A Strictly 2024 audience member has opened up about what it was like behind the scenes at the live show.
This year’s series has seen the likes of Nick Knowles, Chris McCausland and Tasha Ghouri take to the dance floor.
Julie Denise Jackson had her bucket list dream of being a part of the audience at a Strictly live show come true recently.
She was heartbreakingly told she has around 12 months to live after being diagnosed with synovial sarcoma – an “incredibly rare” soft tissue cancer – in May this year.
Strictly 2024
Julie explained that she has applied to be in the Strictly audience “many times” but has “had no luck”.
When I saw all the lights and celebrities I just thought wow.
However, in June, her friend contacted the Sunderland Echo to see if they could “help to make Julie’s dream come true”.
Last week on October 5, Julie’s bucket list dream came true when a musician on Strictly managed to secure tickets for both her and her husband to see the Saturday live show. They were also able to see the recording of Sunday’s results show.
Strictly audience experience
Speaking to the Echo, Julie said: “A friend of my husband is in the orchestra on the show and was able to get two tickets for myself and Mark. I was in hospital when I got the news as I was recovering from the side-effects of my latest chemotherapy.
“When I got the news I was like a kid at Christmas. I told staff at the hospital, ‘I can’t be in here this weekend.’ They were concerned about the risk of infection. But fortunately my condition improved and I was able to travel.”
Sharing some details of the live show, Julie explained that they had to be there at 5pm and had to “swear an oath not to tell anyone about the results of the show recorded for Sunday broadcast”.
She added: “When I saw all the lights and celebrities I just thought wow. There were two members of JLS, Vernon Kay and Sam Thompson who were there to watch friends and relatives in the show.”
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Julie also said she got to sit in head judge Shirley Ballas‘ chair. She added that the whole experience “exceeded my expectations”.
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