Carol Vorderman says 'never again' as she admits 'hating' time on Strictly
Carol Vorderman has admitted that she absolutely hated her time on Strictly Come Dancing and will never participate in the show again. The former Countdown mathematics expert made the remarks while discussing reality television with actress Sally Lindsay, reflecting on her appearance in the show's second series.
Vorderman took to the dance floor in 2004 alongside professional dancer Paul Killick. She performed a waltz during the opening week followed by a rumba, but was unfortunately eliminated in week two. Speaking about the experience on A Night In with Sally Lindsay, she revealed that actress Claire Sweeney had persuaded her to take part. "Claire Sweeney persuaded me to do it because she was in series one and I hated it. I absolutely hated it. So I won't do that again, not that they'd ever ask," she said.
When discussing which reality programmes she would never join, Vorderman also mentioned other shows she has appeared on. "I did Australia and then I was in the first South Africa one," she explained, noting there were several reality formats she would refuse to participate in.
The television presenter's reluctance to return to reality shows comes after she has been dealing with significant health challenges. Last year, Vorderman suffered from chronic pain and was later diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which left her unable to work. She described the experience as devastating, explaining that she would lie on the floor crying and could not move her shoulder. However, she has since found the right medication and reported a dramatic improvement in her quality of life. "Now I'm on the right ones and I've been off steroids for three months and it's like, Yeah, I like this," she said.
Meanwhile, Vorderman has expressed her support for newly elected Makerfield MP Andy Burnham as a potential Prime Minister following Keir Starmer's recent resignation. She described him as very popular across the North and much loved in Liverpool, saying "I think this is a time of opportunity."