BBC Strictly Christmas star Sally Nugent admits feeling 'too scared' to do show

dailyrecord.co.uk:

BBC Breakfast star Sally Nugent has admitted she has always felt "too shy" to do Strictly Come Dancing but wanted to be "brave" this year and take part in the Christmas special.

The 52-year-old will perform with professional dancer Graziano Di Prima in a festive special of the BBC dance contest which will air on Christmas Day.Speaking to the PA news agency, the presenter said: “I decided to do the Christmas special because I’ve always been a little bit nervous about Strictly, just a bit too shy to do it really.“Lots of people in my job do say yes to Strictly and have an amazing experience, but I’d always kind of run away from it, because I was scared.“But this year I decided to be brave and when the phone call came in from Strictly I was with a group of my girlfriends … and the lady from Strictly said to me, ‘Would you please like to learn a foxtrot with Graziano Di Prima for Christmas?’“I repeated this to my friends and they all went ‘Yes!'”While discussing the training process, Nugent confessed: “Poor Graziano has started from scratch with me.“The first couple of days here – I’m not joking – he had to teach me how to take steps forward and then he spent two more days teaching me how to take steps backwards.“Then, because it’s a foxtrot, you go backwards … every time I would go backwards, I would fall over.

I couldn’t even get my balance.”When asked about what lifts they have been practicing for the big day, Nugent replied: “Do you know what?

We are flying.“It’s so far out of my comfort zone. I can’t even believe I’m gonna do it. But I love it.”Other famous faces taking part in this year's Christmas special are Waterloo Road actress Tillie Amartey, EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick, history broadcaster Dan Snow,