Bristol's Jayde Adams was one of the stand-out stars of the first launch of this year's Strictly Come Dancing series.
The Bedminster comedian and actor was paired with professional dancer Karen Hauer, who has been dancing with Strictly for ten years, and finished second with Jamie Lang two years ago.
"Every single thing I have ever achieved in my career has been me gearing up to be on Strictly Come Dancing, this means everything," she told viewers.
Read more: Ten years on - why our Jayde is moving back to Bristol
"If you cut me in half, it would read 'Bristol' on one side and 'Strictly' on the other running right through. Is this real? Is this happening?" she added.
The launch show was due to take place last Saturday, but was moved to tonight because of the death of the Queen. The pre-recorded show went out 24 hours before the first full programme which will see Jayde line up against other top celebrities dancing for the first time.
The big reveal of her partner happened on the Clifton Observatory roof, after shots showing Jayde walking down East Street and North Street in Bedminster. "I'm so glad that I'm with a girl, it's literally my wildest dreams," she said. "I'm really chuffed, I'm really happy. There's no art without failure, and I'm not scared of that. I think we're going to have some real magic moments together," she told her.
Jayde is no dance novice - she spent much of her childhood at her aunt's freestyle disco dance club, and danced with her sister Jenna, who tragically passed away in April 2011, aged just 28 and had been studying contemporary dance at university.
Jayde shared with Bristol Live last year why she was moving back to South Bristol after ten years living in London, and a more recent BBC regional documentary showed her touring her Bedminster roots and reconnecting with family and childhood friends.
After branching out from stand-up comedy to acting in TV series and presenting, Jayde was announced as a Strictly contestant last month, saying she was sure Jenna was looking down on her approvingly.
"I think my sister’s definitely orchestrating things for me. It all feels so serendipitous." The sisters took part in contests in their schooldays but Jayde admits she was better at being funny than doing disco moves. She said her sister was a really good dancer and that gave her ease on stage useful for being a stand-up comedian. She says her sister inspired her to become a comic as she battled her illness, telling her: “Can you start making everyone laugh? They’re all looking at me like I’m about to die and it’s doing my nut in.”
The loss of Jenna spurred Jayde to write her award-winning debut stand-up show which included a performance of her take on the evolution of dance. She said: “There are videos on YouTube if you can hunt them out.
"It was all silent and I just moved my body. I had stage presence, it was just the jokes I needed.” In 2014 Jayde won the Funny Women award and in 2016 she was a nominee for Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards. She has since been a panellist on Channel 4 ’s comedy quiz shows 8 Out of 10 Cats and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.
Jayde joked that, alongside Arsenal and England footballer Tony Adams and Loose Women presenter Kaye Adams, there was a real 'Adams Family' vibe on Strictly this year. She said she is calling them 'Daddy Adams and Mummy Adams', and that she was the 'Baby Bear' of the unlikely family.
Read more: Funny and poignant documentary shows how Bristol's Jayde Adams is coming home
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