TV presenter Fern Britton has compared her Strictly Come Dancing experience to being in a “sausage machine”.
In the past, the former This Morning host has made no secret of the fact that competing on Strictly was not her favourite job, after admitting she didn’t get on with her professional partner Artem Chigvintsev.
Speaking to Carol Kirkwood for an online event on Fane, Fern also reflected on taking part in the Strictly tour, something she said she “loved” being part of.
“The TV show was frantic and it was rehearse, rehearse, rehearse,” she explained (via The Sun). “I was in a bubble and you are unable to take on board the reality of the situation you are in.
“[But] the tour is amazing. How often does a 55-year-old woman get to dance the Viennese waltz at the O2 in front of 20,000 people, in a fabulous dress with a handsome man?”
However, Fern admitted that she ended up spending most of her time on the tour with the crew, rather than the team of dancers.
She recalled: “[After the show] you pile into enormous coaches. The band and the stage management were my friends as I have been a stage manager. That is what I am trained in so I fell in with all of them.
“The band said, ‘How long is it going to be before you come on our bus and get off the twirlies’ bus?’ I did get onto the band bus within three days as the twirlies. Wonderful though they are, I did not feel comfortable and they were fine about it.
“They could not give a monkey’s whether you were there or not. But on the band’s bus they always had cheeses and beautiful bottles of wine and ham.”
She added: “Once you are in the sausage machine you are there until you are spat out the other end.”
Back in 2015, Fern accused Artem of “manhandling” her while trying to teach her to dance, stating: “He was like, ‘Shut your face. Go home before I kill you’. I would say, ‘Oh please just kill me, it would be easier’.
“Or what was his other one? ‘If you go for a cup of tea now, I will blow off like an atomic bomb.’ I thought, well I won’t correct him on that one.”
She added: “We did love each other for a moment or two but he wasn’t charm personified.”
Artem later hit back at this, insisting: “Recent statements apparently made by Fern Britton, whilst not reflecting any situation I recognise, are difficult to ignore.
“I believe I treated Fern with respect and genuine care, and these claims about me are the opposite of everything I believe in and the person I am.
“I cannot imagine what has prompted such statements which come as a shock to me. I just want to thank all my fans and friends for their support and belief in me.”