Sparkles in the long dark winter – I struggle when the clocks go back and the days seem so brief and gloomy. The sound of the strictly theme tune, the joyful beat of Dave Arch’s sequined baton (cue Miranda aside to camera), the lights and the sharp metal flicks of the professional dancers’ limbs. Zoe on her sequined sofa, holding each day in a glow of warmth.
Seeing people who are successful in a certain area thrust out of their comfort zone – As well as the escapism of glitz and shine, there is a deeper point. I find it rather empowering to see successful people taken out of their sphere of success and pushed into an unfamiliar spotlight. Not only do they have to learn the steps, they have to learn to fail again. And how they meet that uncomfortable failure determines their success. And this, I think, is a lesson we can all learn. When you are outside of where you feel comfortable, and face your own inadequacies full-on, there is a chance to thrive and grow. We are all on our own personal trajectory, and our victories and losses are never absolute.
Companionship – The incessant chatter of a tortured mind makes a tricky soundtrack to my life. Sometimes I need to drown it out, and the familiarity of Strictly, every day for weeks on end fills my head with welcome noise. It sounds cheesy but I really feel like Zoe Ball is a member of my household – I sometimes spend more time with her than anyone.
Kindness – I know Craig can sometimes be a bit of a pantomime villain, but even he is always kind and encouraging to the humans before him, even if he is harsh and scathing about their dancing. I genuinely feel like everyone involved, whether the celebrities, dancers or backstage staff all want everyone to succeed. Yes, there are critique and judgement of the skills they show, and yes there are some who are a thousand times better than the others, but I feel like there is always warmth for the human backstory to each contestant.
The playing field is never level, but that doesn’t matter – Every year there will be one or two who have been to stage school and show a polish and ease which can seem semi-professional, while there are startled politicians who honestly look like they couldn’t dance a conga. Equally there are those with model-perfect physiques, and those who are overweight, or those with physical disabilities. There are teenagers and grandparents, natural talents and talent vacuums. The playing field is never level but that doesn’t matter to me, because it is always about the trajectory of their story – what they battle with, how they overcome their fear and how they can flourish. It isn’t a dance competition in the strictest strictly sense, rather a test of improvement and entertainment. Again, I know it might make you feel a bit queasy, but I really think it is a valuable lesson for life: no matter where you start from its about where you go, and how you get there.
It is proactive in challenging the status quo – I love that they are continually pushing the boundaries of who we think are as dancers, and what we see as "normal". Whether it's paralympians or those who are older or anyone with curves, we are shown how everyone can dance, whatever their starting point, or characteristics. This has continued this series with the first same-sex partnership in Nicola Adams and Katya - it challenges our prejudices whilst it entertains us.
Claudia - I love Claudia so much. The fringe, the eye-liner, the perfectly timed sardonic comment, the natural comedy of her reactions, the kindness and joy in the black-rimmed eyes. I also love Zoe Ball an extraordinary amount, and Susan Calman dancing the quickstep. Some things are just there to make you smile.
There is lightness and joy – not the kind that pretends there is no pain or darkness in the world. But in a gaze that is not afraid to look upon the wreckage and find beauty in the way the sun glints on the broken stones. It is this that gives me real hope for myself – that the mental weight I constantly feel can be lifted. That there is something irrepressible in the human spirit, something primal and instinctive, that moves in rhythm and dares to dream of better days.