Strictly Come Dancing Christmas show winner Jamie Borthwick has said appearing on the main series is “absolutely nothing like” the festive programme.
The 30-year-old actor, who won last year’s one-off special with then-professional partner Nancy Xu, told the PA news agency he had been “humbled” by how different the two versions of the BBC dancing show are.
The EastEnders star said the main series took “a bit more” than the Christmas episode, which he described as “fun” and “light”.
It comes after he performed the Viennese Waltz to Beautiful Things by Benson Boone, with professional dancer Michelle Tsiakkas on the 20th anniversary series’ first live show on Saturday, September 21.
Borthwick told PA: “I’ve got a mixture of natural nerves, which are good, and excitement.
“But listen, this process has been absolutely nothing like the Christmas show at all.
“Even this time (first live show) when it’s been kind of easier than it will be on other weeks because we’ve had that extra week. It’s been nothing like the Christmas show.
“The Christmas show is like a bomb, it’s been and gone, I’ve forgotten about it now. I’ve been humbled very quickly, by just how different they are, and they are so different.
“Me and Nancy (Xu) worked hard on our routine but it was real fun and light, whereas this time, of course it’s fun, but it’s a bit more, this is the main show, every dance is different.”
Partner Tsiakkas added: “You are going from scratch with each new dance and learning completely new skills.”
The 29-year-old dancer went on to say that she felt the pair had a “very instant, natural connection” and added they “get along so effortlessly”.
Speaking about his partner, Borthwick said: “I can’t sing this one’s praises enough, she’s absolutely fantastic.
“This week’s been a bit long and a bit strenuous, a bit tough, and I’m like, you’re going to have to bear with me today, and she’s like, mother, sister, aunt, everything all rolled into one.”
The actor went on to reveal that Tsiakkas had been using “really obscure analogies” to explain what she wanted him to do in training.
The professional dancer explained: “If I want more fire from him, I’ll say, pretend like I just stole your Nando’s chicken burger, and that would make him really angry, and, you know, he gave me what I wanted.
“Or I’ll compare something to Takeshi’s Castle, I don’t know if people are still watching that, (and use it) to explain the transfer of weight from one foot to the other, and how you shouldn’t transfer too much to the front leg otherwise you’ll fall in the river.”
Michelle Tsiakkas said she and Jamie Borthwick had an ‘instant connection’ (Ray Burmiston/BBC/PA)
Borthwick said the couple’s performances could “only go up” with more practice and added: “You know, the more we’re dancing with each other and rehearsing with each other, say we’re learning more about each other.
“I feel very comfortable with Michelle, she’s a fantastic teacher, I think she’s starting to kind of gain my strengths and weaknesses, and we’re just kind of playing on each other’s strengths.
“Our nice bond and how comfortable we are with each other, it can only grow can’t it?”
The next episode of Strictly Come Dancing will be broadcast at 6.15pm on BBC One on Saturday, while its sister show It Takes Two will air every weekday this week at 6.30pm.