I’ve been a dancer since I was seven and dancing professionally since age 17. Dancing and fitness were my life but after leaving Strictly, a show that required sometimes 10 hours of training daily to get our celebrity partners show-ready, James and I didn’t need to rehearse even half as much in preparation for our couples’ shows. Over time, my fitness reduced and during my pregnancy I didn’t exercise because after having IVF, I didn’t want to risk putting myself under strain. Last summer, I was at a soft play centre with my daughter Ella, struggling to keep up with her and thinking: “I don’t want to be here because I find it so hard”.
. A year later,dad, Allan, who passed away in March 2021 after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. We would sit on the sofa every night watching a movie eating crisps and tucking into a sharing bag of Minstrels. I couldn’t help myself and, because we had also let our exercise regime slip – something so many new parents will relate to – my weight crept up.
