been waiting for a while. This is brilliant. This is so good.

You’ve had every review in the book in your career. Are you worried about the judges?

Toyah: No. I’ve had 48 years of critiques, so no. I’m looking forward to it, I don’t take things personally. I mean, I will agree with them. There’s no way these feet are going to point like the other girls’ feet point. I’m 66. Accept it.

What do you want the audience reaction to be to your dancing?

I want to say to people who love the idea of dancing but don’t move enough, that movement can heal you. Movement can change your life so much.

Have you found that?

Toyah: When we were running on Wednesday, I’ve never felt so well. I feel well when I move.

I’m going to ask you to call it. How far are you going to get?

Neil: I think we’ve got a lot to give. I think we can go quite far.

Are we talking Blackpool? Are we talking the final? Are we talking Halloween?

Toyah: If we get to Blackpool, I’ll be the happiest human being in the world.

Who would you say is your biggest threat in the contest?

Toyah: I look at all the celebs, and I cannot even guess who deserves to go out first. Every single celeb is phenomenal for a different reason. There are 14 of us, and we all bring a quality that is utterly unique.

A condensed version of this interview appears in the latest issue of Radio Times magazine.

Strictly Come Dancing continues at 7pm this Saturday on BBC One and iPlayer.

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