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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Entertainment
Nicola Methven

Strictly's Rhys Stephenson says winner Jay McGuinness is his dancing inspiration

CBBC presenter Rhys Stephenson says he's wanted to do Strictly ever since seeing Jay McGuinness perform his iconic jive to Pulp Fiction.

“We didn't watch Strictly in the house at that point, but my Dad just switched the TV on randomly, and I remember going 'oh this is Pulp Fiction' this is kind of cool, and I sat there and they just exploded and my jaw hit the ground and honestly in this dance, I thought I need to watch the whole series and I need to see him win, and I stuck with it the whole time and after that I became a huge fan.”

He says his family and friends are full of excitement.

Rhys Stephenson will be hoping to emulate The Wanted singer's success on Strictly (BBC/Ray Burmiston)
Jay McGuinness won the BBC ballroom dancing series back in 2015 (BBC/Guy Levy)

“The ladies in my church are just besides themselves now. That kind of support has been really awesome.”

Rhys says that his streetdance lessons at school might prove useful.

“I've always enjoyed dancing - learning a routine is not new to me but I haven't done that stuff in a little while.

All the time it has always been on my own. I've never had to do a routine where i've had to hold someone or lift someone, or do ballroom.”

He admits to being in it to win it.

“I am competitive to the point where I will play to win, and then I will do whatever it takes to win that is legal, and then when I lose, if I lose, I will put my hands up and be a good loser.”

Strictly Come Dancing starts Saturday 18 September at 7.45pm on BBC One

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