‘Catherine strives for
perfection and that will
come through in her
dancing. She’ll want to
nail it’ Tom
(LEFT)DRESS:SYLWIAROMANIUK.SHOES:KURTGEIGERfollowing a romantic proposal in Venice. Alfie
was pageboy when they tied the knot at Colshaw
Hall in Cheshire in 2016.
They are already prepared for the inevitable
speculation that comes over the closeness that
naturally forms between celebrity dancers and
their professional partners on the hit BBC show.
“My friends have always given me a lot of stick,”
Tom tells us, smiling. “I’m easy pickings for them
with a wife on TV, so when Strictly came up, they
were rubbing their hands getting ready.”
“Yeah, his mates wind him up about
everything,” Catherine adds. “They used to wind
him up when I got a new boyfriend on Corrie, but
Tom just takes it on the chin.
“And he hit it off with Johannes straight away.
He has already invited him round for dinner, so I
think Johannes will become part of our family.
“Tom is so behind me all the way and we are
both such huge fans of the show,” she adds.PERFECT TIMING
Catherine, who is also on screens in new BBC
comedy Scarborough, almost took part in Strictly
last year. “But Alfie was just about to start pre-
school and I had literally just finished Corrie and I
needed some family time,” she says. “Luckily they
came back this year and I thought: ‘I’m ready
now. It’s the dream come true.’”
“We’re big believers in fate,” adds Tom. “Last
year wasn’t meant to be and we feel so lucky the
opportunity came up for Cath this year.
“She strives for perfection and that will come
through in her dancing. She’ll want to nail it,” he
continues. “It’ll also be an opportunity to show
her personality, whereas in the past she’s been
hidden behind a character.”
Making it a team effort, Tom has been helping
Catherine with her fitness levels in preparation
for the show – although not with trying out dance
steps. “I tried to get him to do a bit in the garden
with me and he pretty much ripped my arm out26