With the media how it is these days, people expect to know everything. I don’t talk about my girlfriend because essentially she doesn’t want to be talked about.

If things don’t go fantastically, you just have to deal with it.

My favourite dance is the Foxtrot. It’s a proper dance with proper music. It has class.

I’ve been playing golf as long as I’ve been dancing, since I was 13 or 14. I play off six. I like to get out on a golf course as often as I can.

My perfect morning is spent drinking coffee, eating porridge and reading the paper at a local cafe.

Give up smoking. Don’t get so fat. So much illness is self-induced – which I can’t stand. And I’m not a good nursemaid. Don’t call me if you’re ill.

It’s great that ballroom dancing is being recognised. For many years ballroom dancers were misunderstood and other dance forms didn’t want anything to do with us.

My only drive was to be the best dancer in the world, but I never won the world championship.

When I’m dancing with any woman, I immediately get rid of intimacy barriers. I just give her a big hug and crack on.

I don’t like the Samba; it’s nonsense. With a lot of these Latin dances I can’t really understand what they’re all about. I like the Rumba and the Paso Doble but the others I could...

Ballroom is two people dancing together to music, touching in perfect harmony.

Being fit is the easiest part of being a dance professional. I used to just throw on a backpack full of rocks and run up a hill. You don’t even have to go to a...

I’m busier than ever and it’s led to new opportunities. But I’ve never worried about being rich or famous – for me, it’s all about the dancing.

I like to get up and get out. Otherwise you end up kicking about, and it’s easy to flick the telly on; then before you know it, it is 11 A.M. and you haven’t done...

My goal is to be the best TV presenter, the best entertainer, the best singer. I still want to be the best dancer. I want to be the best at everything I do.

I’m a bit of a traditionalist; the ballroom is all about tails and I never mess about with that. But for the Latin you can have a bit fun: tight trousers, gold shirt open to...

Too many multi-vitamins are packaged as one size fits all, but you should be more specific about what you need. When I was competing as a dancer, I took zinc for healthy skin and immune...

Since being involved in ‘Strictly Come Dancing,’ my life has changed completely. I can’t walk down the street without women throwing themselves at me, I usually wouldn’t mind, but they are of a certain age....

Ballroom dancing: it’s a wonderful thing at so many levels because you’ve got to follow the rules. They used to call those rules etiquette once upon a time, but you don’t really have that any...