Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
Entertainment
Mia O'Hare

Strictly Come Dancing's Hamza tells Loose Women panel he's struggling with fame and 'can spend weeks by myself'

Strictly Come Dancing's Hamza Yassin has admitted he is struggling with his newfound fame. It comes after he has gained a new legion of fans since appearing on the BBC show.

Hamza, 32, works on CBeebies and typically spends a lot of time alone while working on wildlife shows. But now he is spending time in intense dance training with partner Jowita Prystal.

The dance couple appeared on ITV's Loose Women to talk about the show. Hamza said: "When I got announced it was "who is he?"

Read more: Strictly's Helen Skelton's 'snub' to Gorka Marquez in Blackpool picked up by microphones

"Normally I'm not under the spotlight and Jowita told me it would all be fine, she gets me through and then I just flip her on a Saturday! It is a lot for me because I can spend weeks by myself."

Having started as an underdog, Hamza is now tipped to win the show. The dance pair have performed a series of stunning routines so far on this year's series.

They have topped the leaderboard four times and avoided the dreaded dance-off so far. Hamza's odds are currently 1-3. Hamza has worked on Countryfile and Animal Park but is known to younger viewers under the guise of Ranger Hamza, presenting CBeebies live-action show Let's Go For A Walk and new series Ranger Hamza's Eco Quest.

He comes from humble roots and previously revealed that he was voluntarily homeless for nine months as he tried to achieve his dream of becoming a wildlife photographer. The presenter left home when he was 21 after being inspired by a family holiday to a remote Scottish village on the west coast peninsula of Ardnamurchan.

The Daily Mail reports he decided to stay in the village to observe the wildlife, despite having no job and nowhere to live, with his parents convinced it was just a phase.

Hamza soon made a name for himself on the island and would have locals approach him to tell him of their wildlife spots. He has lived there ever since and recently fronted Channel 4 documentary Scotland: My Life in the Wild and Scotland: Escape to the Wilderness, in which he guided celebrity companions on journeys through western and eastern Scotland and the Highlands.

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.