The news that Kevin Clifton was leaving Strictly Come Dancing devastated fans of the Grimsby-born dancer.
However, he’s still very much part of the Strictly family, appearing on It Takes Two and offering his take on the week’s dances on Twitter.
Today (October 12), Kevin has lifted the lid on some behind-the-scenes secrets from the show, taking the time to answer a series of burning questions from fans.
Strictly news: What did Kevin Clifton say?
Kevin took part in an impromptu Q&A session with fans on social media today.
During the chat he revealed a snippet of how things work behind the scenes at the BBC dance show.
Kevin lifted the lid on who picks the dances and the music and who decides the order the celebrities dance in.
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So, first up, one Strictly fan asked: “How is it decided which dance you do on which week?”
Kevin responded: “On a themed week it can be dictated by the theme u choose (ie what is the song from your chosen movie).
“Otherwise it’s largely from producers trying to get a good pace and flow of each show. Avoiding too many couples doing the same dance etc.”
Another wondered what happened if the couples got given a song that “just wasn’t right”.
“Have they ever tried to push a song on to the pro and celeb that just wasn’t right?” asked another viewer.
“I’ve never experienced that,” Kevin confirmed.
The pro has to okay the song before it goes ahead.
“I and other pros have said no to songs in the past if we felt it wasn’t right. The pro has to okay the song before it goes ahead.”
He added: “Nobody gets forced to do a song.”
The questions kept coming thick and fast, with another wondering: “Who chooses the music for the dance routines?”
“It’s a two-way conversation between the pro and the producers,” Kevin said.
Finally, he was asked: “Who decides on what order the couples dance?”
“Producers,” the former Strictly pro revealed.
Why did Kevin Clifton leave Strictly?
Kevin announced he was leaving Strictly in March 2020.
As a result he didn’t take part in the show last year, and he isn’t dancing on it this year.
Read more: Strictly fans demand BBC makes huge format change to results show
He said he left to take on a role in West End musical Strictly Ballroom, which was supposed to open in September 2020.
“To be honest, that was the main reason I took the decision to leave Strictly Come Dancing. It was always a bit of a dream of mine to play that role in Strictly Ballroom.
“I’d been in touch with Strictly Come Dancing and said: ‘If I get offered this, I’m not going to be able to say no to it.’
“So I got offered the part, said I was leaving Strictly for a life in the theatre… and then there was no more theatre. So everything sort of disappeared, or moved over to 2021.”
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