Strictly Come Dancing contestant Hamza Yassin wowed on the dance floor with his Salsa in the latest round of the dance competition. The wildlife cameraman bagged three 10 point scores with professional dance partner Jowita Przystał.
Now, it has been revealed that he was a student at Bangor University, and once turned up for a field trip to the Menai Straits wearing a pink tu-tu and shiny tights.
Hamza was born in Sudan before moving to the UK as a child. Before appearing on Strictly, the 32-year-old was best known for his role as Ranger Hamza in children's TV channel CBeebies' Let’s Go For A Walk and Ranger Hamza’s EcoQuest.
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He is also known for his work as a cameraman on programmes like Countryfile and Animal Park. In addition, over the course of his career so far, Hamza has made appearances on The One Show to talk about all things wildlife and also presented Scotland: My Life in the Wild in 2020 for Channel 4.
Before this, he was a student in Conservation Science at Bangor University, and has kept close links since leaving, even being given an honorary degree in the summer.
Professor of Conservation Science Julia Jones used to teach him, and told BBC Radio Wales about the day he turned up in an unusual outfit.
She explained: "We do a lot of field trips making most of Welsh landscape, and I would always go on about making sure they had the right clothes. That they needed waterproof clothes, the right field clothes. One day we were planning at trip to the Menai Straits, and Hamza stuck his hand up and what do you want us to wear.
"He had a cheeky grin, so I told him I would like to see you in a pink tu-tu and shiny tights.. Overnight, he somehow managed to source an outfit, and came up with his tu-tu, shiny tights and a rugby shirt on top. I deadpanned him and ticked him on the bus. and he work the outfit all day. It was funny seeing him with his binoculars, asking if that was an eider duck."
Now, Professor Jones is hoping to see him go all the way to the final on the BBC show.
She said: "He was just fantastic on Saturday night. I didn't expect him to be as light on his feet as he is. He has really got rhythm, and I am super impressed.
"He is a really nice chap. What you see is what you get. We are all Team Hamza. I think he can go all the way."
She added that he has kept his close links with the university, and comes back every year to give a lecture to second year students.
Professor Jones said: "He has been coming back every year, and giving lectures to our students with the message that a lot of hard work was needed to make his luck happen. He is living his dream, but the hard work to get to that point is a fantastic message."
Away from the screen, Hamza has largely opted to keep his private life out of the spotlight, meaning not much is known about his home life. The Strictly contestant currently lives and works on the remote Ardnamurchan peninsula, where his secluded home is located on the west coast of Scotland.
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