Strictly Come Dancing Jason Donovan: 'I've blown myself away!'

Jason Donovan and Holly Valance talk to TV Times magazine about the excitement of dancing in front of thousands at Wembley on the Strictly Come Dancing Children in Need special (Saturday, BBC One)...

So Jason and Holly, how are you feeling about the prospect of performing at one of Britain’s most prestigious venues?
Jason: “It was 100 per cent my aim to get to Wembley and I’m very excited about it. I’ve performed there on a number of occasions and it’s an arena that obviously has a big tradition around the world.”
Holly: “It’s going to be incredible to say I’ve played Wembley. As a pop star I sang to 100,000 people at festivals and I think it will be on par with that, but it’s been nearly 10 years so it’s like going back out and swimming with the sharks again!”

Do you have any special tricks up your sleeve for your dances?
Jason: “Obviously it’s very different to the normal studio performance so you’ve got to think bigger. It will be a bit more showbizzy!”
Holly: “We’re going to have a lot of fun with it. Hopefully the crowd will be amped up and loving what we’re doing and we’ll all be fine. We’re all in it together.”

You’ve both supported Children in Need in the past – are you excited to be involved with the cause again?
Holly: “Doing the special in aid of Children in Need makes it so much more important. To be part of things like that means there’s a real point to what we’re doing besides just a bit of light entertainment.”
Jason: “It focuses you on the most important thing in life. I have three children of my own and I understand that nothing is more important than their wellbeing and kids in general. As adults we need to be reminded of that.”

Did either of you have any idea how good you would be on the dance floor?
Jason: “I have blown myself away - I never knew this was in me! This is not my comfort zone. When I worked with choreographers for musical theatre, I would get very anxious. I feel I’m tackling one of my fears now.”
Holly: “I thought I’d probably be a bit better than this to be honest, I think I’ve been average!”