Strictly star Ellie Simmonds’ ‘secret’ boyfriend Matt will be ‘biggest support’ on show
ok.co.ukEllie Simmonds is very excited to be taking to the Strictly dance-floor. And as the competition gets underway, the retired Paralympic swimmer said that her boyfriend Matt - who she speaks about for the first time in our interview - will be her biggest supporter. “Matt was the first person I told," she said. "I wanted to make sure he was comfortable with me doing it, because Strictly is a big thing but he was fully like, ‘Go for it, Ellie – this is amazing.’” Adding of finding out the news she'd landed the show, Ellie, who is partnered with pro dancer Nikita Kuzmin, added: “Keeping it a secret was so tough. “I wanted to get a megaphone and tell absolutely everyone.
I’ve already changed my Instagram handle to Strictly 2022.The response has been amazing. "I was trying to be open-minded about who I wanted to be partnered with but deep down I wanted Nikita.” And while she's clearly raring to go, the star admits she does have some pre-show jitters. “One of the things I’m nervous about is not getting votes and being in the dance-off,” she said.
Ellie, who has achondroplasia, a rare genetic condition which causes a type of dwarfism, is a five-time Paralympic world champion and praises Strictly for its inclusivity over the years. “It shows if I can do it – and I’ve seen the likes of Rose [Ayling-Ellis] who’s changing the world of disability and inclusivity – then people watching at home can adapt it to them, too," she said. "Yes, I’m nervous about what it’s going to be like.
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