Kym Marsh admits it is ‘difficult’ doing Strictly while holding down two jobs

The 46-year-old Wigan presenter, actress and former Hear’Say singer danced the quickstep with Graziano Di Prima to Sweet’s Ballroom Blitz on Saturday October 22.

The song was chosen to celebrate the BBC’s centenary and was previously featured on Strictly’s predecessor show Come Dancing.

While practising for the dance show, Kym has also been doing Morning Live on BBC One with former 2007 Strictly contestant Gethin Jones and a revival of the school drama Waterloo Road while being a mother to four children.

She said: “It’s quite tricky. We train as much as we can. We put in as many hours as we can.

“There are some days when it becomes impossible when my schedule at Waterloo Road becomes too manic like we lost Tuesday (this) week.

“I was in every single scene, all day at Waterloo Road.

“It is difficult. I have two other jobs and I have a family. They have to be priority as well.”

She added that she had less than 18 hours training last week when she and Graziano won the dance-off against Bros singer Matt Goss and his professional dance partner Nadiya Bychkova last Sunday.

And after the latest dance, the judges had placed them 10th out of 12.

On being in the bottom rankings, Kym added: “Someone has to go each week.

“I wasn’t like ‘oh my goodness this is me’ and it doesn’t feel nice and it’s not a comfortable feeling.

“You are dancing off against someone who you like, (and you realise) it’s actually a competition and it’s uncomfortable.”

She also said that her children and father have been encouraging her throughout.

Marsh said: “I got a text from my 11-year-old (on Friday morning) saying, ‘Good luck mum, I love you.’

“And those things are the things that really matter to me and those are the things that push me forward. ”

Graziano said his partner has been “10 out of 10” and a “perfectionist” throughout her training.

He added: “I call her my warrior as I don’t know how she puts together things but she works in the morning, maybe until one, and we rehearse (to) eight, nine in the evening.”

Kym also said the team at Waterloo Road offered her a space to practise which she rejected as she “would need a make-up call again”.

“I just get so sweaty, your hair goes and your makeup goes,” she said. “A very kind offer but it does not work.”

She added that Graziano and her do find “random” moments to train and recently practiced in a train station.

She recalled: “You know there’s people outside watching. (These are) just the random moments he fits in.”