'I had a scorpion in my trousers'
Strictly’s head judge Shirley Ballas was out of her comfort zone, but gets a ten for courage
Netflix
- Benji Wilson
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Why did you agree to be hunted by Bear Grylls?
When I first got asked to do it, I talked to my mother. She said, “Don’t do it! You’re too old! It’s too far away! You’re going to get bitten by a snake or a spider.” But I thought, why not put myself so far out of my comfort zone that people think, “Is she mad?” I was the eldest there, by the way. Boris Becker and I, we were like Mum and Dad. But Bear Grylls believes we’ve all got an action hero inside us. I think I found that in myself.
How did it feel being hunted in the Bear Pit?
They put you in this head-to-toe costume so you don’t get bitten, then you’ve got to find these tools to get yourself out before he catches you. It’s a very strange feeling to be hunted. God, I was sweating. When it got late in the day and the shadows were coming, all the time knowing Bear is lurking... it terrified me to death.
Did you discover anything about yourself?
I lived without a mobile phone for the whole time we were there. First day, first two days, difficult. After that, great. Didn’t have to talk to anyone. I think I learnt that I like my own company.
What was it like going from being a judge to a contestant?
It’s not a problem for me. I like to be told what to do. I’m the same on Strictly. What do you need from me to make this work? Tell me.
How did this challenge compare to what Chris McCausland did on Strictly?
It was phenomenal, what Dianne [Buswell, his professional dance partner] did with Chris McCausland. I mean, for Chris, it was difficult because he didn’t even see shadows, did he? Even he thought he wasn’t going to last past week two.
Have you picked up any survival skills?
Yeah, if I get stuck on a desert island, I know how to collect pee and use it to stay alive.
Did you drink your own wee?
I wouldn’t exactly say it was mine… I’m just going to say it taught me survival skills beyond anything else. I mean, I had a scorpion in my trousers! They have all sorts of critters.
Did you call it Craig Revel Horwood?
It didn’t have a name, darling, but it sure did scare me.
Did the show give you an appetite for more adventures?
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All the years that I’ve danced, I’ve flown to pretty much every country in the world, but I’ve seen none of it. You’re teaching all day. I’d love to now go back to Cuba where the cha-cha-cha was invented. I’d like to find the roots of Brazilian dance. I’d like to just go all over the world.
Authors
Benji Wilson
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