This year’s contestants are currently competing to waltz their way to the Strictly Come Dancing final, and 2019 star Saffron Barker tells Closer she credits the show with changing her own life. The YouTube star – who has over six million followers across her social media accounts – was partnered with dancer AJ Pritchard and made it to week 10. But despite having so many online followers, Saffron says she struggled with shyness before doing the show.
The 21 year old says, “I left Strictly with so much more confidence. When I began, I was pretty shy and the prospect of being on live television in front of millions was daunting. But as the weeks went on, my confidence grew and it felt amazing to be on mainstream telly. The highlight was dancing to Because You Loved Me by Celine Dion. I cried so much that night – with happiness! It was the best moment of my life, without a doubt. My mum was in the audience pretty much every week – as always, she was my rock.”
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Saffron is incredibly close to lookalike mum Wendy, 45, and the pair have joined forces for a new podcast, Mum Made Me Do It, which sees them discussing funny topics – such as awkward dates and toilet etiquette – with no filter. And Wendy – who has featured in many of Saffron’s vlogs in the past – says that she wasn’t surprised when her daughter ended up on TV.
“I wasn’t in the slightest,” she laughs. “I always knew she was destined to be in the limelight. Even as a baby, she was dramatic – her first words were ‘Look at me.’”
Saffron launched her YouTube channel when she was 14, making vlogs about puberty and teenage life from her bedroom. By 2018, she’d amassed over 150,000 followers and was walking the red carpet in Los Angeles.
Check out: 14 Strictly Come Dancing affairs that shook our world
Strictly Come Dancing Affairs That Gave Us The Shock of Our Lives - slider use this one
1 of 15Check out all the relationships hit by the Strictly Come Dancing curse...
2 of 151. Natasha Kaplinsky and Brendan Cole
Strictly's Camilla Dallerup revealed she suffered a 'mini death' when her fiancé Brendan Cole reportedly left her in 2004 for his Strictly dance partner Natasha Kaplinsky. Natasha and Brendan never confirmed they were romantically involved. Natasha said: "There was chemistry, of course, and I certainly fell in love with dancing, but I did not fall in love with Brendan."The pair have since married other people, whilst Camilla married former Hollyoaks star Kevin Sacre in 2010.
3 of 152. Joe Calzaghe and Kristina Rihanoff
Just one week into his stint on Strictly in 2009 and Joe Calzaghe split with his girlfriend of five years, Jo-Emma Larvin. It wasn't long before the boxer and his professional dance partner Kristina Rihanoff embarked on a romance. Unfortunately it wasn't to last and they split four years later.
4 of 153. Ben Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff
Following his 2013 stint on the show, rugby star Ben Cohen revealed he'd split from wife of 11-years Abby. He was then forced to deny he was romantically involved with former partner Kristina Rhianoff, after the pair were spotted linking arms on a London tube train.Ben and Kristina have since started a relationship and the pair welcomed their first child together in 2016.
5 of 154. Matt Di Angelo and Flavia Cacace
Things must have been awkward backstage at Strictly in 2007 when Flavia Cacace reportedly dumped her long-term dance partner and boyfriend of eight-years, Vincent Simone, for Eastenders actor Matt Di Angelo.At the time the actor told the Daily Mail: "The funny thing was the story did not start off as true, but the more you read it, the more you started to believe it and actually act on it."However, Flavia split from Matt in 2010 and went on to wed actor Jimi Mistry (who she met whilst partnered together on Strictly in 2010) in December 2013.
6 of 155. Ali Bastian and Brian Fortuna
Former Hollyoaks actress Ali Bastian and her dance partner, Brian Fortuna, got together in 2009 after starring together on the show - but split a year later.
7 of 156. Rachel Riley and Pasha Kovalev
Rachel Riley surprised everyone when she revealed she was splitting from husband of just 15-months Jamie Gilbert during her time on Strictly in 2013. Less than a year later, the Countdown star announced she was dating her Strictly partner Pasha Kovalev - but insisted there was no overlap between the two romances.
8 of 157. Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev
Kara Tointon not only bagged the Strictly glitter ball in 2010 but also a hunky new boyfriend when she embarked on a romance with her Strictly partner Artem Chigvintsev.However, after three years of being together the pair split, and the former EastEnders actress told The Telegraph: "We are not together. We're fine, but we aren't a couple anymore."
9 of 158. Georgia May Foote and Sean Ward
When Georgia entered the competition in 2015 she was dating her Coronation Street co-star, Sean Ward. At the time she reassured everyone that she was in a happy relationship and she was just good friends with her dance partner Giovanni.However, shortly after the competition finished she ended her relationship with Sean and started a relationship with Giovanni.Unfortunately Georgia and Giovanni split before series 14 started. The former Coronation Street actress announced the news on Twitter, writing: "It is with great sadness we have decided to split up. There is nobody else involved."Although it was not an easy decision to make sometimes you realise that it is better to be friends and this is one of those times."We both have very busy work schedules for the rest of the year so we are both going to focus on our upcoming work projects and we wish each other well for the future."
10 of 159. Helen George and Oliver Boot
Helen George appeared on Strictly in 2015 and split from her husband Oliver Boot of three years. Were they hit by the Strictly curse?
11 of 1510. Susanna Reid Dominic Cotton
Susanna Reid featured on Strictly during series 11. After the show finished, Susanna and her partner Dominic Cotton split.The TV presenter denied the end of their relationship being related to the Strictly curse, she told the Daily Mirror: "I think people think Strictly was bound in what happened. It wasn't."Obviously things have been challenging in my personal life but we are getting things sorted."
12 of 1511. Louise and Jamie Redknapp
The whole world was shocked in 2017 when Louise and Jamie Redknapp confirmed they were divorcing after 19 years of marriage.The news came just months after she competed in Strictly Come Dancing 2016 alongside her professional dance partner Kevin Clifton.
13 of 1512. Karen and Kevin Clifton
After months of speculation Strictly Come Dancing professionals Karen and Kevin Clifton confirmed they'd split.Despite breaking up they've insisted they'll remain friends. During Chris Evans' breakfast show, Kevin explained: "Privately we are not together anymore but professionally we are stronger than ever before. Dance is how we came together and is what glues us together."We're still the best of friends – we still have a lot of love and respect for each other. What we've found is that since we've been honest with each other it's unlocked our creativity."Karen added: "We have such strong chemistry and it's about entertaining and inspiring. At the end of the day it's about giving back to fans. We're feeling very positive."
14 of 1513. Katya Jones and Seann Walsh
Everyone was shocked when photos of Seann Walsh and his professional dance partner Katya Jones were pictured together KISSING on the streets of London.While Katya is married to fellow Strictly professional Neil Jones, Sean is dating actress Rebecca Humphries.Since the news of the affair came to light, they've both apologised and blamed it as a "drunken mistake".
15 of 1514. Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton
Stacey Dooley caused controversy when she went public with her romance with her dance partner Kevin Clifton. In March, Stacey and her ex-boyfriend Sam Tucknott split, with reports suggesting Sam was paranoid about Stacey's relationship with Kevin, after finding secret messages between the two on Stacey's phone. AWKWARD.
“Nickelodeon invited me to the Kids Choice Awards in LA in my final year at school,” she explains. “Mum and I flew out first class and I walked the red carpet alongside superstars like Demi Lovato. It was surreal.”
But it hasn’t been all glitz and glamour. Saffron struggled with burnout in 2016 from the constant pressure and scrutiny.
“I was uploading nine videos a week and never switched off because I didn’t want to ruin any chance of success,” she reveals. “It was draining, and I wasn’t keeping any part of my personal life sacred. Eventually, I hit burnout. I was constantly in tears and for many nights, my mum slept in my bed to comfort me.”
Wendy adds, “I’ve never been more anxious than when Saffron suffered a meltdown. She became overworked but also a victim of constant judgement and bullying. People would criticise her about anything and everything. Once, she was slammed because of how she’d put her dog, Bella, on the lead. Watching her break down in tears, worrying that she wasn’t good enough, that her friends were prettier and skinnier than her, that other people were nicer than her, was devastating.”
These days, Saffron has learned to worry less. “Mum encouraged me to take a step back and post less, and I now care less about what my critics say,” she explains.
Wendy adds, “One morning, I said to Saffron, ‘You’re making a career out of YouTube, you’re doing well. Just do what pleases you.’ It was a breakthrough moment. That dark time was a huge lesson for both of us and has made us stronger.”
Wendy now works for Saffron’s company, and the pair laugh at the comparison to Kris Jenner, who is dubbed “momager” for helping manage her daughters’ careers.
“My fans liken mum to Kris Jenner and I can see why,” Saffron says. “She’s assertive but it’s always delivered with kindness – qualities I like to think I’ve inherited. She’s still the first person I turn to for anything.”
WATCH: Strictly Come Dancing star Katie Piper talks more kids, fitness and home life
Saffron Barker: ‘I was partially deaf’
This year, EastEnders actor Rose Ayling-Ellis, 26, has become the first deaf contestant on Strictly, and fans have enjoyed seeing her incorporate British Sign Language into her routines with partner Giovanni Pernice.
And Saffron reveals that, as a child, she struggled with partial deafness, before having a life-changing operation when she was 10.
“My hearing trouble started when I was three,” she says. “I was partially deaf in both ears and struggled to hear my teachers, but they’d tell me off in class for being away with the fairies. My eardrums would repeatedly burst, causing horrible fluid to trickle out of my ears, and I’d have to stuff them with cotton wool, which meant I was mocked by other kids. My high-pitched voice also earned me the nickname Minnie Mouse, and I eventually found it easier to play alone than struggle to communicate with my friends.”
Saffron became a “regular” at hospital, where she was admitted every few months for operations to stabilise the pressure in her ears. “When I turned 10, I had an operation to fix a perforated eardrum using a skin graft from my hand, and it changed everything,” she says. “Overnight, my hearing returned and the pain disappeared.”
Mum Made Me Do It is a Global Player podcast available on all platforms. Saffron is an ambassador for Make A Wish.