"We shall ride some coasters & get some seaside grub": Strictly's George Clarke & Alexis Warr talk Blackpool
This weekend, the stars of BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing will be gracing the hallowed floor of the Blackpool Tower Ballroom and one couple has already shared their excitement with us.
On Saturday, the seven remaining couples on Strictly Come Dancing will compete on the iconic Blackpool Tower Ballroom floor.
One of those lucky couples is Bristol born social media star George Clarke and his professional partner, Alexis Warr, who is a newbie to the show just this year.
Before their arrival in our seaside town, George and Alexis sat down for a chat with our celebrity reporter to talk all things Blackpool so see what they had to say next...
How do you feel about making it to Blackpool week?
George: “Since the start, people have said ‘ooh, you want to get to Blackpool’ or like ‘Blackpool’s a good checkpoint’ and I feel like it's not really sunk in how long we've been doing this. So to be at Blackpool is a bit ike a wake up call, like ‘oh, we've got quite far.’
Alexis: “I remember when I was in my initial interviews to become a pro that was always a topic of conversation, like,’ just you wait for Blackpool’, ‘Blackpool, Blackpool’, you just hear all this hype up about it and I'm just so excited to be able to experience it for the first time, and with George, so it's a very special moment. I think we're really just embracing this week and having fun with it.”
Have either of you been to Blackpool before?
Alexis: “I have in the past. I used to compete there a long time ago, for a couple of years, but I competed in the Winter Gardens, so this will be my first time in the Tower Ballroom. But yeah, it's been a long, long time so I'm excited to experience it with Strictly.”
Have you got any memories of Blackpool?
Alexis: “My biggest memory is just the atmosphere, like the ballroom was so big; on the floor, you just felt like a tiny ant; and there was a live band. I remember it just being an insane atmosphere when I would compete there, and then I would have Subway for dinner! I did run on the beach once, and that was cold!
What about you, George?
George: “I've actually never been to Blackpool. I have of course heard of Blackpool but I don't really know what to expect from it.”
Have people told you what to expect?
George: “They've told me to expect springy floors amd yeah, everything is just bigger. There's a lot of hype around it, a lot of hubbub.”
Do you think your performance will be any different at the Tower Ballroom compared to Elstree Studios?
George: "Obviously there's extra dancers involved,, it feels like a much bigger production and because we're doing a salsa-
Alexi: “And we definitely have big props!”
George: “Yeah, it’s a much more, bigger party kind of vibe so I feel like, outside of it being Blackpool, it feels very different to any of the dances that we've done anyway.I'm looking forward to it.”
Do you think there's a particular reason why Blackpool is the venue you've chosen to do your most fun dance?
George: “I think the whole vibe of Blackpool is bigger and better and like make it an event. So yeah, it's nice to get a salsa, which is sort of in keeping with that.”
You mentioned the floor as well, what have you heard about that?
George “To be fair, when we first stepped on the Elstree floor, I was like ‘this feels like it's got a bit of a bit of spring in it’. I was then made aware that dance floors tend to have a bit of spring in them. Apparently Blackpool is like a trampoline! I did like trampoline as a kid, so maybe I'll just play crack the egg with everyone.”
Let's see what Craig thinks of that, hey… but what does dancing on a bouncier floor mean for the dance Alexis?
Alexis: “I think it's fun. You just feel like you have an extra pep in your step, especially when you jump.”
The audience will be different as well, it'll be made up of more local people, so do think having a different audience will make any difference to your performance?
Alexis: “We'll definitely feel a lot more energy. I know that there's a lot more of a crowd. Hopefully the cheers are nice and loud, but I think, yeah, it's just gonna provide all into the atmosphere of just being epic and wild.”
Speaking of energy, have you got any plans for whilst you're up in Blackpool? Besides dancing, of course…
Alexis: “I would love to try fish and chips.”
George: “Oh, yeah. I need to just teach her what a typical British seaside is like. Also, they've got roller coasters over there, I would love to get on a roller.”
Alesix: “We should definitely go there, because when I went there in the past, to compete, it was mostly just the hotel and the competition. I never actually properly was able to explore so we shall ride some coasters and get some seaside grub!”
You’ve both demonstrated you don't get dizzy spinning around in circles so I'm sure you'll be fine on the Big One!
George: “Exactly.”
Alexis: “Perfect so this is all preparing us.”
George: “You've been training your whole life to hop on the Big One.”
Alexis: “We have got some lifts in this routine so I guess the adrenaline junkie side of me will come out now.”
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A bit left field, but George, your dad works for Aardman and Lancastrians love to claim Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep as our own thanks to Nick Park so could we perhaps expect any nod to those iconic characters?
George: “I don't know if Wallace has got the salsa hips. I may ask to get a sort of green tank top and a bold cap put on me from the costume department, but I fear that may be the only inclusion that they would get.”
You mentioned earlier that it's a salsa you're doing and obviously last weekend was a particularly emotional performance for you both so what can we expect from this weekend?
Alexis: “You can expect George to be the life of the party, and we are getting his hips going! It's just gonna be so fun.”
George: “When they played the song for the first time, I just wanted to dance. It does feel very much like it's a cool way to just get everyone going and get on their feet and go crazy out there.”
Alexis: “Yeah it's like a different type of connection to the audience,”
George: “It's very different to any of the dances we've done. I'm looking forward to it.”
Alexis: “That makes me happy to hear!”
Going into Blackpool week, who's your biggest competition?
Alexis: “Ourselves.”
George: “Yeah, my own brain.”
Alexis: “It's George's own brain, for sure, because I don't want him to psych himself out and put too much pressure on himself. That’s his competition because he’s a perfectionist.”
George: “Either my brain or my cardiovascular system. This is a very long, bouncy dance. It's a lot of work. So I'm just hoping that the body can hold up.”
Alexis: “It better or ou're throwing me off all over the place!”
Blackpool is also the ninth week of the competition, what have you learned from the experience so far?
George: “I've kind of just learned to trust the process and believe that we're going to be able to make it work. Every Monday rehearsals, you go in and you're like ‘oh my Lord, this is an awful lot of things that I don't know how to do’ and it's very easy to get in your own head. But come Thursday, usually it's going quite well. So, yeah, I guess just learn a bit of self belief. Because as well, at the start this process, I'd never stepped foot on a dance floor in my life, and I actively now quite enjoy doing it, despite it being really nerve wrecking.”
Final question, why should audiences in Lancashire pick up the phone and vote for you guys on the weekend?
George: “That's a fantastic question. Why? Well, it wouldn't be the dance ability. So maybe, am I wearing a particularly sexy outfit? “
Alexis: “We'll have to find out. He did just get a haircut!”
George: “These are all awful reasons! I think the whole time, we've just tried our best and been ourselves and tried to be as authentic as possible. If you want to vote for us do it, and I would appreciate that, but I feel like at no point have have we tried to say or do anything that's not felt like it's actually us so it's less of a plea to get people to vote, and it's more just like a compliment, I guess, if they do.”
Alexis: “I'll just echo what he said because that's all true. I just have been really enjoying this process and enjoying getting to know George, our friendship. Also he's such an amazing partner and I just really want all of that to shine this week, and for people to see how hard he's working and how dedicated he is and how limber his hips are!”