EXCLUSIVE: Bobby Brazier reveals ‘intense’ moment during ‘rollercoaster’ Strictly journey
Bobby Brazier has opened up about his time on Strictly Come Dancing and admits that it could be beneficial ahead of his Soccer Aid debut later this year
Bobby Brazier has revealed he experienced every type of emotion during his time on Strictly Come Dancing.
The actor who is best known for playing Freddie Slater on BBC’s EastEnders found himself waltzing straight to the final of the dance competition last year alongside professional dancer Dianne Buswell. The pair went on to finish as runner-ups but Bobby reveals the skills he learnt on the show could come in handy for Soccer Aid.
Bobby, 20, will make his debut at Soccer Aid for Unicef later this year, alongside the likes of Roman Kemp, Robbie Williams and Tom Grennan. But despite the son of Jade Goody and Jeff Brazier being an avid Tottenham Hotspur fan, he cannot wait to run out onto the pitch at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge on June 9.
Bobby Brazier has shared his excitement ahead of Soccer Aid 2024 (
©UNICEF/Soccer Aid Productions/Stella Pictures)
The actor believes that his Strictly training could come in handy (
Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/REX/Shutterstock)
Speaking exclusively to the Mirror, Bobby shed light on his Strictly appearance saying: “I’d say [I learnt different things] for the show and the tour. The show was just an absolute rollercoaster, I felt every single emotion to the full extent, sometimes in a matter of an hour. It was so intense to turn up every day and do the same thing, every day, for hours and hours non-stop to a professional dance standard and the intensity of training taught me a lesson in resilience and determination.
“The tour felt like one big party full with an arena of people every night and I loved that. I think that this could feel similar, there’ll be so many people and it’s about having fun and there’s a game to play but it’s in the spirit of a wholesome day.” But Bobby admits there are two people from the soap he would like to see on his team.
“Not as a manager because I feel like he’d rip our heads off,” he joked, adding: “But Phil Mitchell. If you put him centre back or you put him in goal, no one wants to score against him or come near him. Or, my bestie, Bobby Beale, Clay, that would be fun. I don’t think he’d bring too much to the football pitch but he’s one of my best friends, nonetheless so that would be fun to see him lost in the middle of a football pitch.”
The actor joked that having EastEnders hardman Phil Mitchell on his team would work in his favour (
BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
Speaking about his debut at the charity match which was co-founded by Robbie Williams, Brazier said: “I’m so excited, it’s a dream come true. This is every young boy’s dream to come and play football in a stadium in front of 40,000 people, with legends.” He added that looking at the stadium “sparked excitement”.
“I’ll be buzzing, I already know,” he said of walking out of the tunnel to a packed stadium. However, Bobby revealed he’d love to play against World XI star, Usain Bolt but admits the England team would have to be strong given that Olympian Bolt would “beat them at pace”.
“We’ll have to play a bit deep,” he commented. Although the match is just three months away, the actor and model hasn’t actively started training but believes his regime from Strictly will have “helped him out.” “My only advantage would be, I might have a cooler celebration,” he laughed, adding: “I could pull out some dancing to celebrate but I don’t know if the dancing will translate.
“After the series, I went on a walk and I was blowing pretty quickly, I don’t know how relevant the dancing is to anything.” But Bobby has been left in awe of the line-up which features Jermaine Defo and Harry Redknapp, who he admits he grew up idolizing. “There’s some Lionesses on board which is incredible, it’ll probably make me a better footballer,” he commented.
Amidst the cost of living crisis, bosses have found ways to make Soccer Aid 2024 affordable for families, with a ticket for a family of four including two children and two adults costing just £60. Bobby believes making it affordable is “so important.” “Going to a normal football game isn’t always the kind of thing you do with your family,” he said, before adding that Soccer Aid was “more wholesome”.
