I must be the only person in 'Strictly' history who's actually put on weight during rehearsals.
I always check my harness before I do a stunt; I test-drive the cars I have to race or explode; I'm present at all pyrotechnical rehearsals; and I walk through everything step-by-step. No man should put their life in someone else's hands unless they have covered their own safety from all angles.
I have a photograph at home of Fred Astaire from the knees down with his feet crossed. It's kind of inspiring because it reminds me his feet were bleeding at the end of rehearsals. Yet when you watch him, all you see is freedom. It's a reminder of what the job is about in general, not just being in musicals.
I started off writing TV adverts. I saw those as rehearsals for a feature film.
I started out as a duo with Mis-Teeq's Sabrina Washington, and we worked for four or five years before signing a record deal. I had no money, and I was taking part-time jobs just to earn the train fare to get to rehearsals.
I've worked with actors who treat the first two takes like rehearsals. And that's okay. If the camera is on you and we're doing a scene where I'm off camera, I'm treating that as a rehearsal.
I was an apprentice at the San Francisco Ballet, and a casting director came to one of our rehearsals to scout talent for 'Center Stage.' I landed the role of Jodie.
Two pieces of advice for young composers: Go away during technical rehearsals. And do not have a back operation.
Going to rehearsals was too depressing, and missing rehearsals was also depressing, so it was like a vicious circle.
I always lose weight - around 5 to 7 lbs. It's because of our strenuous rehearsals and long hours, which is not relatable to anybody because you're working out 8 to 10 hours a day.
