Strictly's Nigel Harman “used to dancing” as he shares musical theatre past

George Lewis, Rebecca Cook
·2 min read
nigel harman for strictly come dancing 2023, a man stands with hands in pockets looking at the camera and smiling, he wears a black suit with bow tie and is surrounded by glitterballs
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Strictly Come Dancing star Nigel Harman has revealed he is accustomed to dancing following his experience with musical theatre.

The Casualty and former EastEnders star will participate in the 21st series of the BBC show, competing against 14 other celebrities for the Glitterball trophy.

Speaking to Digital Spy and other press, Harman revealed that dancing won’t be completely new to him, with large portions of his early career revolving around the medium.

nigel harman, strictly come dancing
BBC

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“I did a diploma in musical theatre when I was 16, so I’m used to dancing,” he began. “I wasn’t in the top stream, there were As, Bs and Cs. I was in C and ended up in B – [I] made progress.

“Then when I left college, I was on a cruise ship for six months as a dancer, I hasten to add, [and] not just doing the bingo. There were levels of cruise ship – we weren’t the best one. We did well, tried hard and I had to wash the costumes in the shower – full glamour.

“This is the truth – I didn’t tell anyone for five years because I was too embarrassed. It has a stigma to it, and now I’m quite proud of it – it makes me laugh,” he added.

nigel harman for strictly come dancing 2023, a man stands with hands in pockets looking at the camera and smiling, he wears a black suit with bow tie and is surrounded by glitterballs
Kieron McCarron - Getty Images

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“I'm amazed, excited and terrified to be doing Strictly,” Harman said at the time of his announcement. “As an armchair fan of the show I have watched in awe as people have twirled and gyrated across the screen. And now it's my turn...gulp!”

Whilst Harman has his stint on Strictly to look forward to, the actor recently announced that he would be departing from Casualty, with the actor recently filming his final scenes as Max Cristie. Harman’s stint on the show lasted roughly a year, with his exit set to air in the new year.

Strictly Come Dancing returns for its launch special on September 16 on BBC One, while spin-off Strictly: It Takes Two airs on BBC Two. Both shows are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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