Strictly Come Dancing star Will Mellor has revealed he wants to lift the coveted glitterball trophy so that his mum can display it on her mantelpiece as the show has been a “massive journey” for her as well as him.
The Coronation Street actor 46, is among the five remaining celebrity contestants and their dance partners in the semi-finals performing two dances on Sunday to secure a spot in the final show.
For this week’s performance, the Stockport-born actor will perform his couple’s choice dance with partner Nancy Xu to an assortment of 1990s tracks – including Fools Gold by The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays’ track Step On.
Ahead of the show, Will said: “I’m doing a 90s medley of classic songs and one of the songs is Step On by Happy Mondays – Bez is going to be in the front row hopefully with his maracas.
“They are songs that reminded me of growing up in the 90s, first time I could go out and meet girls and dance.”
Reflecting a little on his own youth, he continued: “Manchester was buzzing with music and it just reminds me of happy times and positive times before social media and it felt a bit freer. It’s sort of nostalgia for me.
“It reminds me of a time when I didn’t have a care in the world and everything was just fun and that’s what I’m bringing. A bit of nostalgia, a bit of fun and some 90s classics.”
Alongside his nostalgia fuelled dance, Will and Nancy will also perform a Paso Doble to a remix of Uccen by Taalbi brothers and DWTS which will feature him wearing a cloak and using it as a prop.
He said he hoped he wouldn’t suffer a wardrobe malfunction like Madonna, who in 2015 was sent tumbling down the stairs during a performance at the Brit Awards while trying to remove her matador-inspired cape mid-song.
Speaking about learning two dances for the semi-final, Will said: “My brain hurts, my back hurts, my legs hurts, I feel like I’ve been run over by lots of small cars.
“It’s a lot of pressure but I’d rather be here than not, so I’m trying my best to get through it and make it the best it can be.
“You never know when it is your last time on the floor so I really want to do the best I can to make these dances the best they can (be).”
Will said that he had been daydreaming about getting through to the final and winning the dancing competition, not for himself but for his mum and his dance partner Nancy.
"I’d like to give my mum that trophy and let her stick it on her mantelpiece but if I can’t and I don’t, I’ll be very proud of completing the journey so I’m going to do everything I can to try and complete this journey with my amazing dance partner,” he said.
Elaborating on his close relationship with his mum, Will added: “Giving her something to look forward to was a massive aim because she’s on her own since I lost my dad.
“She’s been engulfed by people meeting in the street when she goes out for walks or when she goes to the cafe, everyone coming over saying how much they’re enjoying me and it fills her day and it gives her something to look forward to and it’s so important.”
Dubbing his mum “one of those brave women,” he also went on to admit that he often worries about her and the sacrifices she made to help make him the man he is today.
He said: “I always worry that she’s sad, she’s one of those brave women, she’s one of them queens (who) bottles it all up, never complained, worked fingers to the bone just to make sure we had food on the table.
“She took care of all of us on her own and and I don’t forget that. So now she’s on her own I want to make sure she’s all right and this has given her something to look forward too – it’s her favourite show.”
Will also said performing in the BBC competition had been a “massive journey” not just for him but for his mum as well.
“She has a Team Will t-shirt she wears every Saturday night, she puts it on in the morning and doesn’t take off until she goes to bed,” he revealed.
“She’s the first person I call when I finish the dance to make sure she enjoyed it and liked it. So it’s been huge, which I wanted it to be and that’s why I wanted to stay in it for her as long as I could so she can be on the journey with me.
“Losing my dad was really tough but I’m creating some great new memories for my family.”
The soap star also said that he is the fittest he has been in 20 years, having lost a stone in weight since joining the Strictly line-up.
He added: “I think this has been the most tested I’ve been mentally and physically and I’ve come through it.
“The pressure is unbelievable, it’s terrifying but at the same time it’s exhilarating when you’ve accomplished something.”
Strictly Come Dancing will air on Sunday at 7.15pm on BBC One, having been shifted from its usual slot due to the England v France quarter-final World Cup match.
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