Judy Murray may be best-known as a tennis coach and the mother of Andy and Jamie Murray but she’s also a self-confessed Strictly fan.
Talking about her love for the show and why she signed up Judy says, ‘Like millions of others I am a huge fan and I’ve been following the show for five or six years now and I never miss it. I might not always be at home when the show is on but I always make sure I catch up. When I come home and have been away for three weeks I will always come home and watch it in sequence, I never jump because I’ve always enjoyed watching it from the start. I love watching how unbelievably good everyone becomes by the end of the series. I’ve never danced, so the challenge of learning a new skill and being part of something I love watching is a real thrill.’
Who would her ideal dance partner be? ‘When I watched the show in the past my favourite professional dancers were Ian Waite and Artem Chigvintsev. Neither of them are on the show this year but I really don’t mind at all who I dance with as they are all such unbelievable dancers. I guess the important thing is the height but more so I need someone who has a good sense of humour and who will be patient with me because I am such a rookie!’
Has Judy been doing any preparation for the show? ‘I think from my coaching background I understand how people learn. I am coming into this as a complete novice. I will be careful with what I eat, try to go to the gym a bit more and I may even wear high heels around the house to get used to that but whoever the poor soul is that has to dance with me, it is all going to be down to him to teach me what to do!’
Strictly Come Dancing returns at 8pm Sunday on BBC One. Watch Judy’s launch interview below:
