For the stars of Strictly Come Dancing, Blackpool Week is the ultimate goal, the point in the competition they want to get to more than anything. After all, who wouldn’t want to shake their thing in the historic Tower Ballroom? But for Strictly 2024's Shayne Ward, making it through next weekend’s show in Blackpool would be a particularly emotional moment.
Speaking to Closer, the X Factor winner, who is partnered with Nancy Xu, reveals that Blackpool would be the first time his mum Philomena will be able to come see him dance live on TV.
Shayne’s mother has suffered from ill health over the last decade, and in 2015 suffered two strokes in a six-week period. But for Manchester-born singer Shayne, Blackpool is logistically easier for him to get his mum along to.
‘The next thing is to hopefully make it to Blackpool, so my mum can come see me, god bless her,' he told us.
'She's not been able to come see it because she's not been too well. It'd be a lovely milestone to get to.’
Philomena has been an important part of Corrie star Shayne’s Strictly journey so far. In October, he dedicated one particular dance to his mum, telling Claudia Winkleman, ‘My mum is my absolute world but unfortunately she's not been able to come to the live shows because she's not been in the best of health for many years. But I know she's at home watching… So mum, I dedicate this song to you because I know you always try and get there. I love you.’
Shayne has loved the support of his loved ones – including his partner, former Hollyoaks star Sophie Austin – who have been able to see him dance live, but is always appreciative of those who can’t make it down to London. ‘It's been amazing to have that support there, and those that can't make it down, they can support me from afar, and the support is always there,’ he says.
‘It's my mum that I'd love to get down there, because she's struggled with her health for many years now. It'll just take too much of her to get her down to London to come and see it, so my goal is basically for my mum to come and see it [in Blackpool].'
Despite a trip to the live shows being too much for Philomena, last month she was able to visit Shayne in rehearsals on his 40th birthday. Having his mum watch him and Nancy rehearse their American Smooth, Shayne said at the time, was ‘everything. It was honestly the best birthday present ever.’
Shayne’s time on Strictly has been one of peaks and troughs. After he and Nancy have faced the dance-off twice, the pair found themselves near the top of the leaderboard – and picking up three 9s from the Strictly judges – during last Saturday’s Icons Week extravaganza for their Beatles-inspired Quickstep.
Now, the only thing standing in the way between him and Blackpool is this Saturday’s dance: the notoriously tricky rumba, performed to ‘Time After Time’ by Cyndi Lauper. ‘It's a lot in the hips, making sure that your upper body is continuously moving, even if your bottom half isn't,’ Shayne says. ‘[But] I get to form the real emotional side, and I'm looking forward to it. The rumba's a very, very beautiful dance.’
Strictly decamps to Blackpool every year, with the entire production moving up north and running out of the historic Tower Ballroom. It marks a major turning point in the competition, after which the remaining contestants really set their eyes on that Glitterball Trophy.
As a northern lad, Shayne also has a special connection to Blackpool. ‘When I was in a three-piece harmony trio, shall we call it, called Destiny, we used to gig up and down, in all the clubs up there as well,’ he says.
‘So I have lovely, fond memories of Blackpool, and last year I actually performed in the Tower. Never been in there before, but performed in the Tower for a gig.’
A chance to dance on that stage is in no way guaranteed, but with Shayne’s connection to the place, he jokes he ‘might've been manifesting it’.
We’re crossing our fingers for you, Shayne.