Strictly Come Dancing's Greg Rutherford And Ore Oduba Are Ready To Party In Blackpool

Blackpool Week on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ is always a cause for celebration when it rolls around each year, but this weekend will be even more of a party, as two of this year’s contestants will reach an important milestone.

Both Greg Rutherford and Ore Oduba celebrate turning 30 today (17 November), but while they’ll both be on a bus to Blackpool on the big day, it seems they’re keen to blow off steam after the live show this weekend.

Ore told The Sun: “Greg and I realised in the first few weeks that our birthday would fall in the week leading up to Blackpool.

“It’s so ridiculous to me that I’m sharing a birthday with an Olympian, on the bus to Blackpool to dance in ‘Strictly’ at the weekend. That sentence would never make sense at any other time of my life.

“It’s a memory we will frame forever. We’ll all be travelling to Blackpool so expect it to be a bit of a party bus.”

A show insider added: “The boys’ birthdays are the perfect excuse and I know everyone, including the judges, is desperate to have a few drinks out on the town.” 

We couldn’t be more jealous of Ore and Greg, getting to spend their 30th birthday celebrations on a night out with Bruno Tonioli and Ed Balls.

Still, it seems Ed might have to bow out of the party early, as he’s revealed professional partner Katya Jones has got him on a tight leash.

He told The Mirror: “My days of two hours’ sleep in Blackpool are long gone.

“Katya would absolutely not approve, she thinks we should be calling it an early night at 11 o’clock and she thinks Ovaltine is a better nightcap than anything else.”

See how the remaining seven ‘Strictly’ couples get on in Saturday’s (19 November) show, live from Blackpool Tower, from 6.55pm on BBC One.