Months after losing her husband to suicide in 2015, Karen Sykes recalls watching Strictly Come Dancing with her youngest daughter Beth; for a moment, they found solace.
While the idea of a boyband member performing a Pulp Fiction inspired jive may seem quite simple, it made the pair smile and they watched the dance over and over again.
Less than four years later, tragedy struck again and Beth, 26, also took her own life.
Karen has now been asked to be a part of a special version of Strictly, exclusively made up of NHS workers.
Although she works in Leeds, Karen is originally from Horwich and worked at Royal Bolton Hospital for 15 years. She also worked in Bury and Tameside.
She applied for the show in memory of her late daughter, who she described as an "amazing dancer".
Karen told the Manchester Evening News : "My husband took his life in 2015 and I remember watching Strictly with Beth.
"We sat there watching it, still in the trauma of grief and Jay from The Wanted did his jive to Pulp Fiction. It made us smile so we've always found Strictly a real positive.
"I applied because sadly I lost Beth to suicide in 2019 as well. She worked with me in the NHS as an occupational therapist. If she'd have been alive she'd have applied and got in because she was a better dancer than me.
"She was an amazing dancer. She was super competitive. If she'd have been alive she'd have absolutely smashed it."
There were originally more than 2,000 applicants and of the 12 finalists chosen to perform at Blackpool Empress Ballroom, Karen is the only 'non-professional' from Greater Manchester.
She described herself as a "non-dancer" and said that her friends' children have been sending her TikTok challenges to help her practise.
Karen added: "I'm really excited and quite shocked really. It's been a bit of a whirlwind.
"I am a definitely a non-dancer. When you look at professional dancers, I'm completely in awe of them.
"I think I've got rhythm but then when you look back on videos, I've definitely not.
"I can't say what dance I'm doing yet but it's scary because I'm going to have to learn some serious dance moves.
"We are having lessons with pros via zoom but until we can meet, we won't progress. I'm being sent TikTok challenges by my friends' teenage children as well."
Strictly NHS is the brainchild of Alison Slinger - who owns the Crown Ballroom in Fleetwood.
The event was supposed to be later this month, but it has been postponed due to the pandemic.
It is hoped it will be able to take place in front of a socially-distanced crowd at Blackpool's Empress Ballroom in June.
Strictly NHS is raising money for the NHS and you can donate money through the Strictly NHS JustGiving page.
For more information about the event, visit the Strictly NHS website or like the Facebook page.
