Fallen head over heels for dancing

That is its full title isn’t it? We have become so used to calling it simply Strictly.

I love the glamour of it all, the dresses, the obvious mistakes and catty comments.

There’s obviously stuff I don’t like - for example I keep wanting to take Claudia Winkleman’s hair out of her eyes.

But I love the line-up this year.

You can’t help but adore loveable fellow Scot Susan Calman, and I wish her all the best in the competition.

But this year, I only have had eyes for Debbie McGee.

Well, she is a similar age to me, and seeing someone in my year bracket dance like a 20-year-old is just wonderous to watch.

She has also said that after the death of husband Paul, it’s given her a new lease of life.

Yes, I know there is controversy over her - her past ballet experience and what not, but for sheer entertainment value, she’s a winner in my eyes.

Just goes to show how the delightful art of dancing can rejuvenate someone’s sparkle like nothing else.

And a dancing partner 30 years your junior who is extremely easy on the eye isn’t going to hurt either.

For all it’s Saturday night TV, Strictly appears to take its contestants on a powerful journey.

And while I realise that having celebrities on the show is half the appeal, I often wish the whole experience could be offered to ordinary folk.

I bet everyone reading this article can think of at least one person who would benefit for Strictly’s own particular brand of magic.

Maybe someone who’s sad, maybe someone who could lose a few pounds, or maybe someone who feels they are no longer capable of being glamorous.

I think if you put a line-up together, complete with stories of what each person has gone through, the national audience at home wouldn’t be long in forming an attachment.

I mean, some celebs are complete strangers to me - who on earth is Mollie King for example?

The celebrity element I think is much less important than the draw of achievement, happiness, mishaps, judges’ comments and anticipation that makes Strictly so watchable.

I like Debbie because I can relate to her because we are of similar age, but I would probably relate more to a woman my age, who has a job like I do, and the same pressures in life that I do.

So let’s put ordinary people in those dancing shoes, and see how dance can allow someone to really shine.