Tasha Ghouri has said how much she loves musicals before this week’s performances on Strictly Come Dancing, describing her song as from a production with a “very girl pop band” vibe.
The Love Island star, 26, who is partnered with Slovenian dancer Aljaz Skorjanec on the BBC One show, is to perform the Argentine tango to Ex-Wives from the musical Six on Saturday evening.
Skorjanec, 34, who returned as a professional this year following a two-year hiatus, said the musical retelling the lives of Henry VIII’s six wives, has a “cool, powerful message behind it”.
Skorjanec told the PA news agency: “I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a musical fan, but we actually went to see a musical that we’re gonna be dancing – Six, and (I) loved it.
“I absolutely loved it. It’s probably like one of my favourite musicals I’ve seen now.
“It’s so good, and I’m really glad that we’re doing it. It’s such a cool, powerful message behind it.
“And I love how it’s done. I love how current it is, how in it is, how vibey it is.”
Ghouri said: “It’s very girl pop band.
“I love musicals. I love the vocals that come with it.”
The quarter-finals will also see Miranda star Sarah Hadland and her dance partner Vito Coppola perform a Charleston to the song Popular from Wicked.
The first half of a movie version of the hit musical, starring US pop singer Ariana Grande and British theatre star Cynthia Erivo, premiered earlier in the month.
Hadland told PA: “I did go and see the film on Wednesday night, and I absolutely loved it.
“I thought it had been so hyped up, you know when you think, ‘Oh, come on, it’s not gonna be that good’. I was sat there in my coat. I was absolutely exhausted.
“I was, you know, hungry, tired… and I was sobbing by the end. I absolutely loved it.”
Coppola said Hadland “felt ever more inspired” after watching the film and had “studied” the character Glinda for their dance.
Elsewhere, JLS star JB Gill and professional dancer Lauren Oakley will perform a Viennese waltz to Let’s Go Fly A Kite from Mary Poppins, while reality star Pete Wicks and Jowita Przystal will waltz to Somewhere from West Side Story.
Also on the show, Olympian Montell Douglas and Johannes Radebe will rumba to I’m Here from The Colour Purple, while comedian Chris McCausland and Dianne Buswell will dance the quickstep to You’re The Top from Anything Goes.
The professional dancers will open Saturday’s show with a number from Little Shop Of Horrors.
During Sunday’s results programme there will be a special performance of The Schuyler Sisters from the musical Hamilton and a dance from the professionals to a song from Sunset Boulevard.
Strictly Come Dancing airs from 7.05pm on Saturday and is also available on BBC iPlayer.
