It'll come as no surprise that I love dancing. I've been lucky enough to make a career out of it. I started my dancing career with the creation of a dance troupe in the 70s called Hot Gossip, and went on to choreograph everything from West End musicals to music videos for some of the biggest names in the business. Then of course, there's my time as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, other TV programmes like So You Think You Can Dance and everything in between!
I love dance because its great fun, keeps you fit and boosts your confidence. I love it when people tell me how much they are inspired by seeing dance programmes on TV, and in fact new research shows that around half of those watching TV programmes like Strictly Come Dancing get so wrapped-up in the rhythm that they can't help but dance along in their living rooms.
The new survey, which has been commissioned by Carpetright, reveals that 7.8m people are turning their living room into a ballroom to dance along, and I think that's brilliant! I love the idea that so many twosomes are two-stepping in front of the TV. That's what dance is all about, getting involved and having fun.
But the research also revealed that over half of us Brits wish we were better at dancing, so here are my top five tips for getting 'rumba ready'.
1. Sign yourself up for professional dance classes: There are thousands of locations across the country where you can learn to dance with experienced instructors. If you have a partner, why not sign them up too? It's a great way to get out and do something together.
2. Learn at home with online tutorials: Almost a fifth of people in the research said they think classes are too expensive, so why not save the money and learn at home instead? I've just created a series of online films that with help get you started at home, with everything from Salsa to Samba.
3. Don't think you can't do it without a partner: There really are no excuses. You don't need a partner to learn to dance. If you're learning at home then practice in a mirror to get started, and sign up for classes where you're bound to meet someone also looking for a ballroom buddy.
3. Remember everywhere is a dance floor: Every smooth surface can be your ballroom, so whether you're in the supermarket or at home, you can easily glide around the room to practice all day.
4. Just enjoy yourself: I think we all spend to long worrying what everyone else thinks, in fact 17% of people said they would be too embarrassed to go to a dance class. If you ask me, you need to throw caution to the wind, forget everyone else and just go with the flow. Go with the music to find your own natural rhythm!